A Defence of the Constitutions of Government of the United States of America [Paperback]

John Adams (Author), Neal Pollack (Author)

Book Description

Series: Akashic U.S. Presidents Series | Publication Date: September 1, 2004

Acclaimed novelist and satirist Neal Pollack will analyze and dissect selected early writings by Founding Father John Adams.

Neal Pollack is the author of three books: the cult classic The Neal Pollack Anthology of American Literature, Beneath the Axis of Evil, and the rock ’n’ roll novel Never Mind the Pollacks. A regular contributor to Vanity Fair, GQ, and many other magazines, Pollack lives in Austin, Texas.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Akashic Books presents a thought-provoking series of early writings from United States Presidents, starting this season with George Washington, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson, and moving chronologically forward. Each slim book offers an introduction and additional commentary by a groundbreaking contemporary writer. This series is unlike any other Presidential commentaries in print, and is characterized by a critical viewpoint that will provide a counterpoint to the more staid analyses that have traditionally accompanied Presidential writings.

About the Author

Neal Pollack is the author of three books: the cult classic The Neal Pollack Anthology of American Literature, Beneath the Axis of Evil, and the rock 'n' roll novel Never Mind the Pollacks. A regular contributor to Vanity Fair, GQ, and many other magazines, Pollack lives in Austin, Texas.

Product Details

• Paperback: 65 pages
• Publisher: Akashic Books (September 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1888451610
• ISBN-13: 978-1888451610
• Product Dimensions: 6.5 x 4.4 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 0.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 1.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,272,941 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #65 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Nonfiction > Education > Education Theory > Philosophy & Social Aspects

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Pollack does a disservice to John Adams., July 15, 2006

By 

R. B. Bernstein "R. B. Bernstein, Adjunct Pro... (Brooklyn, New York USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Defence of the Constitutions of Government of the United States of America (Paperback)

John Adams's A DEFENCE OF THE CONSTITUTIONS OF GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA [1787-1788] was a three-volume polemic that Adams wrote while he was American Minister to Great Britain. He had two purposes in view -- first, to counter the claims of European philosophes that ideas of checks and balances and separation of powers were not needed in a new, democratic world, and, second, to provide his countrymen with a vast, rich collection of historical information and political and philosophical argument in support of the need to structure a legislature with two houses as an integral part of a system of checks and balances.

The book is long and difficult, and few scholars have made their way to its close. But, if modern readers take it up, they can find many nuggets of sound political and constitutional wisdom, often expressed with wit and energy.

Nobody would know any of this from Neal Pollack's version. The volume he offers is at least two-thirds Pollack's introductory essay with a wan collection of snippets from Adams's introduction to his book. Pollack sets up as a curmudgeon, whacking away at various flaws of modern life, while using Adams both as role-model and as shield.

Readers who want to get a sense of Adams's book should look at the extended excerpts available in three modern anthologies of Adams's writings: George A. Peek's THE POLITICAL WRITINGS OF JOHN ADAMS [Hackett]; George Carey's THE POLITICAL WRITINGS OF JOHN ADAMS [Gateway Editions]; and John Patrick Diggins, THE PORTABLE JOHN ADAMS [Penguin Classics]. Don't waste your time or money on this book, which is a disservice to Adams.