Alexander Hamilton

All the hype that you have heard about this book is true. It is an outstanding biography. I admit I was somewhat skeptical. When I saw how much this book was dominating every single best-seller list, I figured the reason might be because of the highly successful musical (which I have not seen, nor plan to see). After completing the book, I cant help but feel the reverse is true someone, somewhere found a great biography about a great man, and then decided to make it into a musical.

I read an awful lot of biographies. My tendency is to favor Americans in the years around the time The United States came into existence. With rare exceptions, I would have to say that I thoroughly enjoy all of them. So why should this one be any different? Is it really that different than all of the other biographies out there? I even recently read a biography about George Washington (who was close to Alexander Hamilton) by the same author (Ron Chernow), and even that one wasnt particularly sensational. For whatever reason, though, this one is truly exceptional.

Like all well researched biographies that are about 800 pages in length, this one is very thorough. It doesnt exclusively focus on one aspect of his career, nor heavily focus on any particular area of his life. Everything is included. From being orphaned in the Caribbean at a young age to being killed by the Vice-President of the United States in a duel. Everything is here.

Although theres a lot of material to cover, Chernow works magic when transcribing the mans life. I rarely ever got bored. The book seemed exciting, as though someone were telling me a fascinating story as opposed to simply recounting a famous persons life. Quite often when writing such a detailed exposition, ennui often creeps in from time to time. An everyday life of a politician doesnt necessarily relate to captivating reading. Fortunately in this case, instances of boredom are rare. There was one time when I mentally dozed off for a few pages while the author explained in a tad too much detail how Hamiltons central bank worked, but these instances were quite infrequent. I felt like I intimately knew so many of the many people who interacted, good and bad, with Alexander Hamilton. I truly wished that I could have traveled back in time to meet all of these fascinating people.

There are a lot of people that didnt like this man, nor did he care for them. Particularly interesting is how the author treats Thomas Jefferson. Had this been the only book you had ever read, you would come away with the notion that Jefferson was Satan incarnate. Equally unfavorable treatment goes to John Adams, James Madison and James Monroe (all early U.S. Presidents, coincidentally). I would recommend further reading on these individuals for a more balanced perspective. In fact, had it not been for George Washington, you could argue that there wasnt anyone around at the time of any importance that thought highly of Hamilton. Of course, having George Washington on your side counteracts a lot of adversaries.

The author is quite biased in favor of his subject matter. Oh sure, he points out many mistakes and deficiencies of Hamilton, but you end up firmly in the mans corner, despite the squabbling with so many of the other founding fathers. The biggest source of discontent is Hamiltons Federalism as opposed to Jeffersons Republicanism. The birth of our two-political party system. Both ideologies have highlights. To truly understand the significance, one must truly imagine life directly after Americas independence is won. Now that weve won, what do we do? We still need a centralized government to rule. Right? At the time, many didnt think so. Such questions are easy to answer in hindsight. Hindsight does tell us, that Hamilton was right about a lot of things during our countrys infancy.

I implore you to read this if youre a fan of history. If youre not a fan of history, I implore you to read it as well just make sure you consult other sources so you come away with a strong, balanced perspective.

This book is a beautifully rendered portrait of Hamilton, both his public life and his private life. As so many other reviewers have noted, the book is an example of first-rate biographical research and most of the book is well-written.

Up to chapter 16, Dr. Pangloss, the story is superbly told. But, when Thomas Jefferson enters Hamiltons life, much of the book becomes a contrast between Hamilton, who had his own well-documented personal failings, with Jefferson who, if the text is to be believed, had nothing but personal failings. Jefferson is variously described as hypocritical, duplicitous and conniving. Undoubtedly, Jefferson fit much of this description but so did Hamilton in their Federalist-Republican (anti-Federalist) feud in the 1790s. What bothered me was the unrelenting negative portrayal of Jefferson, Madison (after 1790) and John Adams. Hamilton is portrayed accurately and fully as a brilliant and decent man with some major flaws. Jefferson and, to a somewhat lesser extent, Madison and Adams, are portrayed as deeply flawed individuals who happened to have a few good points. The language reinforces this. If one were to count the negatively loaded adjectives and verbs accorded to Hamiltons three main opponents, they would vastly outnumber any positive linguistic connotations. In order to sharpen Hamiltons character portrayal, the image that Chernow gives of Hamiltons opponents is, given other biographies of these men, less than just.

The name-calling, smear campaigns and character assassinations in the 1790s are appalling (but less so given the 2016 Presidential campaign). However, a dozen years after independence and only a few years after the Constitution was ratified, the fears of the anti-Federalists were real ones. Jeffersons and Madisons hypocrisy and the foibles of John Adams personality notwithstanding, the concerns expressed were often genuine ones at that time about what kind of country the United States would be and how the Constitution should be interpreted. The possibility that the Jeffersonians may have had a point gets lost in Chernows constant barrage of claims about duplicity, hypocrisy and malevolent intentions.

So I thought this was a brilliant portrayal of the man who founded our economic and, to a large extent, our political system. The portrayal of Aaron Burr is excellent and the factors leading up to the duel are gripping. But the mid-section of the book would have been even stronger if Chernow had presented Hamiltons foes in a fuller, less negatively charged light.

I read a good deal of history – some historians are better writers than others. EX: I enjoy McCullough more than Kearns-Goodwin. So I like to learn about the great leaders and events of our past, but it is tricky to find both a compelling story and compelling storyteller. This book has gotten a lot of attention because of Miranda’s revolutionary (play on words?) play. Chernow’s book is not flawed, but it is exhaustive.

In short his book is an amazing story – the players, the insights, the events….frankly it is all quite mesmerizing. There is a lot here that we know, there is a lot we think we know, and there is so much more that we (at least I) never dreamed: The treachery, the mobs, the scandals and the foibles of the great men who created our great Nation. And almost any line in the book (well except the parts about productivity) could be ripped from today’s headlines.

The book is long however, and sometimes the writing is too detailed !?!?! (not a bad thing for an historian, but the reader is sometimes wearied) Thus the Opus gets 4 stars rather than 5 – but do read it – we learn not just about AH – we are also gifted with substance regarding Washington, Jefferson, Laurens, Madison, the French Revolution…….and much much more….

What an amazing man!

A phenomenal man and yet so human and fragile, and in some ways so deeply flawed.

This is an amazing book about a truly amazing man.

I was fortunate to be given a free ticket to see Hamilton and although I had already bought a ticket, I happily accepted the free one and I saw the musical. I am a Hamilfan and proud of it and like so many people I have the mixtape, the original broadcast, the Hamildrops etc etc and I hang on to Lin Manuel Miranda’s every word.

I also have the Hamiltome and Chernow. I decided to read Chernow because I thought it would help me understand Hamilton and enhance my enjoyment of the musical second time round.

And it will because of course Lin Manuel Miranda is an amazing man and the musical brings Alexander Hamilton to life.

But the book etches the man upon your soul.

In some ways his death was just such an utter loss, but in other ways it was a dramatic end to a incredibly dramatic life. I finished reading this and just felt rather shell shocked. I also felt that Hamilton had a very cavalier attitude about the impact of his death on his wife and seven children.

But I also feel incredibly educated, for want of a better word. I am not an American and there are things about US politics that confuse me e.g. the two party system, the political ideologies etc. I now know what it is all about! At least a little.

And this means that I can go forth and bore my colleagues, friends and family to death.

This also mean that when I watch the musical for the second time I will be able to pick up all the nuances and references and just have a richer experience.

Ron Chernow is a brilliant author. He has written a huge tome of US history in a way that is accessible and enjoyable and I can well see why Lin Manuel Miranda was so captivated. It is the kind of book and life story that deserve a musical. Reading this has left me feeling exhilarated and hungry for more. I now want to know more about Jefferson, Burr and the other founding fathers, but I also want to know more about American slavery and so I will be reading Grant next.

The unsung hero here is Eliza Hamilton who sounds like the most amazing woman. ‘Bests of wives, best of women.’ And I think she would have had to be with a man like Hamilton. I wish someone would tell her story.

I thoroughly enjoyed this and I am glad I started it at the beginning of the year. I now have whole year to bask in the life of Hamilton, the writing of Chernow and the music of Lin Manuel Miranda.

“Alexander Hamilton
We are waiting in the wings for you
You could never back down
You never learned to take your time

Oh, Alexander Hamilton
When America sings for you
Will they know what you overcame?
Will they know you rewrote your game?
The world will never be the same, oh
The ship is in the harbor now
See if you can spot him
Another immigrant comin’ up from the bottom
His enemies destroyed his rep America forgot him

We fought with him
Me, I died for him
Me, I trusted him
Me, I loved him
And me, Im the damn fool that shot him

Theres a million things I havent done
But just you wait
Whats your name, man?
Alexander Hamilton”

Songwriters: Lin-Manuel Miranda
Alexander Hamilton lyrics Warner/Chappell Music, Inc

In this captivating book the reader becomes immersed in the animosities, differences of opinion and infighting between the leading characters of those days before and after independence. Hamiltons cabinet colleague Jefferson appears to have been particularly devious, but he is far from alone. The rivalry between the Anglophile (more commerce-minded) north and the agrarian, slave-dependent Francophile south was at the fore. With his astounding achievements, the controversial, brave and workaholic Hamilton appears the hero of those days, but his shortcomings are made clear. He succeeded in pushing for federalism versus balkanisation of the thirteen states, a standing army, the creation of the financial system, the servicing of debt, the federal assumption of state debt and market economy, not to mention the choice for the future capital. Hamiltons concerns about tyranny of the masses, his opponents fear of an overreaching central government, the extensive use of fake news in order to denigrate opponents, all echo more than ever today.

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