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4.3 AVERAGE
4.3 AVERAGE
‘If they break this union, they will break my heart.’
I have officially entered the brave ranks of people who have completed this absolute tome, which is unmissable for any lover of political history or the musical Hamilton. The amount of insight about "America’s most influential and controversial man" that Ron Chernow has collected in 731 finely-printed pages is, frankly, astonishing.
It was clear that he had found his calling as a fearless, swashbuckling intellectual warrior who excelled in bare-knuckled controversy.
Alexander Hamilton is a thorough, interesting, heart-lifting, and heartbreaking exploration of the life of a man who was, until recently, the most commonly forgotten founding father of the United States. Obviously, now, this is not the case, but its adaptation into a blockbuster Broadway musical does not make it any less of a must-read for those interested in the subject. There are full backgrounds to be missed, and massive diversions to be believed, for those who just depend on Lin Manuel Miranda's excellent artistic work.
Not to be missed here are small, intriguing details, as well as the true complications of the American relationship with France, and, notably, the absolutely essential nature of Angelica Schuyler's husband, John Barker Church, in Hamilton's life. Also, all the respect to Chernow for not shying away from Hamilton's likely bisexuality.
Plus, a few general "yikes" moments who realize just how little has changed since in more than 200 years: ‘Prejudice and private interest will be antagonists too powerful for public spirit and public good.’ Hmm.
One thing is utterly consistent, though: Eliza Hamilton will bring you to tears again and again. Chernow handles her life, her strength, and her ubiquitousness with such attention, care, and respect. It is her showcased moments that run a steadying core through this mountain of a book.
She was buried where she had always longed to be: right beside her Hamilton in the Trinity Churchyard.
I take .5 off not because the book is sometimes dry, which is only appropriate considering just how prolific his subject was, but because of the very evident biased nature of the book, which makes it a bit difficult to determine if Aaron Burr was as villainous as he is portrayed in this book, or if it is the author's framing and selective emphasis of the facts. When you write a historical biography, it is perhaps wise to fully hold your reader's trust. Because of his frequent hero worship of Alexander Hamilton, I found this difficult.
Many of these slaveholding populists were celebrated by posterity as tribunes of the common people. Meanwhile, the self-made Hamilton, a fervent abolitionist and a staunch believer in meritocracy, was villainized in American history textbooks as an apologist of privilege and wealth.
That said, Chernow's emotionally evocative approach to this book is what made what could have been a dry-as-dust history an utterly compelling and engaging story throughout. This book is discouragingly long - and I strongly suggest that readers acquire the audiobook as an aid for this - but the length is necessary and, frankly, could have been much worse had Chernow not adeptly filed through the information and reigned it in.
Alexander Hamilton is by no means easy to read, but it's worth it for the right reader. If you're at all interested in the subject matter, give it a try.
‘I am so tired. It is so long. I want to see Hamilton.’
P.S. Read those acknowledgements for a bit of levity after the heartbreaking final chapters. Chernow is quite witty and his comments about insects and his own gun-handling should earn at least a giggle.
I have officially entered the brave ranks of people who have completed this absolute tome, which is unmissable for any lover of political history or the musical Hamilton. The amount of insight about "America’s most influential and controversial man" that Ron Chernow has collected in 731 finely-printed pages is, frankly, astonishing.
It was clear that he had found his calling as a fearless, swashbuckling intellectual warrior who excelled in bare-knuckled controversy.
Alexander Hamilton is a thorough, interesting, heart-lifting, and heartbreaking exploration of the life of a man who was, until recently, the most commonly forgotten founding father of the United States. Obviously, now, this is not the case, but its adaptation into a blockbuster Broadway musical does not make it any less of a must-read for those interested in the subject. There are full backgrounds to be missed, and massive diversions to be believed, for those who just depend on Lin Manuel Miranda's excellent artistic work.
Not to be missed here are small, intriguing details, as well as the true complications of the American relationship with France, and, notably, the absolutely essential nature of Angelica Schuyler's husband, John Barker Church, in Hamilton's life. Also, all the respect to Chernow for not shying away from Hamilton's likely bisexuality.
Plus, a few general "yikes" moments who realize just how little has changed since in more than 200 years: ‘Prejudice and private interest will be antagonists too powerful for public spirit and public good.’ Hmm.
One thing is utterly consistent, though: Eliza Hamilton will bring you to tears again and again. Chernow handles her life, her strength, and her ubiquitousness with such attention, care, and respect. It is her showcased moments that run a steadying core through this mountain of a book.
She was buried where she had always longed to be: right beside her Hamilton in the Trinity Churchyard.
I take .5 off not because the book is sometimes dry, which is only appropriate considering just how prolific his subject was, but because of the very evident biased nature of the book, which makes it a bit difficult to determine if Aaron Burr was as villainous as he is portrayed in this book, or if it is the author's framing and selective emphasis of the facts. When you write a historical biography, it is perhaps wise to fully hold your reader's trust. Because of his frequent hero worship of Alexander Hamilton, I found this difficult.
Many of these slaveholding populists were celebrated by posterity as tribunes of the common people. Meanwhile, the self-made Hamilton, a fervent abolitionist and a staunch believer in meritocracy, was villainized in American history textbooks as an apologist of privilege and wealth.
That said, Chernow's emotionally evocative approach to this book is what made what could have been a dry-as-dust history an utterly compelling and engaging story throughout. This book is discouragingly long - and I strongly suggest that readers acquire the audiobook as an aid for this - but the length is necessary and, frankly, could have been much worse had Chernow not adeptly filed through the information and reigned it in.
Alexander Hamilton is by no means easy to read, but it's worth it for the right reader. If you're at all interested in the subject matter, give it a try.
‘I am so tired. It is so long. I want to see Hamilton.’
P.S. Read those acknowledgements for a bit of levity after the heartbreaking final chapters. Chernow is quite witty and his comments about insects and his own gun-handling should earn at least a giggle.
informative
slow-paced
It is a little daunting to start, and does move at a slower pace at times. How ever, it is incredibly well-researched, extremely informative, and PACKED with US history. It took a while to read, but it was nonetheless very fulfilling.
Absolutely fantastic read! If you've enjoyed the Hamilton music as it was recently released on Disney +, reading this book is a great way to enhance the experience. There are obviously historical changes Miranda made with his musical to both accommodate time and achieving an overall coherent theme, which is corrected and filled in with this book. Chernow is well known for covering broad ranges of American history incorporating seemingly disconnected details in a way that is more systematic and understandable for the reader than one would expect to be possible. His deep and broad ranging research is obvious, and it connects in a way that gives you an electric feeling of presence with the live experience of history as he describes finding items in personal letters and diaries he's reviewed.
A page turner, even though you know how it ends.
I wonder how many Twitter trolls would be dead right now if they had to answer for their words on the dueling grounds in Weehawken at dawn?
As a New Yorker, I grew up in the shadow of Hamilton. But as an adult, I'm amazed at how little I knew about one of my favorite founding fathers. A fabulous study of a fascinating life, and Scott Brick's straightforward narration disappears as you listen, which I think is an indication of a perfect performance.
The book has been on my list of things to read for about ten years--but I've only been managed to really get through big histories/biographies now that I've discovered the beauty of the synced Kindle/Audible bundle. Being able to go back and forth from reading to listening has made it so much easier to digest these sorts of books, where you may want to highlight or check out the notations as you go.
I wonder how many Twitter trolls would be dead right now if they had to answer for their words on the dueling grounds in Weehawken at dawn?
As a New Yorker, I grew up in the shadow of Hamilton. But as an adult, I'm amazed at how little I knew about one of my favorite founding fathers. A fabulous study of a fascinating life, and Scott Brick's straightforward narration disappears as you listen, which I think is an indication of a perfect performance.
The book has been on my list of things to read for about ten years--but I've only been managed to really get through big histories/biographies now that I've discovered the beauty of the synced Kindle/Audible bundle. Being able to go back and forth from reading to listening has made it so much easier to digest these sorts of books, where you may want to highlight or check out the notations as you go.
challenging
informative
inspiring
sad
slow-paced
A comprehensive biography of Alexander Hamilton, the founding father with by far the most dramatic and improbable life. Before this book, and the popular musical inspired by it, Hamilton was certainly underappreciated by posterity. Growing up, I always had the impression that Jefferson, with his humble image and popular rhetoric, was the more patriotic founder, while Hamilton was a proponent of the rich merchants and bankers at the expense of the common man. Through his detailed research, Chernow explains how Jefferson shaped his legacy in such a way, while Hamilton never got the chance.
As with his Washington biography, Chernow proves to be a human thesaurus and breaks out the most obscure words known to man throughout, making it a slow read (if its length isn’t deterrent enough). If you commit to it, though, you’ll get a well-rounded view of Hamilton’s life, from his lowly beginnings to his intellectual prowess, his inordinate rise to his fall from grace. You’ll get to see Hamilton’s lighter flirtatious side, his restless ambition, his immense ego, his brooding paranoia, and his imperfect devotion to his family. You’ll also get mini-biographies within, on Hamilton’s parents, Washington, Jefferson, Adams, Burr, and, of course, Eliza.
Hamilton’s life story is appropriately bookended by vignettes of Eliza after she was widowed, and Chernow goes into as much detail as possible on her reaction to the various events of her husband’s life, given that she burned all of her letters to him and attempted to relegate her part in Hamilton’s life to historic obscurity. To me, though, there seems to have been no part of Hamilton’s illustrious life that gave him more joy than his family. Unfortunately, his pride led him to some grave mistakes that harmed them irreparably, namely the Reynolds saga, the prioritization of his public image, and his unwillingness to yield his honor in the ill-fated duel with Burr. Through it all, and for half a century after, Eliza stood by her husband loyally and worked to revive his image to posterity. Now, Chernow has finished what she started.
As with his Washington biography, Chernow proves to be a human thesaurus and breaks out the most obscure words known to man throughout, making it a slow read (if its length isn’t deterrent enough). If you commit to it, though, you’ll get a well-rounded view of Hamilton’s life, from his lowly beginnings to his intellectual prowess, his inordinate rise to his fall from grace. You’ll get to see Hamilton’s lighter flirtatious side, his restless ambition, his immense ego, his brooding paranoia, and his imperfect devotion to his family. You’ll also get mini-biographies within, on Hamilton’s parents, Washington, Jefferson, Adams, Burr, and, of course, Eliza.
Hamilton’s life story is appropriately bookended by vignettes of Eliza after she was widowed, and Chernow goes into as much detail as possible on her reaction to the various events of her husband’s life, given that she burned all of her letters to him and attempted to relegate her part in Hamilton’s life to historic obscurity. To me, though, there seems to have been no part of Hamilton’s illustrious life that gave him more joy than his family. Unfortunately, his pride led him to some grave mistakes that harmed them irreparably, namely the Reynolds saga, the prioritization of his public image, and his unwillingness to yield his honor in the ill-fated duel with Burr. Through it all, and for half a century after, Eliza stood by her husband loyally and worked to revive his image to posterity. Now, Chernow has finished what she started.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, War
Moderate: Child death, Sexual content, Slavery, Abandonment, Colonisation
Minor: Miscarriage, Suicide, Antisemitism, Death of parent, Alcohol
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
I read this book after watching the Hamilton broadway show. It’s wild to me how Lin Manuel gleaned so many genius lyrics from this book. I’ve never been one to be interested in the founding fathers. But this was fascinating.
Great reading. It's a long book that is densely packed with historical detail. I took my time with it. Hamilton is one of the most important and most overlooked of the US founding fathers. Chernow's book does him justice. This is no hagiography. Hamilton's failures and missteps are examined along with his towering achievements. Chernow's recounting of his tragic end in the infamous duel with Aaron Burr is particularly compelling. In the end, the reader understands and appreciates the full arc of Alexander Hamilton's life.
informative
slow-paced
It takes a special person to read this and think, "Wow, this is a musical waiting to be written!" I am not that person. I enjoyed the details and different opinions presented from various sources.