American Phoenix by Jane Hampton Cook (Review)

American Phoenix:

John Quincy and Louisa Adams, the War of 1812, and the Exile that Saved American Independent

by Jane Hampton Cook

(received for review purposes)

Genre- History / United States / General

Published by- Thomas Nelson

Copyrighted- 2013

Number of pages- 504

Age Group- Adults and Teens

Description of Book- hardback, list price $26.99, ISBN 978-1-5955-5541-0

Filled with personal diary entries from John Quincy and Louisa Adams, American Phoenix, by Jane Hampton Cook, describes their time in Russia during the War of 1812.

Included:

• Personal diary entries from John Quincy and Louisa Adams, which described how the felt about their time in Russia.
• What and how the Adams communicated with people in the United States.
• Shows how important the Adams’s were to the U.S.
• What life was like in Russia in the early 1800’s.
• How hard life was for Louisa Adams as a mother.

Author- Jane Hampton Cook currently lives near Washington D.C. with her husband and children.  She was a webmaster for President George W. Bush and has written seven books.

My Thoughts- I have never known much about John Quincy and Louisa Adams or the War of 1812, but I certainly learned a lot when I read American Phoenix, by Jane Hampton Cook.

I enjoyed Cook’s easy to read writing style and the use of all the quotes from their diaries.  The quotes helped make the book more informational and easier to read.

I do question the need for the word, “exile,” in the extended title.  It makes the book sound more interesting, but their journey never seemed like and exile to me.

The notes and index were very complete.  The index helped me helped me to find the pages for St. Petersberg and the places they stayed.  It was one of my favorite parts.

This book would be great for homeschool, public school, and for people who want to learn more about John Quincy and Louisa Adams.  I highly recommend.

Disclosure of Material Connection- I received American Phoenix: John Quincy and Louisa Adams, the War of 1812, and the Exile that Saved American Independence by Jane Hampton Cook for free from the publisher through the BookSneeze Review Bloggers Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.