Alexander Hamilton
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- Author：Ron Chernow
- ISBN：1800244398
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Summary
Pulitzer Prize-winning author Ron Chernow presents a landmark biography of Alexander Hamilton， the Founding Father who galvanized， inspired， scandalized， and shaped the newborn nation。
In the first full-length biography of Alexander Hamilton in decades， Ron Chernow tells the riveting story of a man who overcame all odds to shape， inspire， and scandalize the newborn America。 According to historian Joseph Ellis， Alexander Hamilton is “a robust full-length portrait， in my view the best ever written， of the most brilliant， charismatic and dangerous founder of them all。”
Few figures in American history have been more hotly debated or more grossly misunderstood than Alexander Hamilton。 Chernow’s biography gives Hamilton his due and sets the record straight， deftly illustrating that the political and economic greatness of today’s America is the result of Hamilton’s countless sacrifices to champion ideas that were often wildly disputed during his time。 “To repudiate his legacy，” Chernow writes， “is， in many ways， to repudiate the modern world。” Chernow here recounts Hamilton’s turbulent life: an illegitimate， largely self-taught orphan from the Caribbean， he came out of nowhere to take America by storm， rising to become George Washington’s aide-de-camp in the Continental Army， coauthoring The Federalist Papers， founding the Bank of New York， leading the Federalist Party， and becoming the first Treasury Secretary of the United States。Historians have long told the story of America’s birth as the triumph of Jefferson’s democratic ideals over the aristocratic intentions of Hamilton。 Chernow presents an entirely different man， whose legendary ambitions were motivated not merely by self-interest but by passionate patriotism and a stubborn will to build the foundations of American prosperity and power。 His is a Hamilton far more human than we’ve encountered before—from his shame about his birth to his fiery aspirations， from his intimate relationships with childhood friends to his titanic feuds with Jefferson， Madison， Adams， Monroe， and Burr， and from his highly public affair with Maria Reynolds to his loving marriage to his loyal wife Eliza。 And never before has there been a more vivid account of Hamilton’s famous and mysterious death in a duel with Aaron Burr in July of 1804。
Chernow’s biography is not just a portrait of Hamilton， but the story of America’s birth seen through its most central figure。 At a critical time to look back to our roots， Alexander Hamilton will remind readers of the purpose of our institutions and our heritage as Americans。
In the first full-length biography of Alexander Hamilton in decades， Ron Chernow tells the riveting story of a man who overcame all odds to shape， inspire， and scandalize the newborn America。 According to historian Joseph Ellis， Alexander Hamilton is “a robust full-length portrait， in my view the best ever written， of the most brilliant， charismatic and dangerous founder of them all。”
Few figures in American history have been more hotly debated or more grossly misunderstood than Alexander Hamilton。 Chernow’s biography gives Hamilton his due and sets the record straight， deftly illustrating that the political and economic greatness of today’s America is the result of Hamilton’s countless sacrifices to champion ideas that were often wildly disputed during his time。 “To repudiate his legacy，” Chernow writes， “is， in many ways， to repudiate the modern world。” Chernow here recounts Hamilton’s turbulent life: an illegitimate， largely self-taught orphan from the Caribbean， he came out of nowhere to take America by storm， rising to become George Washington’s aide-de-camp in the Continental Army， coauthoring The Federalist Papers， founding the Bank of New York， leading the Federalist Party， and becoming the first Treasury Secretary of the United States。Historians have long told the story of America’s birth as the triumph of Jefferson’s democratic ideals over the aristocratic intentions of Hamilton。 Chernow presents an entirely different man， whose legendary ambitions were motivated not merely by self-interest but by passionate patriotism and a stubborn will to build the foundations of American prosperity and power。 His is a Hamilton far more human than we’ve encountered before—from his shame about his birth to his fiery aspirations， from his intimate relationships with childhood friends to his titanic feuds with Jefferson， Madison， Adams， Monroe， and Burr， and from his highly public affair with Maria Reynolds to his loving marriage to his loyal wife Eliza。 And never before has there been a more vivid account of Hamilton’s famous and mysterious death in a duel with Aaron Burr in July of 1804。
Chernow’s biography is not just a portrait of Hamilton， but the story of America’s birth seen through its most central figure。 At a critical time to look back to our roots， Alexander Hamilton will remind readers of the purpose of our institutions and our heritage as Americans。
Reviews
Karen
，
I was listening to the book （29 CDs）。 Interesting enough， but not something I want to spend so much time on。 Let's face it， if it weren't for LOVING the musical Hamilton， there's no way I ever would have picked this up to read。 American history in that time period is not my favorite。 So decided to not spend any more time on it。 I was listening to the book （29 CDs）。 Interesting enough， but not something I want to spend so much time on。 Let's face it， if it weren't for LOVING the musical Hamilton， there's no way I ever would have picked this up to read。 American history in that time period is not my favorite。 So decided to not spend any more time on it。 。。。more
Caitlin
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 I was expecting to have to motivate myself to get through this book， but I found it impossible to put down。 For the last month I have been constantly trying to find quiet moments to read。I finished it today， covering the the duel， death， and epilogue in one day。 I am an emotional person， but honestly didn’t expect to ‘feel’ anything when Hamilton died。 But after 600+ pages of an incredible life， I totally lost it。It was a great book about an incredible man， and of course I have to give it up for I was expecting to have to motivate myself to get through this book， but I found it impossible to put down。 For the last month I have been constantly trying to find quiet moments to read。I finished it today， covering the the duel， death， and epilogue in one day。 I am an emotional person， but honestly didn’t expect to ‘feel’ anything when Hamilton died。 But after 600+ pages of an incredible life， I totally lost it。It was a great book about an incredible man， and of course I have to give it up for the real MVP - Eliza。 。。。more
Pamela
，
Excellent book。 A little long。 At times， the author was repetitive。 I did not like John Adams and Thomas Jefferson after reading this book。 John Adams retreated from the capital for months at a time during certain crises and Jefferson did not express his opinions directly， he would have others do it。 Both of them did not like Hamilton and were opposed to many of policies Hamilton espoused。 They would attack Hamilton personally and Jefferson liked to spread misinformation， now known as 'fake news Excellent book。 A little long。 At times， the author was repetitive。 I did not like John Adams and Thomas Jefferson after reading this book。 John Adams retreated from the capital for months at a time during certain crises and Jefferson did not express his opinions directly， he would have others do it。 Both of them did not like Hamilton and were opposed to many of policies Hamilton espoused。 They would attack Hamilton personally and Jefferson liked to spread misinformation， now known as 'fake news"Hamilton was intelligent， intense， stubborn， responsible， and was loyal to the future of this country。 He was falsely accused by Jefferson and others of benefitting personally by abusing his office as Secretary of the Treasury。 He didn't。 He was consistent in his wanting to protect his honor and his reputation。 He marred his reputation when he had an extramarital affair， which haunted him till the end。Aaron Burr was a cad！ I am anxious to read the biographies of Adams and Jefferson。 。。。more
Michael Grizer
，
Very readable。 I like Chernow's writing style。 He makes a 200 year old character come to life。 Very readable。 I like Chernow's writing style。 He makes a 200 year old character come to life。 。。。more
Todd Stockslager
，
Review title: Who tells your story？The magnificent Broadway musical that many have seen during the pandemic due to its availability on the Disney Plus streaming service was inspired by this monumental biography of Alexander Hamilton。 Hamilton has long been the forgotten （by some） and unforgiven （by others） Founding Father， alternately praised and vilified for his contribution to the establishment of a strong national government （his fertile mind envisioned and was the main source for The Federal Review title: Who tells your story？The magnificent Broadway musical that many have seen during the pandemic due to its availability on the Disney Plus streaming service was inspired by this monumental biography of Alexander Hamilton。 Hamilton has long been the forgotten （by some） and unforgiven （by others） Founding Father， alternately praised and vilified for his contribution to the establishment of a strong national government （his fertile mind envisioned and was the main source for The Federalist Papers） and a strong national economy （he planned and implemented the first national bank and as Washington's Secretary of the Treasury proposed and administered taxes and budgets that supported national infrastructure and capital markets）。The 700+ pages of Chernow's biography are certainly the definitive biography this amazing man deserves， but it is more than most viewers of the play are likely to endure （used bookstores will be well stocked for years to come with little-read copies like the one I was able to buy）。 Chernow is one of the most important biographers of American giants now writing， with his biographies of President's Washington and Grant， and he has done great work here in both the writing and in the voluminous archives of Hamilton's papers; he must indeed have written like he was "running out of time"， as one of the memorable songs from the stage says， to turn out the volume of material on the range of topics in the duel-shortened lifespan that he was given。In his writings and his political philosophy Hamilton was at once an optimist about the power of the government created by the new Constitution he helped write and enact to shape a strong national economy and a stable system of laws， education， infrastructure， diplomacy， and defense， and a pessimist about the moral character of the electorate to make the right political choices to preserve it。 To put it in religious terms， while Hamilton seldom attended formal religious services， he was a very traditional Christian of his day， believing in the inherent sinfulness of mankind and the salvation message of the Bible; as he and "best of wives and best of women" Eliza gathered their growing family， they usually spent Sundays reading and teaching the Bible to their children。Why did he write so prolifically and so fast？To understand Hamilton’s productivity， it is important to note that virtually all of his important work was journalism， prompted by topical issues and written in the midst of controversy。 He never wrote as a solitary philosopher for the ages。 His friend Nathaniel Pendleton remarked， “His eloquence 。 。 。 seemed to require opposition to give it its full force。” But his topical writing has endured because he plumbed the timeless principles behind contemporary events。 Whether in legal briefs or sustained polemics， he wanted to convince people through appeals to their reason。 He had an incomparable capacity for work and a metabolism that thrived on conflict。 His stupendous output came from the interplay of superhuman stamina and intellect and a fair degree of repetition。 （p。 250） Hamilton wrote like he was running out of time because he was on deadline as a journalist， but he wrote deeply for lasting effect from reason， research， and impact because he knew he had important things he had to say。 From Chernow's biography it is clear that our modern world bears out the importance of his philosophy， words， and action， as it owes more to Hamilton than to any of the other Founding Fathers。 Washington was the other Founding Father who made a huge impact on both Hamilton and the country and government they shaped together。 As a young， ambitious and unknown immigrant， famously a bastard son from a hot spot in the Caribbean， Hamilton made his first great impact as a staff member in General Washington's Revolutionary army， giving a stirring rebel oration （p。 55） and recognizing Washington as "a great leader of special gifts and the one irreplaceable personage in the early American pageant。 He had the deepest admiration for Washington。" （p。 89）， and never publicly criticized his boss as General and then as President。 "As a member of Washington's [working] family， Hamilton had stumbled upon the crowning enterprise of his life life: the creation of a powerful new country。" （p。 157）。Thomas Jefferson and John Adams are two Founding Fathers that in Chernow's telling do not come out looking so well。 Jefferson and Adams were" among the well-intentioned men who were woefully backward in finance， if forward-looking in politics 。 。 。 [and] adhered to a static， archaic worldview that scorned banks， credit， and stock markets。 " （p。 346）。 Adams， with a mercurial， hypersensitive， and arrogant personality butted heads with Hamilton but at least earned his respect， which Jefferson never did。 Indeed， on stage and on paper here， Jefferson more than Burr comes across as the villain in the piece。 Aaron Burr fired the bullet that killed Hamilton， but Jefferson--the "small-farmer republican-philosopher" who owned a plantation and slaves he never freed， lived like the British royalty he publicly scorned， sired a family of children with his favored slave Sally Hemmings， and cynically manipulated his philosophy and political views to win elections and punish his political opponents--used false conspiracy theories and innuendo to create the political distrust that put the gun in Burr's hand。 Jefferson was， in Hamilton's words "a man of profound ambition and violent passions" （p。 401）， who was （in Chernow's words now paraphrasing Hamilton） "a despot in disguise， masking political ambitions behind republican simplicity 。 。 。 [who] had first opposed the Constitution， then adopted it from expediency。" （p。 408）。 Summarizing the differences between the two Founders， Chernow concludes: "Where Hamilton looked at the world through a dark filter and had a better sense of human limitations， Jefferson viewed the world through a rose-colored prism and had a better sense of human potentialities。 Both Hamilton and Jefferson believed in democracy， but Hamilton tended to be more suspicious of the governed and Jefferson of the governors。" （p。 627）Most of the conspiracy theories Jefferson promoted from behind the scenes alleged that Hamilton wanted to turn the American government into a New World aristocratic monarchy and that he profited personally from his position as the first Treasury secretary and founder of Bank of the United States。 Chernow spent considerable effort in research， analysis and writing to disprove these myths， and Hamilton turned his sharp-tongued pen to defend his unassailable ethics in the saddest， most difficult， and for most observers the most puzzling choice of his life。 When privately confronted by his enemies （backed surreptitiously by Jefferson） with the charge that he had been funneling government funds into his personal accounts through a shady character named James Reynolds， Hamilton publicly responded in a stunning pamphlet that revealed that he had in fact been paying blackmail money to Reynolds to keep quiet his affair with Reynolds's wife。 The publication preserved Hamilton's ethical reputation， but at a terrible personal price。 While Chernow doesn't whitewash his subject's reputation as a "lady's man"， he concludes from his research that there is no evidence of other affairs by Hamilton; still， while Hamilton and his wife Eliza remained devoted during their marriage and she never spoke ill of him during her 50 years as a widow， the pain between them never expressed in public must have matched the exquisite private pain expressed on stage in Hamilton。Then came Burr。 The two men had been sometimes partners， sometimes rivals practicing law in New York in the early years of the new republic， when a sharp legal mind with good business sense could make a name and a fortune。 Hamilton gravitated toward cases involving the big issues of governance and philosophy， was an early and unwavering abolitionist， and preferred to influence New York state politics through his pen （after the Reynolds affair， his path to elected position was blocked）。 Burr was the shape-shifting politician who wavered between Federalist and Republican positions depending on which offered the best chance of political or financial gain， and liked （and could be said to have pioneered） modern political marketing and campaigning。 Burr was a widower who， unlike Hamilton， was openly linked to multiple affairs with married women， and while he made money spent it faster and was often in debt。 When the men reached loggerheads over words that threatened to come to blows and Burr challenged Hamilton to a duel， the uncompromising Hamilton could not turn down the challenge （even though his own son Phillip had been killed in a duel just two years earlier）。 Hamilton told no one of the accepted challenge other than his second for the duel， not even his wife and children， even though he prepared an updated will and a letter to Eliza that she was only to open in case of his death。 Lin-Manuel Miranda as the young Hamilton before the Revolution sings loudly and boldly "I'm not throwing away my shot" in life。 In the duel， the real-life Hamilton opted to take the approach of intentionally firing to miss his opponent， a tactic known by the French term delope which could be roughly translated as "throwing away your shot。" （p。 653）。 The words echo tragically through the story and through the history of this most forgotten and unforgiven Founding Father。 Why does any of this， these 700 pages of biography and Broadway hit musical， matter， beyond the personal drama of the obscure beginnings， the rise to power， and the stunning， sudden， and sad denouement？ Because Hamilton mattered then and matters still:He had laid the groundwork for both liberal democracy and capitalism and helped to transform the role of the president from passive administrator to active policy maker， creating the institutional scaffolding for America’s future emergence as a great power。 He had demonstrated the creative uses of government and helped to weld the states irreversibly into one nation。 He had also defended Washington’s administration more brilliantly than anyone else， articulating its constitutional underpinnings and enunciating key tenets of foreign policy。 “We look in vain for a man who， in an equal space of time， has produced such direct and lasting effects upon our institutions and history，” Henry Cabot Lodge was to contend。 Hamilton’s achievements were never matched because he was present at the government’s inception， when he could draw freely on a blank slate。 If Washington was the father of the country and Madison the father of the Constitution， then Alexander Hamilton was surely the father of the American government。 （p。 481） Hamilton had the brilliance to see the distinct wellsprings， the independent power and the cooperative synergy of both democracy and capitalism。 Both would need the powerful reasoning and administration of the "smartest in the room"， and both would need the restraining power of law and government to contain the sinful nature of the men and women who lived under， benefited from， and governed both。 Hamilton and all of us are fortunate to have a Chernow to tell our story。 。。。more
Kimberly Honiball
，
I've been itching to read "Alexander Hamilton" since my obsession with the musical set in， and when I found it in audio form through my library， I knew I had to give it a listen。 I had no idea it was going to be 35 hours。 This was a daunting listen - I typically only listen to 30-45 minutes of a book a day， so I knew this was going to take me awhile。 But between library hold wait times and being a "slow" listener， I finally did it！ Chernow goes into incredible details， and I learned more than I I've been itching to read "Alexander Hamilton" since my obsession with the musical set in， and when I found it in audio form through my library， I knew I had to give it a listen。 I had no idea it was going to be 35 hours。 This was a daunting listen - I typically only listen to 30-45 minutes of a book a day， so I knew this was going to take me awhile。 But between library hold wait times and being a "slow" listener， I finally did it！ Chernow goes into incredible details， and I learned more than I thought possible after giving this a listen。 Admittedly， I missed a lot of details just due to the nature of my brain， but it was a valuable book to listen to。 I think I'll still be buying myself a copy and reading it little by little when I can to get the full experience。 。。。more
Kat
，
It is a fascinating biography， but so long and filled with so many tiny facts that I was happy to reach the duel。。。
Mike Fitzgerald
，
Exceptional， detailed and thorough biography of Hamilton， one of the most important figures during our country's formative years。 The story drags a little in places because of the amount of information， but overall it is an illuminating portrait。 I came away thinking that our United States might be a very different place - and probably worse - without the brilliant Hamilton's contributions。 Exceptional， detailed and thorough biography of Hamilton， one of the most important figures during our country's formative years。 The story drags a little in places because of the amount of information， but overall it is an illuminating portrait。 I came away thinking that our United States might be a very different place - and probably worse - without the brilliant Hamilton's contributions。 。。。more
Maria Vargas
，
Newfound understanding， not only of Alexander Hamilton and characters from that era， but of our country’s extraordinary circumstances that our despite so many feuds， disagreements， and conflicting opinions， people from different world views， economies， and colonies were able to come together to create a country （with no guarantees that it could work。） From Chernow’s writing we glimpse at a musical war of words which Lin-Manuel picked up on and turned into a musical masterpiece。 A duel of words。 Newfound understanding， not only of Alexander Hamilton and characters from that era， but of our country’s extraordinary circumstances that our despite so many feuds， disagreements， and conflicting opinions， people from different world views， economies， and colonies were able to come together to create a country （with no guarantees that it could work。） From Chernow’s writing we glimpse at a musical war of words which Lin-Manuel picked up on and turned into a musical masterpiece。 A duel of words。 We see the founding figures as flawed humans with internal struggles as much as external ones。 We see the squabbling， bickering， ego， and dirty political maneuvers。 But most of all we see them as flawed humans much like our circumstances today。 We see the issues they fought against then are very much what we are still up against now: immigration， race， factions， political parties， riots。 Reading this helped reframe history and our perspective of these characters， with that it can help us bring forth a better world。 。。。more
Faith
，
So。Much。War。
Chris
，
This is a book I’ve been contemplating reading for the last， like， 5 years since I became a fan of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton Broadway show。 I’d always been a little intimidated by the perceived dryness I imagined this book to be – a dusty old tome explaining the life of some Founding Father who never got to be president and eventually got himself shot。 In reality， from the prologue， it is no wonder LMM got the idea to turn this into a show – Hamilton’s life lends itself to drama and showmans This is a book I’ve been contemplating reading for the last， like， 5 years since I became a fan of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton Broadway show。 I’d always been a little intimidated by the perceived dryness I imagined this book to be – a dusty old tome explaining the life of some Founding Father who never got to be president and eventually got himself shot。 In reality， from the prologue， it is no wonder LMM got the idea to turn this into a show – Hamilton’s life lends itself to drama and showmanship in such a way that you really have to wonder how much of it Hamilton made up himself。 But it’s all there – Chernow documents every step as much as possible and debunks or reinforces the taller tales about Hamilton。 I will also sheepishly admit that this book is anything but dry and dusty – Chernow does a great job at humanising the historical figures and writing in an exciting prose that verges on the narrative style of some of my favourite non-fiction authors， Erik Larson and Harold Schechter。 I read a book about the Seven Years War last year that was 900 pages of battle after battle， march after march， British Prime Minister after British Prime Minister – but this was 900 pages well spent。 On that note， this is a long book， particularly for non-fiction。 You all know I enjoy my door-stoppers， but I usually enjoy those most in the realm of fantasy fiction。 It surprised me how immersive this book became for me – I had been interested in something about American history， particularly early American history， and this book brings you right into the fracas of the early republic。 What was interesting to me is that we tend to look on these figures in history almost with a folkloric， legendary tinge: wise old leaders， ones who naturally came to the fore in a time where they knew they must use their wisdom to champion the glorious cause for liberty。 In reality， as this book shows， the truth is far from this idealised John Trumbull-like picture of early America。 The Founders were just as much scheming， polarising， argumentative， dirty， and jealous of each other as modern-day politicians are now。 It throws a wrench into the conception of politicians who espouse some policy because the ‘Founding Fathers’ would have intended it that way – in looking at the facts， it was wildly difficult to get the Founding Fathers to agree on anything but the fact that the British were a bunch of tyrants。 Many of them famously hated each other with Hamilton himself cultivating long-standing grudges with many towering figures in American history: John Adams， Thomas Jefferson， James Madison， James Monroe， George Clinton， and， most infamously， Aaron Burr。 It was a realisation that was both reassuring and disheartening – human beings rarely change。 If you’re interested in this time period， it does a good job of showing the birth of the nation with Alexander Hamilton as the ambitious protagonist of much of it。 The only intimidating factor may be its length – but even though Hamilton only lived up until his late forties， he was a notorious workaholic meaning this book was never going to be a quick read！ 。。。more
Magen
，
Worth the time （and multiple starts/stops）。 Was comforted by the fact that there was such intense partisanship and “media” presence in those times and the country still came out on the other side。 Even though you know how this will end， I was taken aback by the emotion I felt at different points in the story。 In awe of the strength of Eliza Hamilton and found her role in the prologue and epilogue especially poignant; puts “the gasp” from the musical in an entirely different light。
Danae
，
I mean， it’s a lot of book。 I have to say， I’m impressed at the amount of information and the number of details the musical Hamilton was able to pack in。 Honestly much more accurate than I would have guessed。 I don’t know what else to say about this book， as the audience for it is fairly self selecting， but if you like history or biographies， this is a good one。 Another good reminder that although we tend to look at the American revolution and the founding fathers as so destined as to be almost I mean， it’s a lot of book。 I have to say， I’m impressed at the amount of information and the number of details the musical Hamilton was able to pack in。 Honestly much more accurate than I would have guessed。 I don’t know what else to say about this book， as the audience for it is fairly self selecting， but if you like history or biographies， this is a good one。 Another good reminder that although we tend to look at the American revolution and the founding fathers as so destined as to be almost unavoidable， the beginnings of our country were uncertain at best。 。。。more
Tom Harris
，
Utterly wonderful。 This is a BIG book – took me nearly a month to finish it （I’m not a fast reader） – but is is so worth it。 As a Brit， I find this period of history fascinating but know comparatively little about it。 This book brought the Revolution， and especially its aftermath， to vivid life。 It’s rare that a political biography move some emotionally， but this did。 Like many others who only discovered this book recently， it was the musical that inspired me to pick it up。 And I’m so glad I did Utterly wonderful。 This is a BIG book – took me nearly a month to finish it （I’m not a fast reader） – but is is so worth it。 As a Brit， I find this period of history fascinating but know comparatively little about it。 This book brought the Revolution， and especially its aftermath， to vivid life。 It’s rare that a political biography move some emotionally， but this did。 Like many others who only discovered this book recently， it was the musical that inspired me to pick it up。 And I’m so glad I did。 I remain in awe of its central character， who comes across as the most significant， most skilled， most flawed individual in America’s history。 。。。more
Laura Leilani
，
Everyone should read this book。 There are so many parallels between the crazy government/ elections/ politicians of today and back in the 1700’s when our government was being formed。 This is one of those books that will stay with me my whole life。 It’s unforgettable and haunting。 On a side note， this book has an interesting opinion on John Adams。 It’s a nice follow up after reading Adams biography。
Christine Rinehart
，
Outstanding。 Historical writing is often so dry when human lives are interesting。 It always amazes me when historians turn events like D-Day into dry recitation of facts。 Chernow does not do that with Hamilton。 I need to read more of his works。
Ryan
，
This is probably in the 3。7 range or so for me。 Not sure what book all these 5 star people read or if they just needed to make it seem kike they loved it bc if the musical。 This book is deeeeense。 So detailed with hardly any flow whatsoever。 I won't get into the pretty obvious biases that other reviewers discuss。 As a big reader of American history， this should have been a no brainer for me but this was a struggle from the beginning。 If it wasnt a subject I enjoy and a historical figure I hadn't This is probably in the 3。7 range or so for me。 Not sure what book all these 5 star people read or if they just needed to make it seem kike they loved it bc if the musical。 This book is deeeeense。 So detailed with hardly any flow whatsoever。 I won't get into the pretty obvious biases that other reviewers discuss。 As a big reader of American history， this should have been a no brainer for me but this was a struggle from the beginning。 If it wasnt a subject I enjoy and a historical figure I hadn't read anything about and assumed would be quite interesting， I would have given this up a super long time ago。 Anyway， not the worst book but def not the best。 4 stars for the research and the thoroughness but on the high 3 sides due to the difficulty of getting through it。 。。。more
Anx
，
hero-worshipy。
Brooke
，
I've been meaning to read this for years （yes， since the musical） and finally made time for it。 It is an excellent biography。 I will get more out of it if/when I revisit， especially if I read in print or listen at a slower speed。 It is easy to see how a long plane ride and this massive Oddysean telling of Hamilton's life spurned the now famous musical （that I LOVE）。 I enjoyed comparing them and noting the parts skimmed over， left out， or straight up changed （hello， children！ among many other thi I've been meaning to read this for years （yes， since the musical） and finally made time for it。 It is an excellent biography。 I will get more out of it if/when I revisit， especially if I read in print or listen at a slower speed。 It is easy to see how a long plane ride and this massive Oddysean telling of Hamilton's life spurned the now famous musical （that I LOVE）。 I enjoyed comparing them and noting the parts skimmed over， left out， or straight up changed （hello， children！ among many other things。 If you like to read and you like the musical at all or are a fan of non-fiction， biographies or American history， this is definitely worth the time investment。 。。。more
Emilly Vasco
，
Lin-Manuel Miranda me CHUTOU da zona de confortoEu não sou muito fã dos EUAEu nunca tinha lido uma biografiaEsse é o maior livro que tenho na minha estanteE mergulhei na leitura da vida de Alexander Hamilton - uma das mais desafiadoras da minha vidaSpoiler: e foi uma das experiências literárias mais gratificantes que tiveApesar de ser uma biografia densa， cheia de detalhes e informações， a escrita de Ron Chernow nos dá a impressão de estarmos lendo um romance dos mais arrebatadores。 A vida de Al Lin-Manuel Miranda me CHUTOU da zona de confortoEu não sou muito fã dos EUAEu nunca tinha lido uma biografiaEsse é o maior livro que tenho na minha estanteE mergulhei na leitura da vida de Alexander Hamilton - uma das mais desafiadoras da minha vidaSpoiler: e foi uma das experiências literárias mais gratificantes que tiveApesar de ser uma biografia densa， cheia de detalhes e informações， a escrita de Ron Chernow nos dá a impressão de estarmos lendo um romance dos mais arrebatadores。 A vida de Alexander Hamilton mostra， desde o começo， um histórico de superação e a capacidade do ser humano de se reinventar nas situações mais diversas - sem a aceitação do "homem como produto do meio"， porém do "homem como produto do que faz de si mesmo"。Não existia melhor sensação do que grifar no livro um trecho da vida de A。 Ham。 e puxar uma seta com o lápis para escrever a letra da música que representava esse momento no musical de Lin-Manuel Miranda。 O mais curioso é ter consciência que já sabemos de todo o enredo， do rumo que a história vai tomar， mas， mesmo diante disso， continuarmos torcendo pelo protagonista e ficarmos em choque diante de coisas que já sabíamos que iriam acontecer。O maior desafio dessa leitura foram todos os detalhes políticos， econômicos， geográficos e militares - que， obviamente， ocupam grande parte na narrativa -， mas já era de se esperar haja vista Hamilton ter feito da prosperidade da nação recém-independente sua missão。 Talvez tenha sido por isso que demorei tantos meses na conclusão dessa leitura， a densidade dos detalhes históricos， mas que eram compensados pelos dramas da vida de Alexander （que eu lia， como se ouvisse a uma boa fofoca， de modo a devorar as páginas）。Acredito que a grande magia das biografias é aprender com pessoas reais， não só com seus sucessos， mas também com os suas falhas。 Uma vez ouvi que "sabedoria não é só aprender com os seus erros， mas saber aprender também com o erro dos outros"， e isso é visto na vida de Hamilton。 Nós podemos ver um homem genial， um exímio advogado， escritor e leitor voraz e economista inigualável; entretanto， também vemos um homem inseguro， temeroso pelo legado que deixaria e receoso quanto as suas raízes。 Pra mim， essa biografia é daquelas que， ao terminar de ler e fechar o livro， a gente tem vontade de colocar os sapatos e sair pra mudar o mundo。No mais: I'M NOT THROWING AWAY MY SHOT 。。。more
Yoanna
，
Absolute masterpiece of a biography。 Reads like a novel， fast paced， and completely captivating， I guess just like its protagonist。 The richness of historical detail and the language used to describe the characters from Hamilton's social and political milieu are at times awe-inspiring。 I never thought a non - fiction can flow like this， using beautiful and unusual words， some of which I've never encountered before。 Oh， and the comparisons （President Adams） with modern politicians （guess who） jus Absolute masterpiece of a biography。 Reads like a novel， fast paced， and completely captivating， I guess just like its protagonist。 The richness of historical detail and the language used to describe the characters from Hamilton's social and political milieu are at times awe-inspiring。 I never thought a non - fiction can flow like this， using beautiful and unusual words， some of which I've never encountered before。 Oh， and the comparisons （President Adams） with modern politicians （guess who） just flow in endlessly。 I picked this book after listening to the Broadway musical 'Hamilton' （my daughter brought a CD home）， which was actually based on Chernow's work。 l was compelled to find out more， and the book proved to be no less spectacular。 If you've never read anything on the Founding Fathers of America and never heard of Hamilton， listen to the Broadway show， then read this biography because the images will become like parts of a movie， making it easier to take it all in， making it a fascinating read。 。。。more
Catherine Chamberlain
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Remarkable book。 Very Long but worth the read。
Chris Sheridan
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Excellent biographical writing from Chernow。 Even better I learned a lot about Hamilton who I would argue is drastically under represented in many other written histories。 I plan to read more of Chernows' work。 I'd be lying if I tried to say the Broadway show Hamilton didn't spark my interest in this book。 Learning more about the period and the story made the musical even more enjoyable since it was easier to catch the word play。 Excellent biographical writing from Chernow。 Even better I learned a lot about Hamilton who I would argue is drastically under represented in many other written histories。 I plan to read more of Chernows' work。 I'd be lying if I tried to say the Broadway show Hamilton didn't spark my interest in this book。 Learning more about the period and the story made the musical even more enjoyable since it was easier to catch the word play。 。。。more
David
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Epic reading。 The opening third drags， but the rest of it is utterly fascinating。 Having previously watched the musical and read Gore Vidal's Burr did help enormously （having not previously known much about this time and place）。 Epic reading。 The opening third drags， but the rest of it is utterly fascinating。 Having previously watched the musical and read Gore Vidal's Burr did help enormously （having not previously known much about this time and place）。 。。。more
Emily
，
This was a LONG listen on audiobook。 I enjoyed learning the history and am going back now to listen to Hamilton soundtrack and hearing the songs with a new appreciation for Hamilton。
Rosemary
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Everyone should see the musical。
Gabrielle
，
This was a behemoth to get through but I’m glad I read it。 Biographies are great because you end up learning so many other things about the time， place， key players at the same time。
Mrs_roch
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This book took me longer than it should， according to my kids heckling me about it！ But I loved it。 I savored it。 I had tried watching Hamilton the musical but couldn’t follow it because I knew nearly NOTHING about Hamilton。 This book was Filled With into。 I loved Chernow’s writing and constant citations。 Fantastic and now I can’t wait to read his book about Washington。
Kathy
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I started reading this book but decided I may enjoy it more as an audiobook。 It was excellent！ The narrator was fabulous and I enjoyed finding portions where the musicale got snippets fir songs。 I had only read historical fiction about Eliza and learned many things。
Autumn
，
Such a great biography！ I felt like I took a college course on Alexander Hamilton， the American Revolution， and the Constitution。 I learned so much and have such respect for what Hamilton did for our nation。 Notwithstanding his flaws Hamilton was a brilliant man！
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Alexander Hamilton
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Alexander Hamilton&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Alexander Hamilton&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0