Amazon.com
Building on biographies by Richard Brookhiser and Willard Sterne Randall, Ron Chernow's Alexander Hamilton provides what may be the most comprehensive modern examination of the often overlooked Founding Father. From the start, Chernow argues that Hamilton's premature death at age 49 left his record to be reinterpreted and even re-written by his more long-lived enemies, among them: Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and James Monroe. Hamilton's achievements as first Secretary of the Treasury, co-author of The Federalist Papers, and member of the Constitutional Convention were clouded after his death by strident claims that he was an arrogant, self-serving monarchist. Chernow delves into the almost 22,000 pages of letters, manuscripts, and articles that make up Hamilton's legacy to reveal a man with a sophisticated intellect, a romantic spirit, and a late-blooming religiosity.
One fault of the book, is that Chernow is so convinced of Hamilton's excellence that his narrative sometimes becomes hagiographic. Nowhere is this more apparent than in Chernow's account of the infamous duel between Hamilton and Aaron Burr in 1804. He describes Hamilton's final hours as pious, while Burr, Jefferson, and Adams achieve an almost cartoonish villainy at the news of Hamilton's passing.
A defender of the union against New England secession and an opponent of slavery, Hamilton has a special appeal to modern sensibilities. Chernow argues that in contrast to Jefferson and Washington's now outmoded agrarian idealism, Hamilton was "the prophet of the capitalist revolution" and the true forebear of modern America. In his Prologue, he writes: "In all probability, Alexander Hamilton is the foremost figure in American history who never attained the presidency, yet he probably had a much deeper and more lasting impact than many who did." With Alexander Hamilton, this impact can now be more widely appreciated. --Patrick O'Kelley
Book Description
Ron Chernow, the renowned author of Titan whom the New York Times has called “as elegant an architect of monumental histories as we've seen in decades,” vividly re-creates the whole sweep of Alexander Hamilton's turbulent life—his exotic, brutal upbringing; his titanic feuds with celebrated rivals; his pivotal role in defining the shape of the federal government and the American economy; his shocking illicit romances; his enlightened abolitionism; and his famous death in a duel with Aaron Burr in July 1804. Drawing upon extensive, unparalleled research— including nearly fifty previously undiscovered essays highlighting Hamilton's fiery journalism as well as his revealing missives to colleagues and friends—this biography of the extraordinarily gifted founding father who galvanized, inspired, and scandalized the newborn nation is the work by which all others will be measured.
Customer Reviews:
Hamilton vs. Jefferson.......2007-10-05
Alexander Hamilton did more for our government than you would expect. His ideas on the economy and the running of government have led to some great times in our nation. It has also contributed to an overspending and bloated government. His hatred and dealings with Jefferson are well founded and make this reader switch their places on the top 10 of our founding fathers. I became pro-Hamilton and anti-Jefferson. I am not often drawn to biographies and don't really enjoy political types, but Hamilton's life had me from the beginning where he was born in the Caribbean and soon became an orphan. His life is a tribute to working hard and literally fighting for what you believe; even if it meant death unnecessarily. This is another book that would have made history classes more bearable.
an exceptional biography.......2007-10-04
This is an extremely well written and researched biography. Chernow argues
convincingly that Hamilton's contribution to the shaping of the nascent United
States was of fundamental importance and can still be felt in the present.
Chernow clearly admires Hamilton (and Hamilton's wife Eliza), but he does show
that it was ultimately Hamilton himself destroyed his own political career. His
rancorous and frequently inappropriate actions also made it easy for his opponents
to obscure his deserved place in American history.
While this is certainly not a hagiography, I concur with other reviewers that Hamilton's
enemies are not always portrayed fairly. Jefferson may have been a sly politician,
but despite his faults, he was a true visionary. Jefferson's and Madison's contributions
are on par with those of Hamilton. While Hamilton may have been the most talented
of the lot, it is hard to agree with the implied judgement that, whatever his flaws, he
was morally superior to the other two.
Everything you ever wanted to know about Alexander Hamilton.......2007-09-27
Ron Chernow does his homework when writing biography. The 700+ page is a comprehensive account of the career of Alexander Hamilton. Especially impressive is the Chernow does not merely summarize existing work and repackage it like many of the popular new presidential biographies. Hamilton wrote more than anyone else of his time, including Washington, Jefferson, Adams, Burr and Madison. I do not doubt that Chernow went through tens of thousands of his papers, from his early editorials while at King's College to his newspaper defenses of the Federalist Party in first decade of the 19th century.
There is great attention to Hamilton's time as Secretary of Treasury, where he did his greatest work. Hamilton set the foundation for turning an agrarian, infantile nation into the modern economic behemoth the U.S. became in the 20th century. He favored cities over rural farms, the federal government over the states, a standing army over militias and executive leadership over trade and foreign affairs. Philosophically he was for everything Jefferson was against. His downfall was in letting himself be caricatured as an elitist, when in fact he lived a modest life compared to Washington, Jefferson and Madison. Truly Hamilton was ahead of his times.
This biography is certainly not light reading. It's a commitment that is well worth the time investment. Social/cultural historians will likely find Chernow's work lacking, but this is political biography at its very best.
Fascinating biography, hampered by author's lack of objectivity.......2007-09-13
This is an extremely interesting and educational biography of one of the most fascinating Founding Fathers. I'd venture to say that even those who consider themselves relatively knowledgeable on the subject of American history have only a cursory understanding of the importance of Alexander Hamilton.
If quizzed, the extent of most people's knowledge concerning Hamilton would be that he was Treasury Secretary under Washington, authored the Federalist Papers and was shot in a duel by Aaron Burr, then Vice President under Thomas Jefferson. While accurate, this is only a tiny part of Hamilton's contributions.
While Thomas Jefferson is regarded as the author of the Declaration of Independence and James Madison is recognized as primary author of the Constitution, Hamilton actually established the institutions and framework for what actually became our government. While many of the Founding Fathers were philosophers, writers and thinkers, Hamilton was, in addition to all those things, a doer. He built from scratch what became the financial system that to this day funds the U. S. government.
Even Hamilton's most vocal detractors would have to concede that he was an extraordinary man and an extremely intelligent and capable administrator. However, reading this biography, I cannot help but feel that Chernow has crossed the line, falling into the very common trap of hero worship to the detriment of objectivity.
Throughout his life, Hamilton engaged in some of the most personal and vicious feuds in American political history. Chief among these with Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. To read this biography, one would be left with the impression that these men were venal, dishonest, lying, cheating opportunists while Hamilton, on the contrary was largely the opposite. Even in those cases where Hamilton made major errors in judgment, the author tries to downplay the character flaws indicated by these instances. The extent to which the author assassinates the character of such men as Jefferson, Madison and John Adams really detracts from what is otherwise a very fine synopsis of the life and accomplishments of Hamilton. The other Founding Fathers do not have to be painted in such a negative light to fully appreciate the contributions of Hamilton; contributions which have not been fully advertised or appreciated by the general public.
Early American Politics.......2007-08-30
In addition to telling the remarkable story of Alexander Hamilton and his life, Chernow gives us an indepth look at the formation and interaction of the two party system in the U.S. The intra-cabinet struggles of Hamilton and Jefferson and Jefferson's subliminal quest for the presidency are fascinating reading. Chernow shows that many of the political battles of today like executive priviledge, the power stuggle between the legislative and executive branches, personal attacks, etc. were alive and well in the early days of our nation. This book would be good reading in preparation to vote in for the next presidential election.
Customer Reviews:
A Fascinating Diary.......2004-03-23
This book is a fascinating voyage through one of the great 19th Century Southern political minds; perhaps second only to John C. Calhoun. Alexander H. Stephens was a strange little man, never weighing more than 100 pounds, and standing only 5' 7" tall; but "Little Aleck" had the heart of a lion. He was possessed of a small head with protruding ears and piercing black eyes. Trained as a lawyer, with a frail almost boyish figure, he never married and was totally devoted to his half-brother, Linton, who served in the Georgia Legislature, on the Georgia Supreme Court and as a Confederate officer, and whose family Alexander Stephens adopted as his own.
This diary covers Stephens experiences as a prisoner after the War Between the States had ended. The War basically ended in April, 1865, but Stephens who had served as the Vice President of the Confederacy, had already gone home to Crawfordville, Georgia, his home town. On May 11, 1865, Tim, one of his servants, came running into the parlor saying: "Master! Yankees have come! a whole heap are in town, galloping all about with guns." Thus Stephens, who unlike other Confederate cabinet officials had never attempted to flee to the sanctuary of another country, came to be a prisoner. He was transported to Fort Warren in Boston Harbor and thus begins this diary.
Throughout the diary, Stephens was indignant that he was even a prisoner, for in his mind (he was probably right) he had done nothing wrong. He had always acted according to the principles of the United States Constitution to which he was totally devoted. He had served 16 years in Congress and had retired in 1859, and when the War started in 1861 he was called upon to serve the Confederacy. As he repeatedly points out the States created the Federal Government, not the other way around. The Federal Government's rights were limited. He had served as a Whig in Congress in the beginning of his career and served with Lincoln who also served as a Whig in the 30th Congress in 1847, when Lincoln served his only term in Congress before becoming president in 1861. Stephens felt he knew Lincoln well and this may be one of the reasons he was elected vice president of the Confederacy, in addition to the fact that he cautioned against secession and for this reason it was felt perhaps he may have had gained some influence with Lincoln.
In any case, the diary covers everything about his life at Fort Warren, where after an initial period of discomfort and apprehension (there was the possibility he may be hanged), he was treated rather kindly by his captors. Stephens read and discusses such books as the Bible, Prescott's Conquest of Mexico, Swedenborg's Doctrine Concerning the Lord, Cicero on Duties, Cicero on Oratory, Aristotle on Economics, Aristotle on Politics, and so forth demonstrating that he was a true intellectual. He discusses the food he ate, his living conditions, and people he met and dealt with such as his guards, other prisoners, and even the little girl who was the daughter of one of his wardens who would bring him flowers and thrust her little hand through the bars to put them in a little flower pot in his cell. Stephens only spent four months and nineteen days in prison. His treatment was much less harsh than that of Jefferson Davis who served two years at Fort Monroe. In the end, like Jefferson Davis and others, he was released and not prosecuted for any offenses. It has been said this was because in truth they had committed no offenses and acted against the Federal Government in much the same way the leaders of the 13 Colonies had acted against the Crown when the 13 Colonies sought their independence from England and thus could not have been convicted of anything.
All in all, a wonderful diary; I have not enjoyed reading a diary as much since I read James Boswell's London Journal 40 years ago.
Fort Warren's last prisoner.......2002-11-19
This is a reprint of the original diary kept by Stephens while at the fort. It is the only book still in print that was written at Fort Warren. If you had a Confederate relative imprisoned at Fort Warren, this gives a terrific insight to the daily routine at the famous bastille.
Book Description
"Talleyrand, who was acquainted with all of the statesmen of Europe, once remarked that he had never encountered anyone 'equal to Alexander Hamilton.' Hamilton may, in fact, have been the greatest of the American Founding Fathers. He was certainly one of the most important. Despite this, he has rarely been given his due. This superb collection of essays goes a considerable distance towards redressing the balance and towards restoring an American statesman to the central place that he occupied in his own time." -Paul A. Rahe, author of Republics Ancient and Modern: Classical Republicanism and the American Revolution "Here are many fresh thoughts by many of the most innovative scholars at work on Alexander Hamilton today. Every student of the new republic and many general readers who are captivated by the subject will want to read this volume." -Lance Banning, author of Conceived in Liberty: The Struggle to Define the New Republic, 1789-1793 "This supberb collection of essays goes a considerable distance towards redressing the balance and towards restoring an American statesman to the central place that he occupied in his own time." -Paul A. Rahe, author of Republics Ancient and Modern: Classical Republicanism and the American Revolution Revolutionary War officer, co-author of the Federalist Papers, our first Treasury Secretary, Thomas Jefferson's nemesis, and victim of a fatal duel with Aaron Burr: Alexander Hamilton has been the focus of debate from his day to ours. On the one hand, Hamilton was the quintessential Founding Father, playing a central role in every key debate and event in the Revolutionary and Early Republic eras. On the other hand, he has received far less popular and scholarly attention than his brethren. Who was he really and what is his legacy? Scholars have long disagreed. Was Hamilton a closet monarchist or a sincere republican? A victim of partisan politics or one of its most active promoters? A lackey for British interests or a foreign policy mastermind? The Many Faces of Alexander Hamilton addresses these and other perennial questions. Leading Hamilton scholars, both historians and political scientists alike, present fresh evidence and new, sometimes competing, interpretations of the man, his thought, and the legacy he has had on America and the world. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Douglas Ambrose is Sidney Wertimer, Jr. associate professor of history at Hamilton College, in Clinton, New York. He is the author of Henry Hughes and Proslavery Thought in the Old South. Robert W. T. Martin is associate professor of government at Hamilton College and author of The Free and Open Press (NYU Press, 2001).
Customer Reviews:
A Must Read For Those Interested in The Founding Fathers.......2006-05-03
This crisply written volume of eleven essays by leading Alexander Hamilton scholars provides an excellent reading experience for any person interested in the founding years of the United States. The essays are well documented and present new scholarship and a clearer understanding about the centrality of Hamilton throughout the founding period of the U.S. The beauty of the book comes from the clarity of writing and information conveyed, while not glossing over the debates still surrounding Hamilton and his many legacies.
Book Description
ENDURING LITERATURE ILLUMINATED
BY PRACTICAL SCHOLARSHIP
Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay's brilliant and controversial collection of essays and articles that define and explain the ideals upon which the United States of America was founded.
EACH ENRICHED CLASSIC EDITION INCLUDES:
• A concise introduction that gives readers important background information
• A chronology of the author's life and work
• A timeline of significant events that provides the book's historical context
• An outline of key themes and plot points to help readers form their own interpretations
• Detailed explanatory notes
• Critical analysis, including contemporary and modern perspectives on the work
• Discussion questions to promote lively classroom and book group interaction
• A list of recommended related books and films to broaden the reader's experience
Enriched Classics offer readers affordable editions of great works of literature enhanced by helpful notes and insightful commentary. The scholarship provided in Enriched Classics enables readers to appreciate, understand, and enjoy the world's finest books to their full potential.
SERIES EDITED BY CYNTHIA BRANTLEY JOHNSON
Customer Reviews:
Excellent transaction!.......2006-11-10
A+++ Very fast shipment! Would definitely do business with this person again! Wow!
Book Description
This documentary study of Jefferson and Hamilton focuses on their differing views of society and government in the formative years of the new American nation.
Customer Reviews:
Great........2006-03-29
This book helps give the reader an excellent prespective on how the Federalists and Anti-Federalists helped shape our nation though debate and press.
I enjoyed this book because it is more of a collection of letters, from both Jefferson and Hamilton, leaving it up to you on how to interpret their stances and personalities.
this is a good book for a beginning hist class.......2001-04-10
This book really gives the reader a sense of what Hamilton and Jefferson were REALLY like. They had disputes and were mistrustful of eachother. There wasn't any school-boy stuff going on here. I recommend this book if you're interested in history and are in college. Good book!
Customer Reviews:
Alexander Hamilton.......2006-06-25
This biography focuses heavilty on Hamilton's fiscal policies, particularly in his role as Secretary of the Treasury. It is well written and relies heavily on primary sources. The book sometimes becomes heavy reading when McDonald disucsses some of Hamilton's more complex financial dealings.
A Focused Look at the Core of Hamilton's Greatness.......2005-03-31
Forrest McDonald wrote this book out of a profound knowledge of the legal, financial, and economic environment of the world of late-colonial America that Alexander Hamilton came into, and of the early Republic, that he transformed. Hamilton was a brave soldier, an astute politician, an extremely talented administrator, a great lawyer and a man of extraordinary personal morality and honor. These characteristics were enough to vault him to the upper reaches of early American society. But his financial and economic program -- that rescued this new and foundering nation -- is the true basis of his greatness.
Hamilton was a man of parts, not least of which was his technical mastery of the financial means to establish and maintain a sound currency and national credit. Apprenticed to a merchant at an early age, he quickly came to appreciate the mentally invigorating effects of the commercial life. He was naturally quick and, as in repudiation of his socially marginal origins, a rigorous adherent to morality and "gentlemanly" honor. His talents, hard work and charm bouyed him up, and he seized each new opportunity with both hands, for his ambition would not let him rest. McDonald tells the story of Hamilton's early years with vigor and interest, but it is clear that the thrust of this book is to elucidate his real accomplishment as Secretary of the Treasury. This was the funding and assumption of the debts that the just-formed United States had inherited, the taxes and tariffs to pay for these, and the financial mechanisms -- including the Bank and the sinking fund -- to create, as out of nothing (or less than nothing) a universal and sound currency, as well as a store of capital to fund businesses, which he felt must be the drivers of the economy.
This book is fairly compact, but gives a good feel for Hamilton the man. If you want more in that line, then the current biography by Ron Chernow is where to look. But here you will learn what Hamilton did that no one else could have done, and that needed doing. Even his enemies -- Jefferson especially -- found, though they repudiated the man and his politics, that in the end they couldn't do without his works.
'Of no sect am I'-Alexander Pope.......2004-12-30
Though this biography is about 25 years old now, it's one on Hamilton that I will not part with. Forrest McDonald has written many books on early colonial American history, on the Constitution and on the presidency of Washington and Jefferson. He is now a Distinguished University Professor at the University of Alabama. This biography is more substantive than Brookhiser's and Brookhiser, I believe, actually consulted with Forrest McDonald when he wrote his book on Hamilton. Our government sometimes consults McDonald on Constitutional issues. As to political affiliations, McDonald describes himself as "an unreconstructed Hamiltonian Federalist". (The federalist party doesn't exist anymore; the present day republican and democratic parties are both offshoots from the previously named democratic-republican party).
I've written this review so many times, mainly because I think that this Hamilton's life deserves a careful study, particularly with regard to his work on getting the Constitution ratified and his work in the treasury department. I highly recommend Frederick Scott Oliver's Alexander Hamilton:an Essay on Union which I've reviewed previously and Knott's Alexander Hamilton and the persistence of myth. Oliver's book is really dated, going back to 1928, and is written from a British viewpoint. He was a Scottish lawyer, read by Lord Tweedsmuir/John Buchan, who unfortunately only wrote several other books; his biography on Hamilton, in my opinion, is beautiful. This biography is good too. I love the quotes from Pope that McDonald heads every chapter with. (Hamilton's favorite authors were Pope and Plutarch). Chapter 8 is entitled Funding and Assumption which deals primarily with Hamilton's solution to the huge debts the colonies owed other nations following the Revolution. Stephen Knott's suggests in his book that Hamilton's solution of setting up a sinking fund would have been a good solution to another huge debt that our Treasury Department had to deal with soon after, (I believe), Bush Sr.'s four years, yet Congress gave this suggestion little notice. What makes McDonald's bio a standout, I think, is the depth of material he provides in explaining what he did as Treasurer. He's also biased toward Hamilton which I think actually is a good thing and paints not so rosy a picture about Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, or Burr.
I think this biography will stand the test of time because of its solid research from Hamilton's birth to his death; McDonald's biography is the most comprehensive and complete. (I haven't read the newer biographies yet; I do believe this one will remain the standard). I was particularly impressed with his treatment of Hamilton's youth and parentage. I'd like to give this book 5 stars, yet American politics and writers to some extent alarm me. If I could, I would give this book 4.5 stars, the 0.5 subtracted for my cautious misgivings stated previously, and, compared to Oliver's biography, Oliver really understands the characters of Hamilton, Jefferson and others, most accurately portrays them, which is what a biography should be. To McDonald's credit, his and Oliver's agree on many points. Highly recommended for serious students of American history and of this most notable, yet rarely noted founding father.
Lack of objectivity overshadows any good points.......2003-04-04
The author of this book is so enamored of Hamilton that it completely blinds him to any faults Hamilton may have had. Furthermore, anyone who showed any opposition at all to anything Hamilton proposed is deemed either delusional or a traitor. His treatment of Jefferson and Adams is amazingly disrespectful. Even Washington comes accross as a feeble leader at times without the constant support and advice of his most trusted advisor Hamilton.
As the book progresses, the bias gets worse and almost preachy.
Shockingly, the famous duel with Aaron Burr gets only about 3 pages worth of description.....probably since it was not exactly a high point in his life.
Avoid this book if you want a well-balanced biography.
A Brilliant But Unbalanced Account.......2003-03-12
This is a well-written and thought-provoking book, but at the same time one that I found unsatisfactory on certain levels. For one thing, as a biography, it's limited in scope, providing little information about Hamilton's life beyond his administrative and political affairs. His childhood and youth are dispensed with in about 15 pages, and the American Revolution - in which Hamilton participated as an senior aid to Washington and as combat officer - is already over by page 25, bypassing what one assumes should have been a wealth of fascinating material. His wife is mentioned no more that the few times, his children hardly at all, and we learn very little about his personal relationships with the other leading figures of his era. A life-and-times style biography was obviously not part of the author's design in the first place, and this criticism may thus be irrelevant, but a more substantive problem is the bias that pervades his book. While it's common enough for biographers to fall in love with their protagonists, Professor McDonald to carries his enthusiasm to an extreme. I'm not a historian by any means, but I've read enough to know that the men surrounding Alexander Hamilton were a prodigiously gifted array of politicians. Yet a reader who knew nothing of the period beyond the contents of this book would have the impression that they were a collection of relative mediocrities who paled in the light of Hamilton's genius. Even Washington, who comes off better than most, seems to have achieved success only through his willingness to acquiesce, most of the time, to Hamilton's unerring behind-the-scenes guidance. Hamilton's enemies are portrayed as conniving villains, and the arch-villain, Thomas Jefferson, appears to have had no purpose to his life other than to foil Hamilton's otherwise infallible blueprint for a happy and prosperous nation. The fact that Hamilton himself probably more-or-less saw his world in this light is more understandable than how a historian two centuries later could succumb the this same lack of objectivity. Despite these failings, Professor McDonald has nonetheless produced a remarkable study here, and I learned a great deal from it. What emerges is the portrait of a man who, even allowing for the author's partiality, was indeed probably the most forward-looking of his peers in his understanding of what the United States was to become. Modern Americans take for granted their colossal economic might and geopolitical dominance. Yet post-revolutionary America was a weak, divided country run by agrarians generally hostile to the formation of the finance capital and industrial enterprise. The essence of the Federalist vision for America was that establishment of a strong central government was necessary to facilitate economic development. And Hamilton's unique contribution to this vision was his understanding of the critical importance that a dynamic system of national credit and currency would play in bringing about prosperity. Hamilton was a supremely ambitious man, yet his aspirations propelled him not to be a king or a president or a conquering general. When the new American government formed following the revolution, the only post he desired - easily granted to him by Washington - was Treasury Secretary. It was from this position that he believed he could establish the monetary foundations critical to the fledging economic powerhouse he sought to nurture. His political opponents, led by Jefferson, understood this vision only too well as one that would result in a tumultuous transfer of wealth and power to industrialists and bankers, at the expense of the agrarian order they hoped to perpetuate. One insight implicit in this story, even though the author doesn't draw it for us, is the obvious nature of the link between this post-revolutionary conflict and the great civil war what was to ignite half a century later. It couldn't be clearer that it was the Federalist dream for America, well-rooted by the mid-nineteenth century, that drove the Southern Confederacy to revolt. That same dream finally emerged in full flower in the following century as Yankee industrialism triumphed and Hamilton's Dollar achieved preeminence. Hamilton's death in 1805 following a duel with Aaron Burr has to have been one of the weirdest and most dramatic incidents in American history. Yet it is characteristic of this biography that the event is described only briefly and dryly in the epilogue. Hamilton was a brilliant man, but one whose personal arrogance probably contributed unnecessarily to the partisan hatred of the post-war years and no doubt as well to his own premature demise. For me it was interesting to learn that Hamilton's son also died in a dual, three years before his father, at a time when this violent custom had become rare. This remarkable co-incidence suggests a fiery dynamic in the Hamilton family which this book leaves us totally in the dark about, as it does about many other dimensions of his life and character. To the extent Professor McDonald sought to trace Hamilton's development as a political thinker and the practical impact of his work on the nation's founding, this well-written biography succeeds admirably. However, readers seeking a balanced and full account of the man's life will have to look to other sources.
Book Description
Alexander Hamilton (1757-1804) was an illegitimate West Indian emigrant who became the first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury. American Machiavelli focuses on Hamilton's controversial activities as foreign policy adviser and aspiring military leader. In the first major study of his foreign policy role in 30 years, John Lamberton Harper describes a decade of bitter division over the role of the Federal government in the economy during the 1790s and draws parallels between Hamilton and the sixteenth century Italian political adviser, Niccolò Machiavelli. Harper provides an original and highly readable account of Hamiltonas famous clashes with Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, and his key role in defining the U.S. national security strategy. John Lamberton Harper is Professor of Foreign Policy and European Studies at the Johns Hopkins University Bologna Center. He is the author of America and the Reconstruction of Italy, 1945-1948 (Cambridge 1986), winner of the 1987 Marraro Prize from the Society for Italian Historical Studies, and American Visions of Europe: Franklin D. Roosevelt, George F. Kennan, and Dean G. Asheson (Cambridge 1994), winner of the 1995 Robert Ferrell Prize from the Society of Historians of American Foreign Relations. His articles and reviews have appeared in numerous publications, including The American Historical Review, The Journal of American History, The Times Literary Supplement and Foreign Affairs.
Customer Reviews:
American Machiavelli: Alexander Hamilton and the Origins of U.S. Foreign Policy.......2007-01-25
Ordered as a Christmas gift. Did not arrive until after. Person receiving the book was pleased.
To Be Not Good.......2004-08-25
Alexander Hamilton no doubt read Niccolo Machiavelli, but his writings indicate he looked elsewhere for his inspiration. Instead, Hamilton was inspired by the virtuous lives described by Plutarch (Machiavelli also studied Plutarch) and by the English Constitution so praised by Montesquieu. Our modern instinct (as reflected by another reviewer here) is to reject any similarity between Machiavelli and one of the greatest of our Founding Fathers. The term Machiavellian has become, unfortunately, a political epithet. It wasn't for nothing that Aaron Burr was dubbed the "modern Machiavelli."
Nevertheless, Professor Harper makes a persuasive case for the similarity of outlook between Machiavelli and Hamilton. Both were democrats who saw that energy in an executive was essential to the proper functioning of a republic, both in foreign as well as domestic affairs. Hamilton also recognized that sometimes the executive, to use Machiavelli's phrase, has "to be not good."
Harper's work is very well written and documented. Considering Harper is a diplomatic historian by trade, he is to be applauded for his intense study and mastery of the literature of the revolutionary and founding era. American Machiavelli admirably fills a gap in the otherwise voluminous and well-trodden historiography of Alexander Hamilton.
A well-deserved tribute to Alexander Hamilton.......2004-06-04
I sort of wish that Professor Harper hadn't pushed so hard the Machiavelli/Hamilton comparison. Hamilton tried to model himself after so many other political thinkers and theorists, and a case could be made that some of his policies and initiatives were anti-Machiavellian. But that's my only gripe, and it's not a major one. John Harper's "American Machiavelli : Alexander Hamilton and the Origins of U.S. Foreign Policy" is a brilliant examination of a facet of Hamilton's career that hasn't been spotlighted. Most biographies of Hamilton and/or the Founders tend to focus mainly on Hamilton's economic prowess and his dedication to a commercial American society versus the more Jeffersonian agrarian society.
But Hamilton kept an astute eye on the goings-on in Europe, like the need to trade with Great Britain and the growing horrors of the revolution in France. In one regard, the need to trade with Great Britain was an outgrowth of his economic concerns but, more importantly, to maintain a commercial link with it nearly guaranteed peace with a nation that had so huge a navy. Harper goes to great lengths to emphasize Hamilton's frustration with John Adams' foreign policy. Because of his alleged "monarchist" sympathies, Hamilton was essentially dismissed by the Republicans. He warned that the failure to maintain friendly ties with Great Britain might lead to future tensions. Unfortunately, Hamilton was right and in 1812... well, we know what happened. Fortunately, Hamilton didn't live to see his dark prophecy fulfilled.
In any event, Professor Harper's study is worth reading for students of American history and people interested in the tangled world of international policy.
An excellent biography of Hamilton.......2004-06-03
According to Harper, Alexander Hamilton was a pragmatist just like Machiavelli. Hamilton favored greater ties to England because the United States needed the English navy for its protection and England was the main market for American goods. Hamilton's pragmatic policies toward England were in direct contrast to the ideologically driven Jefferson who favored an impratical alliance with the French because France was a republic after 1792.Hamilton was also concerned about the French retaking Louisiana since this might threaten American interests in the southern part of the United States. However, after 1796, Hamilton's concerns were ignored by John Adams, who supported an alliance with France. The only weakness of this book is that Harper spends too much time describing the 1796 election which had little to do with the foreign policy issues mentioned in the rest of the book. Otherwise this is an extremely well written analysis of Hamilton's views on the foreign policy of the early Republic.
Amazon.com
The man on the $10 bill is probably the most overlooked Founding Father. This book--not a names-and-dates biography, but an appreciation and assessment in the tradition of Plutarch--should help change that. Richard Brookhiser is an outstanding writer well known for his previous books (especially the wonderful Founding Father: Rediscovering George Washington) and journalism (in National Review and the New York Observer); Hamilton could not have asked for a better advocate. A signer of the Constitution and author of roughly two-thirds of the Federalist Papers, Hamilton became the first secretary of the treasury at the age of 32. In this capacity, Brookhiser argues that the scrappy Caribbean native gave birth to American capitalism by developing the country's financial system. Brookhiser also reveals the sex and violence of Hamilton's life: he survived personal scandal but was shot down by Aaron Burr in an 1804 duel. The end came too soon for Hamilton--and it also helped elevate the reputation of his nemesis, Thomas Jefferson. Alexander Hamilton: American is by turns learned, funny, and inspiring. A model of popular biography, it convinces us why we should care deeply about a remarkable man who lived two centuries ago. --John Miller
Book Description
Alexander Hamilton is one of the least understood, most important, and most impassioned and inspiring of the founding fathers. At last Hamilton has found a modern biographer who can bring him to full-blooded life; Richard Brookhiser. In these pages, Alexander Hamilton sheds his skewed image as the "bastard brat of a Scotch peddler," sex scandal survivor, and notoriously doomed dueling partner of Aaron Burr. Examined up close, throughout his meteoric and ever-fascinating (if tragically brief) life, Hamilton can at last be seen as one of the most crucial of the founders. Here, thanks to Brookhiser's accustomed wit and grace, this quintessential American lives again.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent Primer.......2007-10-19
As the title of my post states, this is an excellent primer for those interested in learning more about one of the greatest and least appreciated Founding Fathers.
This book provides and easy to read and yet thorough review of Hamilton's life and provides a good foundation and understanding before you read some of the more in-depth biographies and studies.
I love this book.
Nicely done - well researched.......2007-09-07
The author has done a very good job of researching and reporting to us on one of the great icons of American history.
There were a few times when writing on the machinations of government, politicians, and legal maneuvering got a little tedious but it was probably necessary to give readers a full perspective.
At the end of the day, the author has done us a favor by giving us a detailed and historical perspective of Alexander Hamilton. Thank you!
`Those who stand for nothing fall for anything.'.......2007-08-09
Brookhiser presents the man, not just the life of one of our brightest and most ingenious founding fathers in "Alexander Hamilton, American." If you're unfamiliar with Hamilton, this book should acquaint you with the man whose career is a necessity for understanding the founding of this nation. Hamilton lived an extraordinary life which not only makes an fascinating and educating read but also presents us with little known and exclusive details of his private life. His works remain immortal and accomplishments highlight his brilliancy but remain essential in comprehending United States history from the genesis of independence to the infancy of statehood.
Leaving no aspect of Hamilton's life untouched, a reader becomes acquainted with his highly-publicized milestones and triumphs to the regrettable hardships and misfortunes experienced throughout a turbulent but ultimately successful life. Coming from a tumultuous childhood, Hamilton rose to become prominent American public figure in colonial America as a successful Revolutionary War commander, Lawyer, and the first US Treasury Secretary. Brookhiser's examination of Hamilton's life is one of both reverence and cynicism. Unhampered by the author's personal views, this heavily researched, highly detailed and accurate narrative of a profoundly influential and inspiring American's life is of invaluable importance in grasping the fundamentals of the early American democracy, liberties, and economy.
Possibly vying for the title of "America's First Great Success Story", surviving the tumult of childhood and successfully completing a demanding education, have undoubtedly shaped his character from an early age and serve as a testament to his success shown throughout this chronicle of Hamilton. Although probably not befitting as a biography in the strictest sense; as you read Brookhiser's recital of Hamilton's life, you become not only familiar with Alexander Hamilton but also with many other important Founding Fathers. Whether be political adversaries, Federalist proponents, Revolutionary War comrades, and even the country's first President. A perspective from the eyes of a fellow statesman intersecting the achievements of fellow prominent early Americans delivers an interesting and fresh examination of our first President; as well as the many other Forefathers from his generation who were instrumental in shaping the country.
Without question, Alexander Hamilton's life is among the most important biographies of primordial America dignitaries. Shaping the new democracy, composing forcible works which withstand the test of time and remain essential in the politics of contemporary America are among the contributions of knowledge to a student of his career. Brookhiser's purpose is to bring to life Hamilton's experiences through the pages of his book, fostering an intimate portrait that accustoms a reader with the factual, unadulterated figure enduringly steeped in American history.
A clear view of Alexander Hamilton .......2006-03-09
Richard Brookhiser writes with clear and precise prose. His abilty to make an eighteenth Century icon come alive on paper is wonderful. If you want to get a good feel for the american revolution and the personalities that formed it this book should be on your reading list.
Disappointing.......2005-05-30
Alexander Hamilton, American is a fascinating book and is extremely well researched. However, it does not flow well. I was extremely disappointed by the Brookhiser's inability to connect paragraphs together. Moreover, he bombards the reader with trivial facts, and places too much emphasis on Hamilton's affair. Sadly, he did not place the same value in explaining Hamilton's feud with Aaron Burr. I expected more from this book.
Average customer rating:
- Of its type, very good
- Aaron Burr, Hero or Traitor?
- History reinterpreted with new evidence!
- New slant on Burr using his own letters and other overlooked documents
- Aaron Burr Is Slimed Again
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Cipher Code of Dishonor, Aaron Burr, an American Enigma: Trinity: The Burrs versus Alexander Hamilton and the United States of America
Manufacturer: AuthorHouse
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 1420846388 |
Book Description
Trinity: The Burrs versus Alexander Hamilton and the United States of America will be the first book to draw on unreported documents and genealogical information to reveal an unprecedented look into the relationships of Aaron Burr, Alexander Hamilton, Trinity Church Corporation and the Loyalists of Manhattan Island. Author Alan J. Clark shows in new perspective the battles and intrigues leading beyond the American Revolutionary War. With the melding of genealogy and timeline analysis Clark examines some of the intriguing ciphered letters of Aaron Burr to his daughter Theodosia, and looks again at Burr's curious and complex war time exploits to determine where his Loyalist tendencies actually began. Clark further examines the land leases then traded prior, during, and after the war as speculation, or possibly as rewards from the English Crown for services performed in its favor in the colonies primarily through the Corporation of Trinity Church. The economics of early Manhattan and the Atlantic colonies were bolstered by the complex and secular behavior of the Corporation of Trinity Church acting as land bank for the Loyalists to the Throne of England. Clark appears to fill in the gaps in many recently published tomes by delving deeper into the actions of Burr and Hamilton, examining their extensive familial connections and behaviors to arrive at a complex web of intricacy bringing to life American History at its most personal level. This book does not reiterate the well worn paths of American History. Instead, it brings a crisp new approach that makes sense of seemingly insignificant, disjointed and inconsistent stories of the early history of our country.
Customer Reviews:
Of its type, very good.......2007-01-05
I bought this book based largely on other reviewers. If you are a someone who really gets into the minutia of family names connected to Burr and Hamilton, this book is for you. The author also makes the assumption (and says so in the introduction) that the reader understands the basic history of the events. The casual reader of history may not make it through this book, getting lost in the detailed connections of various relatives of Burr and Hamilton. There are fascinating revelations and speculations unearthed, making it a decent book.
Aaron Burr, Hero or Traitor?.......2006-08-09
Based on facts little known or revealed elsewhere
Clark, the author, advances a theory novel to American
History that Aaron Burr was a loyalist throughout his
life, even during the Revolutionary War, wherein he is
most commonly thought an American hero. Using
genealogy, land deeds and leases Clark finds
connections to the British hitherto ignored by
Historians. This book is not a rehash of current
accepted American history. His interpretation of
Aaron Burr's own coded letters in his published
Memoirs fall in neatly with this theory. He gives new
political meaning to the duel between Aaron Burr and
Alexander Hamilton beyond a trifling slight. He even
points the reader toward an interpretation of current
events with roots in the Loyalist American cause.
This book will make you think that history may still
be ripe for reinterpretation.
History reinterpreted with new evidence!.......2006-08-09
Based on facts little known or revealed elsewhere
Clark, the author, advances a theory novel to American
History that Aaron Burr was a loyalist throughout his
life, even during the Revolutionary War, wherein he is
most commonly thought an American hero. Using
genealogy, land deeds and leases Clark finds
connections to the British hitherto ignored by
Historians. This book is not a rehash of current
accepted American history. His interpretation of
Aaron Burr's own coded letters in his published
Memoirs fall in neatly with this theory. He gives new
political meaning to the duel between Aaron Burr and
Alexander Hamilton beyond a trifling slight. He even
points the reader toward an interpretation of current
events with roots in the Loyalist American cause.
This book will make you think that history may still
be ripe for reinterpretation.
New slant on Burr using his own letters and other overlooked documents .......2006-08-08
I read this book through in one sitting because it covered strikingly different ground from that in standard history books. Translating Burr's ciphered letters for the first time and relating them to events of the era, the author has uncovered Burr's collaboration with the British during the Revolution and his subsequent intentions to undermine the fledgling American democracy. Using original land deeds of the era as evidence, the author presents a powerful rationale for Burr's misdeeds. This is a thought provoking work to read and discuss with others who enjoy history and its rogue protagonists.
Aaron Burr Is Slimed Again.......2006-01-22
In essence, Alan Clark's book is one big gossip column. The only difference between his work and those of other gossip mongers in our nation's periodicals is that the latter know how to write a coherent sentence, properly punctuated and generally void of misspellings. Of course, they must submit to the discipline of editors and they usually write for reputable publishers who demand that quotations be checked, that facts be accurate and that documentation be provided. Clark does not concern himself with any of these things. His book is a self-published, printed-on-demand product, a growing part of the "listen to me" industry that also includes personal websites known as blogs.
Book Description
Seven years after the revolution, America was in crisis. The government didn't work, but the citizens didn't care-or were in a state of rebellion. Then two unknown men, Hamilton and Madison (unknown especially compared to the revered Founding Fathers), envisioned a plan that no one else thought could happen: a truly United States.
Against all odds, these men maneuvered and strategized to get the right men to agree on the right ideas. The result: the most brilliant political document ever and a powerful United States.
From New York Times bestselling author Charles Cerami, this gripping tale of young men founding a nation will captivate both history buffs and those who just love a great story.
Customer Reviews:
Very enjoyable..........2007-04-17
I noticed that other reviewers are very critical of the book, claiming it to be inaccurate. It would be better if the reviewers could point out where their information comes from, and from what authority they speak. I am in the midst of reading the book and am thoroughly enjoying it. I am new to reading about history and was hoping my foray into this area would be this fun! The author's style is engaging and I am flying through the book, anxious to read what is on the next page. I feel like I am really getting to know both Madison and Hamilton, and to better understand how conflicted the 13 colonies were over becoming a union. My interest in this area has truly been piqued and I am certain I'll be reading more history books, thanks to the "good read" provided here.
Don't Assume Everything is True.......2007-04-03
This book would best be read with some skepticism.
Mr. Cerami makes some assumptions and statements that are not validated or justified. One example is his statement that Alexander Hamilton, "(apparently to guard against an accusation of monarchism)"..."did not favor a permanent president, but suggested an executive who would rule for no more than three years."
This is exactly the opposite of what Hamilton proposed. He favored an executive to serve for "good behavior," which meant for life, unless removed from office. The author says one thing, when reality was the opposite. I found this most frequently happened regarding Hamilton, leading me to believe the author wanted to put across a certain perspective about the man.
There are other places in which a blanket statement is made that isn't necessarily true, or at least subject to question. This account of the Convention relies on speculation and inferences. Some assertions are made based on what the author perceived the speaker's tone of voice and inflection were. How could this approach be more accurate than simply believing what the actual words were?
This is an ok book, but the reader can't assume it is completely accurate and should not solely rely on it as a source of information on the Convention.
Bob Byrne
Biased and Inaccurate.......2006-07-25
In addition to the shortcomings pointed out in other reviews, I am disturbed by Mr. Cerami's use of 21st century values and perspectives to describe the motivations of 18th century people. For example, Mr Cerami describes Patrick Henry as a "religious zealot" for favoring the establishment of an official church in Virginia. Yet Henry's views were not particularly zealous for his time. Many in 18th century America favored established churches. Mr. Cerami also describes Patrick Henry as having become "ultraconservative" because he opposed the establishment of a strong federal government. In fact, Henry's views did not change over the years. He started out opposing a strong central government in England and ended up opposing a strong central government in Philadelphia or New York.
Mr.Cerami also describes New York Governor George Clinton's opposition to a strong federal government as solely based on Clinton's desire to maintain his position as governor of a major state. Yet Mr. Cerami immediately goes on to suggest that it was reasonable for Governor Clinton to believe that New York could prosper on its own without a federal government.
Mr. Cerami also makes inaccurate statements. For example, in discussing Article I, Section 7, clause 1, of the Constitution, which states that "all bills for raising revenue shall orginate in the House of Represenatives," Mr. Cerami mistakenly asserts that this provision requires appropriations bills to also originate in the House. He uses as an example the Louisiana Purchase, and states that the bill to provide $15 million to pay France "had to originate in the House of Representatives." An appropriation bill is not a bill "for raising revenue" and therefore does not have to originate in the House.
Further, in speaking of the Judicial Branch of the federal government, Mr. Cerami states that "[t]he almost supreme power of the judiciary branch" was one of the features of the Constitution that was most admired by foreign observers. However, there is nothing in Article III of the Constitution that even suggests that the judiciary is the "supreme" branch. Nor does the Constitution grant to the judiciary the power to determine the constitutionality of laws enacted by the Congress. Only later did the courts attain the powers they have now.
Incredible, engaging reading.......2006-07-06
I felt like I was along side for the ride. You won't want to put it down, neither did my Friend whom I lent it to. It's fascinating, awe inspiriing, engaging etc. I undoubtedly recommend this book. I'm actually going to read it again!!!!
Good insight mixed in with a lot of unneccesary content.......2006-06-25
Overall, I enjoyed reading the book (please keep this in mind as you read what I am about to say), but I often found myself questioning if some of the information Cerami includes is necessary given the subject of the book. For example, in the chapter entitled "Jefferson Reacts," he spend most of the chapter talking about what Jefferson was writing about during his time in Paris, and only at the end shares Jefferson's reaction to the proposed Constitution. In dealing with Washington, he talks a great deal about his love of farming and his relationship with the Society of the Cincinnati, which while important for background and mindset is way overdone at the expense of more pertinent information.
Yet, while there is excess in those areas, information on other people and subjects are lacking. While the title and cover implies a major role for Hamilton that is not the case for significant periods in the book. I yearned for more pertinent info on Washington and other supposedly key figures such as Franklin and Read. I felt areas like the later stages of the convention, the actual signing, the mindset of general population, were rushed and only touched the surface.
If you delete the unnecessary content, I felt this 320 page book (paperback) could easily be cut of 75 to 100 pages. Yet, if some of the giant historical figures in the book, key supporting characters, and aforementioned breezed over areas where discussed more in-depth and in a focused manner, the book could easily double in size. In short, I learned a lot and enjoyed the book, but would have liked more focus.
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