John Adams - A Double Masterpiece!

The first David McCullough book that I read (listened to) was John Adams. I would guess that I read it sometime in or around 2004 after seeing it on the best seller list for what seemed like forever. I listened to it, like so many other audiobooks, on my daily hour-long bicycle ride.

But this book was different than others I listened to because I would look for ways to extend my bike ride and thus my opportunity to listen to the book. I remember on two occasions going for an evening ride in addition to my daily morning ride to get more of the book. I plowed through the 30+ hour audiobook in about two weeks.

I remember telling anyone who would listen what a great book it was. It seemed that not many people were too interested in it.

But I wanted more history; or at least David McCullough's history. So I went back to the audiobook catalog and found more. Over the next couple of years, I listened to 1776 (which is coming to HBO later this year), The Path Between the Seas, Truman, and the Johnstown Flood. I enjoyed all of them immensely, but John Adams was still my favorite.

Last September, my daughter, Rachel, gave me the DVD set of HBO's miniseries, John Adams, based on McCullough's book. I was excited and remembered how much I enjoyed the book. So often, though, I have been disappointed by the movie so I put it away to watch during the long, cold South Dakota winter.

Well, it got slipped into a drawer in a chest in the family room. I really kinda forgot about it. I thought of it the other day and started looking for it. After enlisting Judy's help (she knows where everything is), we found it and began watching. I thought we might watch one or two of the seven episodes each week until it was done.

WRONG! We sat captivated for three nights and devoured the seven segments and the features. The movie is spectacularly done throughout. George Washington and Thomas Jefferson seem to have come back from the history books. Paul Giamatti and Laura Linney are marvelous as John and Abigail Adams. I really don't have enough superlatives for this miniseries.

If you have an interest in our Founding Fathers, rent or buy this series.