Brooks Adams (1848–1927)

Brooks Adams, the grandson of John Quincy Adams and the great-grandson of John Adams, was an independent scholar who evidenced a profound knowledge and understanding of history. This work is a monument of his erudition and scholarship. Perhaps only a native son of Massachusetts of his historical standing could have written such an incisive and critical account of the history of Massachusetts theocracy. Adams demonstrated intellectual courage and independence in directly challenging the received wisdom of Massachusetts-based historians from the seventeenth to the twentieth centuries. This work, published a century ago, also demolishes several popular myths still extant today regarding the status of religious freedom in Massachusetts history. Adams's analysis of theocratic ideology, law, and government from the time of Moses to the twentieth century is also a masterpiece of interpretation.… (mehr)

Interesting book. Some things to keep in mind: 1) written in 1896 by an Adams, its comments on the value of gold must be taken as a critique of McKinley policy; 2) the conception of energy as manifested solely in Fear and Greed, two baser human motives, shows the old Puritan that still lived within the Adams breast; 3) the use of Tacitus' depiction of the credit crunch is exceptional, the passage itself caught my eye and attention (as those who spoke with me at the time can attest) when I first read The Annals a year and a half ago. Additionally, twenty years before Weber's famous The Protestant Ethic and The Spirit of Capitalism, Adams was remarking the essentially economic reasons for the Reformation dating as far back as Henry VIII.

In some ways, though the book is clearly flawed and, in the Adams fashion, overwrought in its use of language (Henry was the most confused of the bunch, but they were all a tad confused), it retains a uniqueness which should be noted. Taken out of context it could be completely dull, but within context...Fascinating stuff.… (mehr)

Describes a "dynamic" view of civilization and the triggers of decline. Commences with the Romans and comes to the contemporary Victorian Era. Originally published in 1895 in an intellectual collaboration with his brother Henry, the analysis is an example of the radical "scientific history" which was being made popular by Henry. The idea of "phases" in history suffered to explain the financial Panic of 1893 --Brooks' readership no doubt appreciated the insight into their pain, which was shared -- Adams' family fortunes suffered and Brooks wrote this work in the face of personal losses.… (mehr)