"In America's First Dynasty, Brookhiser tells the story of America's longest and still greatest dynasty - the Adamses, the only family in our history to play a leading role in American affairs for nearly two centuries. From John, the self-made, tough-minded lawyer who rose to the highest office in the government he helped create; to John Quincy, the child prodigy who grew up amid foreign royalty, followed his father to the White House, and later reinvented himself as a champion of liberty in Congress; to politician and writer Charles Francis, the only well-balanced Adams; to Henry, brilliant scholar and journalist - the Adamses achieved longer-lasting greatness than any other American family."--Jacket.… (more)