John Adams by David McCullough chronicles the life of one of the more enigmatic founding fathers. This book won the 2002 Pulitzer Prize and seems to have started a mini-revolution of its own — that is a revolution in popular reading. Since the publication of John Adams, history books have been increasingly popular.

McCullough's book introduces readers to the life of the second president. Starting in his beloved Quincy, Massachusetts and ending there on his deathbed 50 years to the day after the signing of the declaration of Independence. [Both Adams and his friend/nemesis Thomas Jefferson died on the same day]

Of all the founding fathers, Adams seemed from the earliest time to have a sense that they were changing the world.