John Quincy Adams

A Man for the Whole People

By: Randall Woods

Narrated by: Mark Bramhall

A magisterial journey through the epic life and transformative times of John Quincy Adams

In this masterful biography, historian Randall B. Woods peels back the many layers of John Quincy’s long life, exposing a rich and complicated family saga and a political legacy that transformed the American Republic.

Born the first son of John and Abigail Adams, he was pressured to follow in his father’s footsteps in both law and politics. His boyhood was spent amid the furor of the American Revolution, and as a teen he assisted his father on diplomatic missions in Europe, hobnobbing with monarchs and statesmen, dining with Ben Franklin, sitting by Voltaire at the opera. He received a world-class education, becoming fluent in Latin, Greek, German, and French. His astonishing intellect and poise would lead to a diplomatic career of his own, in which he'd help solidify his fledgling nation’s standing in the world.

He was intertwined with every famous American of his day, from Washington to Jefferson, Madison and Monroe, Jackson, Calhoun, Clay, and Webster. He was on stage, frequently front and center, during the Revolutionary Era, the fractious birth of American party politics, the War of 1812, the Era of Good Feelings, and the peak of Continental Expansion. It was against this backdrop that he served as an ambassador, senator, secretary of state, and, unhappily, as president. The driving force behind both the Transcontinental Treaty and the Monroe Doctrine, this champion of Manifest Destiny spent the last years of his life fighting against the annexation of Texas because it would facilitate the spread of slavery.

This deeply researched, brilliantly written volume delves into John Quincy’s intellectual pursuits and political thought; his loving, yet at times strained, marriage to Louisa Catherine Johnson, whom he met in London; his troubling relationships with his three sons; and his fiery post-presidency rebirth in Congress as he became the chamber’s most vocal opponent of slavery.

©2024 Randall Woods (P)2024 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“This splendid biography is a genuine Life and Times story of a remarkable American who served his country for more than a half century as diplomat, senator, secretary of state, president, public intellectual, and in a unique post-presidential career as gadfly of the slave power in Congress. Randall Woods skillfully interweaves the narrative of these events with intimate accounts of Adams' personal and family life in a warmly human manner.”—James M. McPherson, Pulitzer Prize winning author of Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era

“Randall Woods’ John Quincy Adams: A Man for the Whole People is a real treasure. Stretching from the American Revolution to the Mexican-American War, Woods provides a fascinating portrait of John Quincy Adams—a man known for his presidency and later abolitionism but little known for his romantic temperament and sociability. Woods’ true passion for John Quincy comes through in his selected anecdotes and eloquent descriptions, articulating a comprehensive image of the life of the sixth president. From narrating his studies at Harvard to his uphill fight against the gag rule, Woods highlights John Quincy in a new light, one that underscores his relatability to, connectivity with, and importance in the present moment. Woods’ volume is an insightful read and a tour de force.”—Daniel Walker Howe, Pulitzer Prize winning author of What Hath God Wrought: The Transformation of America, 1815-1848

“Beautifully written biographies are rare gems, and Randall Woods’s John Quincy Adams is truly one of the most exquisite. In this contemporary moment when our democracy feels so fragile, and when the question of what defines us a nation—what will make us the most egalitarian, the most just—feels so pressing, this vibrant and rich look at the life of a man who was at the very center of an earlier so-similar moment in our nation’s past is sobering, hopeful, and needed.”—Heather Ann Thompson, Pulitzer Prize winning author of Blood in the Water: The Attica Prison Uprising of 1971 and its Legacy

Most compelling and complete

This is one of the best biographies I have read/heard, and probably the most complete of the several I have studied on JQA.

Great Story

I learned so much about JQA from this book. Well worth a listen. I'll be looking for more from this author.

Comprehensive Bio of a Great Man

JQA may not have been one of our better presidents, but he was one of the best men to occupy the office. His true accomplishments lie elsewhere, in his early diplomatic career (often alongside his father), in his time as Secretary of State to James Monroe, and in his later time in the House of Representatives during which he became an early but highly effective opponent of slavery. This book is the third full length bio I have read on Adams and it is easily the most comprehensive and complete. However it is very long. For anyone wanting a shorter quicker read, Harlow Unger’s bio is excellent but for those wanting to do a deep dive, this is an excellent and highly recommended choice.

Excellent read - over 38 hours but well worth it

Very detailed - wonderful narrator - would love to hear more biographies read by him - author did a great job of delivering a thorough look at one of the more complicated presidents in American history.

Amazing life except when President

A fantastically written biography of the President who lived the most extraordinary life for all his years except for the four when he was President.

Best Biography I’ve Ever Read

Comprehensive, while keeping your attention the entire time. This is a book you would have expected from Ron Chernow. I’ve read hundreds of books on the founding fathers, and this is the best one.