John Quincy Adams
A Public Life, A Private Life
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Narrated by:
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Jeff Riggenbach
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By:
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Paul C. Nagel
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"With this excellent biography...Nagel focuses more on the private Adams, utilizing diary entries to provide keen insight into this extraordinary man....The result is a fascinating psychobiography. Highly recommended for all libraries." ( Library Journal)
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Benjamin Franklin is the founding father who winks at us - an ambitious urban entrepreneur who rose up the social ladder, from leather-aproned shopkeeper to dining with kings. In best-selling author Walter Isaacson's vivid and witty full-scale biography, we discover why Franklin turns to us from history's stage with eyes that twinkle from behind his new-fangled spectacles. In Benjamin Franklin, Isaacson shows how Franklin defines both his own time and ours. The most interesting thing that Franklin invented, and continually reinvented, was himself.
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Good book, not crazy about the narrator
- By Cathi on 07-20-13
By: Walter Isaacson
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Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power
- By: Jon Meacham
- Narrated by: Edward Herrmann, Jon Meacham
- Length: 18 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
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In this magnificent biography, the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of American Lion and Franklin and Winston brings vividly to life an extraordinary man and his remarkable times. Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power gives us Jefferson the politician and president, a great and complex human being forever engaged in the wars of his era.
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A Man and Biography Relevant to Our Day
- By Darwin8u on 11-14-12
By: Jon Meacham
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A Great Improvisation
- Franklin, France, and the Birth of America
- By: Stacy Schiff
- Narrated by: Susan Denaker
- Length: 21 hrs and 54 mins
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"In December of 1776 a small boat delivered an old man to France." So begins an enthralling account of how Benjamin Franklin - 70 years old, without any diplomatic training, and possessed of the most rudimentary French - convinced France, an absolute monarchy, to underwrite America's experiment in democracy. When Franklin stepped onto French soil, he understood he was embarking on the greatest gamble of his career. By virtue of fame, charisma, and ingenuity, Franklin outmaneuvered British spies, French informers, and hostile colleagues....
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Exquisite book
- By Jose Antonio Gonzalez on 11-01-18
By: Stacy Schiff
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Twilight at Monticello
- The Final Years of Thomas Jefferson
- By: Alan Pell Crawford
- Narrated by: James Boles
- Length: 11 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
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Much has been written about Thomas Jefferson, with good reason: His life was a great American drama, one of the greatest, played out in compelling acts. He was the architect of our democracy, a visionary chief executive who expanded this nation's physical boundaries to unimagined lengths.
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After Leaving Office
- By Roy on 09-23-10
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The Bully Pulpit
- Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and the Golden Age of Journalism
- By: Doris Kearns Goodwin
- Narrated by: Edward Herrmann
- Length: 36 hrs and 42 mins
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Goodwin describes the broken friendship between Teddy Roosevelt and his chosen successor, William Howard Taft. With the help of the "muckraking" press, Roosevelt had wielded the Bully Pulpit to challenge and triumph over abusive monopolies, political bosses, and corrupting money brokers. Roosevelt led a revolution that he bequeathed to Taft only to see it compromised as Taft surrendered to money men and big business. The rupture led Roosevelt to run against Taft for president, an ultimately futile race that gave power away to the Democrats.
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Makes You Forget You Live in the 21st Century Good
- By Cynthia on 01-11-14
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The Duchess
- By: Amanda Foreman
- Narrated by: Wanda McCaddon
- Length: 15 hrs and 36 mins
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Lady Georgiana Spencer was the great-great-great-great-aunt of Diana, Princess of Wales, and was nearly as famous in her day. In 1774 Georgiana achieved immediate celebrity by marrying William Cavendish, fifth Duke of Devonshire, one of England's richest and most influential aristocrats. She became the queen of fashionable society and founder of the most important political salon of her time.
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Captivating Biography with Outstanding Narration
- By Johanna on 05-15-16
By: Amanda Foreman
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First Family
- Abigail & John Adams
- By: Joseph J. Ellis
- Narrated by: Kimberly Farr
- Length: 11 hrs and 31 mins
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The Pulitzer Prize-winning, best-selling author of Founding Brothers and His Excellency brings America’s preeminent first couple to life in a moving and illuminating narrative that sweeps through the American Revolution and the republic’s tenuous early years. John and Abigail Adams left an indelible and remarkably preserved portrait of their lives together in their personal correspondence: Both Adamses were prolific letter writers (although John conceded that Abigail was clearly the more gifted of the two), and over the years they exchanged more than 12,000 letters.
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"Real History"
- By leslie on 11-15-10
By: Joseph J. Ellis
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What listeners say about John Quincy Adams
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall
- James
- 05-16-10
Good Book, Narrow Focus
This biography by Nagel provides the reader with more of a character study of Adams than an historical biography. This is not a problem as long as you are expecting a biography focused more upon Adams' lengthy diary entries as opposed to a more objective analysis of Adams.
While this book had decent narration and production values, it is unlikely to enchant readers who do not already have an interest in John Quincey Adams.
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10 people found this helpful
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- Robert Farrell
- 12-17-17
Informative but...
This was a good book and I learned a lot, but sometimes it reads like a laundry list and it gets a bit tedious as does the subject. Still, it was definitely worth listening to. In fact I listened to it twice. The author is very hard on Abigail but I enjoyed the perspective.
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- CJ
- 03-31-16
Worthy of your time
I don't recall how I acquired this book, but am very glad that I did. Before this, I didn't know a thing about JQA. Based on his exceptionally detailed diary, it provides a captivating comprehensive look into how the world was right after our country was founded, and engendered great appreciation in me for a man who had both virtues and faults, and who I was entirely ignorant of. It is vocalized exceedingly well, and I appreciate having heard the story of one of our presidents of long ago.
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- Eric P Howard
- 04-29-22
The Old Lion of Liberty
Ones of America's forgotten heroes that every teenager in America 🇺🇸 should know about!!! Well told......
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- Andrew
- 03-19-24
Another Excellent Biography of JQA
While I still favor the biography of JQA written by James Traub, this biography by Paul C. Nagel is a close second. If anyone is looking to shed 8 hours off of their listening time, then John Quincy Adams: A Public Life, A Private Life is an excellent choice. I would say the one thing that seems to stand out between the two is that Nagel seems to provide a more intimate look at JQA, hence the "Private Life" of the title. I didn't have any issues with the narration by Jeff Riggenbach.
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- Dale
- 11-09-11
Decent Tale, Robotic Delivery
Nagel's account of JQA is decent and will probably be sufficient for most readers/listeners eager to get a good summary and account of his life and times. Serious scholars should probably look elsewhere. As a relatively short work, Nagel has to make some arguably controversial prioritizations in his telling of JQAs life. For example, only one chapter is devoted to his presidency and the tone of the text is that it was such a dismal failure that one could be excused for ignoring it. (I don't necessarily agree with this.) On the other hand, Nagel does a good job of telling the tale of JQAs life in the House and how he shined in that setting even though it would be easy to miss this since some of his brilliance was in parlimentery tactics at key moments. The narrator is difficult to take at times. He sounds very robotic and occasionally pronounces words oddly or gives awkward phrasing to sentences.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Author John
- 05-18-12
Tedious President
Is there anything you would change about this book?
The depth of the research. Too limited to the diaries, and unbalanced.
What could Paul C. Nagel have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?
Read David Mccullough John Adams.
Which character – as performed by Jeff Riggenbach – was your favorite?
There was more than one character?
Could you see John Quincy Adams being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?
No.
Any additional comments?
I agree with other reviews that this book lacks scholarship. The author draws conclusions regarding Adams that appear to be difficult transitions. It seemed clear to me that JQA was ADHD. I would have enjoyed more color to the narrative, some context. The limited exposure to the Adams presidency in the book was because Adams chose not to write much about it, not because there is a lack of record.
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- Jeffrey
- 01-11-12
Great Biography of an Underrated American
What did you love best about John Quincy Adams?
I learned a great deal from this well researched book.
What did you like best about this story?
I enjoyed learning about Adams' devotion to his family.
Have you listened to any of Jeff Riggenbach’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
No.
If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?
A true American hero.
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- Ninimooms
- 07-26-24
Excellent overview of multi-faceted man
Excellent history of JQA and how he filled the void between the Founding Fathers and the next expansionist phase in America history.
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Overall
- Harvey
- 05-13-11
Entertaining
You are taken through the full life of John Quincy Adams. The strength and weakness is that if feels like it is strictly from his point of view. The author often states that information is drawn from Mr. Adams private journal. As such, there is no great perspective on the former President's actions and achievements. That being said, it is well written and tells a great story. It is a great way to learn about a distinguished gentleman that lived an amazing life, but does not suffice as the definitive summary.
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4 people found this helpful