"John Adams" by Page Smith — Two volume set — Leather-bound, gilt-edged Easton Press edition

Updated on June 11, 2026: This has been sold.

Full title: John Adams by Page Smith. Published in Norwalk, Connecticut by The Easton Press. Collector's edition. Two volumes.

A comprehensive two-volume biography based on Adams’ personal papers. It won the 1963 Bancroft Prize and is recognized as a thorough treatment of Adams’ life.

Vol. I includes a Collector's Note from The Library Of The Presidents.

Excellent condition. 

In a beautiful Easton Press limited edition. Accented in 22kt gold, printed on archival paper with gilded edges, smyth sewing and concealed muslin joints. Bound In full leather with hubbed spines

From the review at My Journey Through the Best Presidential Biographies:

"John Adams by Page Smith was the first comprehensive biography of Adams written once the second president’s personal papers became widely available.  Published in 1962, this epic biography consists of two volumes spanning nearly 1,200 pages.  This biography was the winner of a 1963 Bancroft Prize (awarded to outstanding books on the history of the Americas) and has long been recognized as one of the earliest, most thorough, treatments of John Adams’ life.

"In a manner reminiscent of Flexner’s nearly contemporaneous multi-volume work on Washington, this biography meticulously chronicles John Adams’ life from his earliest days as a youth in what is now Quincy, MA to his final days in that same town, at the age of 90.  What transpired in the 45 years between his graduation from Harvard to the end of his presidency was a surprisingly interesting tale of dogmatic focus on self-improvement, a pursuit and embrace of significant political opportunities, extraordinary opportunities to work and live abroad, and an unusually strong devotion to his family and friends.

"Although this was the second biography of John Adams I read (following the excellent book by David McCullough), the journey was undiminished by my previous venture through Adams’ life.  Because McCullough’s biography was nearly 40% shorter, by necessity it hustled past a number of interesting sojourns which Smith allows us to enjoy.  While little of the incremental detail is necessary in order to understand the broad themes of Adams’ life, we almost feel as though we roamed the English countryside with Adams and Jefferson in the spring of 1786, and it seems all but certain we must have been John’s and Abigail’s therapists at some point, having been privy to the witty banter and touching emotional exchanges they shared through their frequent letters."

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