Making the Presidency

Chervinsky produces a worthy and intriguing look at how the decisions that Adams made established presidential and political norms that provided a guide for his successors in the White House-and have endured in modern times. A significant contribution to the history of the American presidency. * Kirkus Reviews *
Dr. Chervinsky's clear and fast-paced political history recaptures the uncertainties of the early American republic as men of principle and men without it jockeyed for power in the first years after George Washington retired. Blazing a trail as the nation's second president, John Adams recognized the crucial importance of putting country above party, even as his opponents used foreign intrigue, lies, and even threats of violence to stay in power. With the support of his wife Abigail, Adams established the norms and precedents that kept our democracy stable for more than two hundred years. The story of how he accomplished that extraordinary feat illuminates not only his own political skill, but also the failings of those who mistook their own ambition for patriotism. * Heather Cox Richardson, Author of Democracy Awakening: Notes on the State of America *
Making the Presidency is a stirring evocation of an era of conspiracy in which a foreign authoritarian regime sought to manipulate American democracy while a flawed, unpopular president found himself undermined by a folk hero predecessor and his ruthless allies. With an unerring eye for the dramatic and the lesser-known fact, Lindsay Chervinsky makes John Adams and his world come alive as a most relevant and cautionary tale. * Timothy Naftali, CNN Presidential Historian *
Lindsay Chervinsky's comprehensive and illuminating account of John Adams's beleaguered, crisis-ridden presidency is a worthy addition to the story of the partisan politics of the 1790s. Making the Presidency chronicles Adams's imprint on the new executive branch and provides a valuable reinterpretation of his character and abilities. Chervinsky has produced an important history of an overlooked presidency. * John Ferling, Author of Winning Independence: The Decisive Years of the Revolutionary War, 1778-1781 *
Those who want to know more about the extraordinary--but often unsung--talents and accomplishments of John Adams should read this well-written and thoroughly entertaining book that brings to life the complicated personality and immense talents of our second president. * David Rubenstein, Author of The American Story: Conversations with Master Historians *
[Chervinsky] deftly probes the way the second American president wielded power in the final four years of the 18th century. * New York Times *