A patriot by birth, John Quincy Adams's destiny was foreordained. He was not only "the greatest traveler of his age," but his country's most gifted linguist and most experienced diplomat. John Quincy's world encompassed the American Revolution, the War of 1812, and the early and late Napoleonic Age. As his diplomat father's adolescent clerk and secretary, he met everyone who was anyone in Europe, including America's own luminaries Franklin and Jefferson. All this made coming back to America a great challenge. Though he was determined to make his own career as a lawyer, he was soon sent abroad, at Washington's appointment, as well as beginning a deeply troubled though loving marriage. But through all his emotional turmoil and financial hardship, he remained dedicated to serving his country. Drawing closely on his voluminous writing, especially his journals and letters, this biography offers a more sympathetic look at a man who has often been viewed as cold and stubbornly contentious. It is the definitive biography of the emotional and intellectual development of this fascinating early American.--From publisher description.