Review: John Adams by David McCullough.
One of my favorite all-time books is McCullough’s Truman. And though the Adams book does not rise to the Truman level, it still ranks as an interesting and thoughtful biography with great insights into the revolutionary war and the U.S. constitution (unfortunately, the book is far less detailed once Adams actually becomes veep and president).
Summation: great book to get lost in. put it on your 2005 list.
I also highly enjoyed the Adams biography. In fact one of my favorite quotes comes from it: “We cannot insure success, but we can deserve it,” and further, that “I feel my own ignorance, I feel concern for knowledge, I have a strong desire for distinction.” I’ve used these words as guiding principles ever since reading them.