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About the Author
Born in 1838 into one of the oldest and most distinguished families in Boston, a family which had produced two American presidents, Henry Adams had the opportunity to pursue a wide-ranging variety of intellectual interests during the course of his life. Functioning both in the world of practical men and afffairs (as a journalist and an assistant to his father, who was an American diplomat in Washinton and London), and in the world of ideas (as a prolific writer, the editor of the prestigious North American Review, and a professor of medieval, european, and American history at Harvard), Adams was one of the few men of his era who attempted to understand art, thought, culture, and history as one complex force field of interacting energies. His two masterworks in this dazzling effort are Mont Saint Michel and Chartres and The Education of Henry Adams, published one after the other in 1904 and 1907. Taken together they may be read as Adams' spiritual autobiography—two monumental volumes in which he attempts to bring together into a vast synthesis all of his knowledge of politics, economics, psychology, science, philosophy, art, and literature in order to attempt to understand the individual's place in history and society. They constitute one of the greatest historical and philosophical meditations on the human condition in all of literature.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
39 of 40 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
In my mind, this is the best, most comprehensive, erudite and witty history of the administration of Jefferson. Although the length may scare some off, it is well worth the time and effort.
Adams spends a great deal of time examining foreign affairs. There are a few simple reasons for this. The wars between England, France and Spain had a direct and major impact on the growth of the US, and their conflicts were the conflicts of the US. Secondly, the federal government of the US, at the time, was devoted mostly to foreign affairs.
This is a political history. Do not look for descriptions on how the common people lived. Do not look for an inquiry into how women were treated, nor a disquisition on slavery. Do not expect much discussion on Sally Hemmings.
If however, you are looking for an in-depth analysis of a critical time in US history, a well-written, often funny book, read this book.
21 of 22 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Adams' work here ranks with Macaulay and Carlyle in terms of telling an intricate history through the private letters and conversations of the players involved. From the first pages where he describes the America over which Jefferson presided, Adams clearly defines idealogies and principles as they were defended and practiced by the Federalists and Republicans of the day. Throughout Jefferson's two terms, the president was forced to abandon favorite principles and to defend others that were ulimately (if not immediately) untenable. Through skillful hands we watch how moods changed and policies switched, and how the main characters attempted to reconcile their inconsistencies. Jefferson hoped to expose the wrongfulness of Federalist policies, yet wound up forwarding the same tenets in his management. The President who rose to such a height of popularity and power left the office as disgraced and as generally disliked as any Chief Executive before or after. A masterful work about eight important and formative years in the early republic.
31 of 38 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Even though it was written in the 1880s, this is the best history of early American diplomacy yet written. It is important to mention that this is primarily a diplomatic history, and it certainly reflects the author's interest and family history in foreign affairs. Adams has meticulously researched all matters of State and diplomacy, but he has reserved the topics of culture, economics, and education for far more subjective analysis. It becomes obvious early in the text that Adams is highly deferential to Great Britain, and the young American republic is constantly compared and trivialized, in contrapuntal regularity, against the great European powers. Adams has a lot to say about America's poverty, provincialism, and anti-intellectualism when compared to England, France, and Russia. American culture cringe pervades the text. While frequently accurate, he drives the point to excess: America becomes somewhat of a play-thing for the imperial ambitions of Europe. We're treated to page after page of material on the British ambassadors. In short, this is probably the kind of American history we would have expected Henry James and T. S. Eliot to have read, the kind that gets all the facts and dates right but can't conceal the author's sincere desire to be English.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Thought provoking history
Adams' history is a must read to understand how fragile the United States was in its earliest days. Jefferson is among the most complex of the Founding Fathers. Read more
Published 1 month ago by G. Brozeit
SHAME on you
Sent me a " very good " condition book with one page ripped out and another with a ripped in half page. I did not realize this until I was over 400 pages into it. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Richard Weiser
The first part in one of the greatest histories ever written
An amazing political history of Thomas Jefferson's presidency. In a sense, the title is misleading. It should read "History of the United States and Europe during the... Read more
Published 18 months ago by C.P.M.
Henry Adams does it!
This volume and its sister on the Administrations of James Madison are both excellent! The prose style is flawless; the volumes are so readable that the narrative carries you along... Read more
Published 20 months ago by Marvin C. Bracy
History of The United States During The Administrations of Thonas...
This is a very thorough examination of the US from 1801-1809. It was written in the 1880's but is fairly easy to read. Read more
Published on September 8, 2009 by W. H. Carson
Classic American History
The first volume of Adams' History of the United States, covering both Jefferson administrations, should be read by anyone with a deep interest in early American history. Read more
Published on October 28, 2008 by David H. Eisenberg
My favorite book EVER
Its not going to win reviews as a paper back book. This is the best history book I have ever read. I have looked at some of the reviews here stating its too long. Read more
Published on February 25, 2008 by Ian Young
not to be missed
Although I usually do not like to review books which have been extensively reviewed, this one I will. Read more
Published on November 20, 2007 by gaston magrinat
Underrated Classic
I don't understand previous reviewers comments that this book is 'too long'. This book and the second volume 'Madison' should interest any genuine lover of early American history. Read more
Published on June 29, 2007 by Guru
Very Informative and a good read
The two volumes by Henry Adams on Jefferson and Madison give great insight into the formative years of the United States and of politics in general. Read more
Published on May 24, 2007 by David Lisowski
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Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
ACCORDING to the census of 1800, the United States of America contained 5,308,483 persons. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
embargo message, disunion scheme, peaceable coercion, embargo system, claims convention, spoliation claims, embargo laws, neutral commerce, neutral trade, colonial produce, executive influence, commercial restrictions, neutral rights Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
United States, New York, New England, New Orleans, Great Britain, State Papers, John Randolph, President Jefferson, First Consul, West Florida, Annals of Congress, British Archives, Archives des Aff, State Department Archives, Prince of Peace, Robert Smith, Colonel Burr, South Carolina, Berlin Decree, White House, Supreme Court, General Wilkinson, West Indian, West Indies, King Charles New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
ACCORDING to the census of 1800, the United States of America contained 5,308,483 persons. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
embargo message, disunion scheme, peaceable coercion, embargo system, claims convention, spoliation claims, embargo laws, neutral commerce, neutral trade, colonial produce, executive influence, commercial restrictions, neutral rights Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
United States, New York, New England, New Orleans, Great Britain, State Papers, John Randolph, President Jefferson, First Consul, West Florida, Annals of Congress, British Archives, Archives des Aff, State Department Archives, Prince of Peace, Robert Smith, Colonel Burr, South Carolina, Berlin Decree, White House, Supreme Court, General Wilkinson, West Indian, West Indies, King Charles New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 95
books:
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28
books
cite this book:
See all 28 books citing this book
- Mont-Saint-Michel and Chartres (Penguin Classics) by Henry Adams in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
- The Education of Henry Adams (Penguin Classics) by Henry Adams in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
- Vandover and the Brute by Frank Norris in Back Matter
- The Papers of Henry Clay. Volume 4: Secretary of State, 1825 by Henry Clay on page 805
- Montcalm And Wolfe: The French And Indian War by Francis Parkman in Back Matter
See all 95 books this book cites
- The Birth of Empire: DeWitt Clinton and the American Experience, 1769-1828 by Evan Cornog in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
- Cherokee Tragedy: The Ridge Family and the Decimation of a People (Civilization of the American Indian Series) by Thurman Wilkins in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
- The Power and the Story: How the Crafted Presidential Narrative Has Determined Political Success from George Washington to George W. Bush by Evan Cornog on page 238, and Back Matter
- The United States in 1800 by Henry Adams in Front Matter, and Back Matter
- Sally Hemings and Thomas Jefferson: History, Memory, and Civic Culture (Jeffersonian America) by Jan Ellen Lewis on page 200, and page 208
See all 28 books citing this book
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