Take a photo of a barcode or cover
lesquijho 's review for:
Alexander Hamilton
by Ron Chernow
emotional
funny
informative
medium-paced
This was such an immense book, and I knew that going into it. I purchased this book when I was 17, at the height of my Hamilton musical craze. I was interested because I knew this book was what inspired Lin-Manuel Miranda to write the musical; I wanted to see the origins for myself. And then the book sat on my shelf for 8 years. I would start and stop and start and stop. To read it would be a massive undertaking, and I had to mentally prepare myself for that. I finally picked it up again with the intention to read it all the way through. I’m so happy I did.
Ron Chernow does an amazing job of creating a comprehensive history around Alexander Hamilton. Not only does he talk about Hamilton’s life, but he provides the additional context sometimes necessary to understand certain events or places or the international relations at the time. Yes, this book focuses on Hamilton, but I learned so much more about world history because Chernow does such an amazing job of including the contextual events and dynamics which shaped Hamilton’s life and influenced his decisions.
The book is an even more astounding story than the musical. I do make the (perhaps bold) assertion that the musical is historical fanfiction. Miranda takes creative liberty, sometimes generously. That’s not a criticism; there’s nothing wrong with that. But the truth I found to be far more fascinating. The insights provided into Washington’s, Adams’s, and Jefferson’s characters was riveting. Washington was a man prone to violent outbursts of emotions; he had simply learned how to temper himself in appropriate company. Around his aides, of whom Hamilton was one, he would let loose his anger. He was a brilliant leader in terms of understanding what his men needed, and incredibly brave, but a terrible strategist and tactician. Every battle he planned was lost. Jefferson was one of the ultimate con artists of history. He lived and believed one thing, and displayed a life completely juxtaposed to that in order to win the votes and convince his constituency that he was one of them. This book has instilled in me a deep dislike for Jefferson. He was brilliant, and he was selfish and cruel. He took personal pleasure when one of Hamilton’s children died. He considered France’s Reign of Terror as something just and perfect; despite the fact that Jefferson would have been executed as an aristocrat had he lived in France at the time. That does not even consider the morality of his rape of Sally Hemmings, a teenaged slave he owned and with whom he fathered multiple children. Adams was perhaps a certified madman. He was paranoid and also selfish, and had no problem with personal smear campaigns against people he simply did not like. He was perhaps one of the earliest examples in the US government of a democratically chosen leader which leans more towards authoritarian behavior.
I was absolutely astonished by how much Hamilton actually created in the US, which lasts to this day. Wall Street and the financial system are the most well-known perhaps. But he was integral for creating the military we know and have today. He took the Blue Book written by Von Steuben, and essentially rewrote it, creating the foundation of military tradition, customs, courtesies, and behavior that we still follow today. He was the first proponent for a standing federal peace-time army. He created the coast guard in its entirety. He had the pragmatism to recognize that for the US to make it past its infancy, it had to make nice with Britain.
The relationship of Hamilton and Angelica is perhaps one of the most noted things due to the musical. In fact, Angelica did not sacrifice her love and happiness for sake of her sister. She was well documented to be vain and a happy social climber; she even stated that quite unapologetically in a few of her letters. She wanted the lavish lifestyle which would be provided by a wealthier husband and a higher strata of society. She did have a very close relationship with Hamilton, but Eliza was aware of it all. Angelica would write to Eliza about what she was saying to Hamilton, or her thoughts on Hamilton. I actually don’t like that the musical took what was a very beautiful and close friendship between sisters, and then Hamilton with them, and turned it into an angsty love triangle. There was something so wonderful about how close all three of them were.
Another big thing is the Maria Reynolds situation. Yes, Hamilton wrote his own downfall with that. But it was Jefferson’s government (often at Jefferson’s bidding behind closed doors), which continued to bring it up and throw it in Eliza’s face. Eliza, for her part, never had an angry falling out with her husband. She never “took herself out of the narrative.” She never wanted to be in the narrative to begin with. From the very beginning of their relationship, she did her best to minimize her recorded imprint on history. And, despite Hamilton’s infidelity with Reynolds, they loved each other so deeply and dearly. The excerpts of his letters to Eliza were some of my favorite to read.
The book ended by emphasizing their love. The last chapter/epilogue focuses on Eliza, and what she did after Hamilton’s death. I actually teared up reading it. She loved him so much. It’s so evident in what she did, how she spoke of him. And he loved her so much. Again, it’s evident in the letters he wrote, the way he spoke of her when she wasn’t around, even the way he was a father to their children. I did really appreciate how Chernow focused on that, highlighted it so much. It was one of the most beautiful things about this book.
Chernow’s writing style is definitely more British. I found the book to be quite funny, especially the humor that Chernow would include. It was the drier, more cynical sort of British humor, but I rather enjoy that. Chernow was also as objective as possible when analyzing some of the unknown or contradictory aspects of Hamilton’s life. He presents all the information in a very bland, matter-of-fact manner, and allows the reader to come to their own conclusions. Conversely, when telling about the well-documented, very certain aspects of Hamilton’s life, Chernow becomes a storyteller, bringing fact to life with an almost novelistic fashion. I don’t think I’ll read another book of this style again, but if I do, Chernow will be the author I read it from.