Perhaps the most eclectic, accomplished, and important American writer of his time, Henry Adams (1838-1918) was the direct descendant of two presidents, and author of the perennial classic The Education of Henry Adams. Shedding light on the under-celebrated life of this major American intellectual, David Brown details Adams's relationships with his wife (Marian "Clover" Hooper) and, following her suicide, Elizabeth Cameron, the young wife of a senator and part of the famous Sherman clan. Drawing upon thousands of letters, Brown also assesses Adams's lifelong struggles with depression and familial expectations.

"Marvelous…. A compelling account of America's transformation in the space of one man's lifetime, from a Republic where the Adams name meant everything, to an industrialized behemoth that had left him behind."—NYTBR