The public lives of John Adams and his descendants made them America's most distinguished family. But what of their private world? What was it like to be part of such an eminent lineage, which included presidents, diplomats, and renowned historians? Descent from Glory answers these questions in rich, perceptive detail, unfolding the Adams saga from 1735 to 1927. Charles Francis Adams, John's grandson, revealed as much as he dared when he observed that his family history was "one of great triumphs in the world but of deep groans within, one of extraordinary brilliancy and deep corroding mortification." His sons then sealed the family's enormous collection of letters and diaries for fifty years; these papers remained unopened until our era. Mining this rich trove, Paul C. Nagel presents a new and thoroughly absorbing view of the Adamses as husbands and wives, parents and children. (From the Book Jacket)