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heatheronthego's review
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
slow-paced
4.0
It was worth it to push through the overwhelming number of details to get some fascinating facts. Well written. Probably best not to rush through this one like I did due to time crunch and library return deadline.
lavanyasbooks's review against another edition
5.0
*Wonders if there is a possibility of give a 6 star somewhere*
![](https://media.tenor.com/zcs5gYi4sSMAAAAC/mindblown-omg.gif"/)
Fine. I'm one of the gazillion people obsessed with the musical & this book it what started it all. Now having read it, I'm not surprised that Lin-Manuel-Miranda jumped at the chance to play this deeply flawed founding father.
Alexander Hamilton has the perfect arc for a hero journey. A scrappy hungry lad from West Indies who crawled his way into history, Alexander's journey has all the drama worthy of a founding father. He was fiercely opinionated, highly volatile, extremely intelligent, quick witted, sharp and made the kind of mistakes that seemed completely at odds with his reputation...and yet... there was this loyalty for his adopted country, his family that were often tested due to his self destructive personality. What the musical fails and the book beautifully captures is the almost father-son relationship between him & Washington that becomes an anchor for an otherwise unhinged Alexander.
The only con I can think of is that it is incredibly long. But to capture a complex and complicated Alexander one requires the time to understand him.
The musical is unbelievable but believe me when I say, the book is better.
Fine. I'm one of the gazillion people obsessed with the musical & this book it what started it all. Now having read it, I'm not surprised that Lin-Manuel-Miranda jumped at the chance to play this deeply flawed founding father.
Alexander Hamilton has the perfect arc for a hero journey. A scrappy hungry lad from West Indies who crawled his way into history, Alexander's journey has all the drama worthy of a founding father. He was fiercely opinionated, highly volatile, extremely intelligent, quick witted, sharp and made the kind of mistakes that seemed completely at odds with his reputation...and yet... there was this loyalty for his adopted country, his family that were often tested due to his self destructive personality. What the musical fails and the book beautifully captures is the almost father-son relationship between him & Washington that becomes an anchor for an otherwise unhinged Alexander.
The only con I can think of is that it is incredibly long. But to capture a complex and complicated Alexander one requires the time to understand him.
The musical is unbelievable but believe me when I say, the book is better.
jan1e's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
reflective
tense
slow-paced
5.0
This book answered every question I could have thought of for the Hamiltons’ lives and then gave me even more interesting details I never thought of before. Very long but very worth it, reading this book has me feeling like I lived from the American Revolution until the 19th century. Feels like a big slice of life following a very unique man with a crazy life so the fun never stopped.
Content Warnings
Minor: Rape
jimbowen0306's review against another edition
4.0
Other than being on the $10 bill, Alexander Hamilton isn't that well known. Put bluntly, he was an illegitimate white West Indian, who through sheer bloody mindedness and determination rose to become the first American Secretary of the Treasury and largely defined the American economy from that point on (for good or ill, depending on your point of view).
By all accounts that bloody mindedness was to contribute to his downfall. While he was working for Washington, he found his natural tendency to "gob off" was held in check, but once Washington retired, he found it difficult to hold his "natural exuberance" in check and often found himself in trouble as a result.
The book was a good read. I often find it difficult to read biographies (especially from historical figures, because I don't know enough history to place them in a broader context), but this book was one of the better biographies because I was able to see the historical context quite clearly.
Incidentally, Hamilton was at the constitutional convention that wrote the constitution. For all of you "strict constructionists" out there, the founding fathers are often presented as a group who viewed the country as "fixed." This simply isn't true. Hamilton was never one of those who felt that way, viewing the constitution as a flexible document that could change with time. He wasn't the only one who felt that either.
Oh and another thing, for all of you who have "issues with homosexuality," it's possible that Hamilton had bisexual tendencies.
By all accounts that bloody mindedness was to contribute to his downfall. While he was working for Washington, he found his natural tendency to "gob off" was held in check, but once Washington retired, he found it difficult to hold his "natural exuberance" in check and often found himself in trouble as a result.
The book was a good read. I often find it difficult to read biographies (especially from historical figures, because I don't know enough history to place them in a broader context), but this book was one of the better biographies because I was able to see the historical context quite clearly.
Incidentally, Hamilton was at the constitutional convention that wrote the constitution. For all of you "strict constructionists" out there, the founding fathers are often presented as a group who viewed the country as "fixed." This simply isn't true. Hamilton was never one of those who felt that way, viewing the constitution as a flexible document that could change with time. He wasn't the only one who felt that either.
Oh and another thing, for all of you who have "issues with homosexuality," it's possible that Hamilton had bisexual tendencies.
jmrprice's review against another edition
4.0
Had to read what had inspired Lin-Manuel Miranda.
Curious how inspiration works.
Fascinating deep-dive into the life and times of Alexander Hamilton... Enjoyable read (although there are bits of repetition that should have been sussed out prior to publication).
I have an entirely new understanding (and dislike?) of Jefferson and always viewed Burr an ambitious, disreputable heel.
Curious how inspiration works.
Fascinating deep-dive into the life and times of Alexander Hamilton... Enjoyable read (although there are bits of repetition that should have been sussed out prior to publication).
I have an entirely new understanding (and dislike?) of Jefferson and always viewed Burr an ambitious, disreputable heel.
joshreadz's review against another edition
5.0
This biography is excellent in both its account of Hamilton's personal life (especially his social rise) and its coverage of early American politics, on which Hamilton had maybe the greatest effect of the founding fathers. Chernow humanizes Hamilton and creates drama and intrigue in what, to some, might be considered mundane political topics such as early American economic policy. Although there are brief moments where it begins to feel like you're reading a history textbook, Chernow always reels it back in. This book will help you see American politics in its historical context and think deeply about the philosophical underpinnings of our country and government. It also brings to life a man who, through the circumstances of his life and the passage of time, can seem otherworldly to a modern audience.
natalie_mcw's review against another edition
4.0
Excellent. Very very long but excellent. Listened on Audible (well done), and admittedly missed a few parts here and there, but fascinating. Makes me love & be amazed by the music from Hamilton (Broadway) even more, by the way. Lin Manuel Miranda is pure genius. Really loved seeing how much LMM includes from Chernow's book in the lyrics. Back to the book: I've read several other Revoluationary War-era books, and it was interesting to see different perspectives on many of the founding fathers.