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Summary: Alexander Hamilton
Review: Ron Chernow has put a lot of time and afford into the life of Alexander Hamilton and I find the book easy to read and right to the point. Hamiltons picture on the ten dollar bill is well known but the reason behind the picture and the part he played in America's financial begaining is well spelled out in the book. Any one that loves American history must read this book, it's a winner. Larry Hobson- Author- "The Day Of The Rose"
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Summary: The Man on the Ten Dollar Bill
Review: Ron Chernow is a very fine biographer (I really enjoyed his books on the Morgans and John D. Rockefeller), and I am happy to say that I also enjoyed this latest work on one of the most enigmatic of the founders. Good writing, extensive research and the ability to connect the complicated dots of an often secretive and complicated life into a coherent narrative make for an absorbing read. Other authors (such as Richard Brookhiser)have already made the case for re-assessing Hamilton as one of the most influential of the founders, but Chernow's story is more fully fleshed out and both broader (in terms of the historical context) as well as narrower (in terms of the man's personal life) in scope. Hamliton's achievements - the organisation of public finance, the contribution to the Federalist Papers, etc. are well treated, as are his rivalries with the other collossi - Jefferson the most prominent. The private life receives a judicious exposition, although Chernow can add little to that greatest of American mysteries, the cause of the duel between Hamilton and Burr (Gore Vidal's fictional account in his masterpiece "Burr" makes as much sense as any other theory!). However, I will have to say that after finishing (and enjoying) this book, I did feel that it represents "the Case for Hamilton" rather than an even-handed account of his life and times. As a keen (amateur) student of American history, I am frequently struck by how radically different the visions of an ideal republic really were when you compare the views of Hamilton with those of a Jefferson, or contrast them with the thinking of Adams or Madison. The modern world and America's current state are much closer to the spirit of Hamilton, and in that sense he really is one of the most important of the founders. But was something lost as a result of this Hamiltonian "victory"? A great work of biography would have gone deeper into those questions, but you can't have everything, I suppose, or not often. This is not Sandburg or Boswell, but it is a very fine book and well worth your time this summer!
Rating: 
Summary: A complex man with great foresight - great writing.
Review: Ron Chernow presents a highly readable account of the life of a man who, despite living 200 years ago, still has a very tangible positive impact on our daily lives today. In his telling of Hamilton's story, Chernow has written a book that serves a dual purpose: it serves as an excellent historical biography that tells the story of a man and his time, at the same time, it helps the modern reader to understand the basic tenets of our fiscal and economic system in the United States.
Alexander Hamilton is a fascinating and complesx character and Chernow's writing keeps you moving through the book at a good pace right through the epilogue. Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys history or biography.
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Summary: Impressive overview of Hamilton for general readers
Review: Ron Chernow, expert chronicler of the House of Morgan, the Warburg family, and John D. Rockefeller, ventures outside his historical period to consider the life and work of Alexander Hamilton, one of the founders of the constitutional system and the federal government's support for capitalist development. On the whole, he succeeds admirably.His book's account of Hamilton's birth and early years and his role in the American Revolution is the clearest that we have had to date. And he ably and clearly sets forth Hamilton's fiscal policies so that even a financial dullard could understand them. He is generally quite evenhanded in his view of Hamilton's character and political activities, too. Sometimes he stumbles, as in his account of Hamilton's wedding, when he asks why no members of Hamilton's immediate family attended or were invited. The problems were that Hamilton had been out of touch with his surviving relatives, his father and his older brother, for over a decade; that he was in upstate New York and they were in British islands in the Caribbean, divided by hazardous seas and a world war; and that even if he had been able to communicate with them, they might not have been able to afford making the trip. This is an example of Chernow's occasional blind spot in this book. He doesn't quite get the realities of certain aspects of the eighteenth-century world. I wish that I could take off only 1/2 star for that, but this system only works in increments of one star. On the whole, though, if you want to read a reliable and authoritative life of Hamilton, this latest account is by far the best modern life. It ranks with the old (1955) book by John Chester Miller and outstrips (for readability) Broadus Mitchell's standard biography (1955, 1962). It is far better than Willard Sterne Randall's disaster of a book, and far more interesting and engaging than Richard Brookhiser's recent thin book. This book should be read side-by-side with the Library of America one-volume collection of Alexander Hamilton's writings.
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Summary: Comprehensive excellence
Review: The author of this remarkable book, Chernow, obviously left no stone unturned in delving into the tumultuous life of this brilliant and often misunderstood man, Alexander Hamilton (1755-1804). If you have any interest in understanding the competing struggles of our Founding Fathers this book is a critical brick in the wall of understanding their passion and dedication. Thomas Jefferson was one of Hamilton's most outspoken foes yet the author fairly unwinds the difference in philosophy between the two to give us a profound look at why both opinions were so critical to the underpinning of America's Federalist system. Few people recognize Hamilton's astounding delivery as first Secretary of the Treasury but this author - clearly enamored with Hamilton's genius - gives great deference to this maverick's contribution. Hamilton's understanding of finance was essential because he created the foundation for public finance in the United States. Hamilton was also a co-author of The Federalist Papers, an essential underrated document laying the groundwork for the democratic system in the United States. He was also a critical contributor to the Constitutional Convention but was never able to serve as President of the United States because he was not born in the United States. He was born in the Caribbean on Nevis. He died at 49, in 1804 after losing an infamous duel with Aaron Burr. Chernow argues that Hamilton's rivals unfairly tainted his historical significance after his death. The author also discusses Hamilton's personal life just as dramatically with just as much insight into the man's paradoxical life. He bore eight children with his wife Eliza and had two known extramarital affairs. Clearly, this is a critical book in the history of America and a must read for anyone fascinated by the infancy of the United States and the convtroversies between the brilliant men who conceived the Constituion.
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Summary: True Founding Interests
Review: The best all around depiction of a pivotal charecter in the founding of our country. With all of Mr Hamiltons accomplishments and pitfalls of character. Hamilton created almost single-handedly the modern capitalist society in addition to making huge implications into the manner which our government took shape that so many Americans take for granted. I would encourage anyone interested in the formation of the American experiment and a capitalist society read this book.
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Summary: Re-examing Hamilton
Review: There are some minor aspects of this book I don't care for, namely that Mr Chernow's obvious admiration for Hamilton is quite often too blatant. Having said that, it's difficult NOT to express admiration for such an extraordinary man as Hamilton, even if you don't care for his political philosophy. However, if you don't, then you should be very careful what you DO espouse. If, for example, you favor a strong, vigorous federal government that is committed to promoting "the common welfare", then you really have no business repudiating Hamilton, & should, instead, consider him one of the greatest Americans ever. If, however, you prefer a weak central government, powerful & nearly autonomous states, laissez-faire approaches to regulation & trade, & strictly enumerated powers, then you are veering closer to Madison & Jefferson. I think that history, however, has tended to favor Hamilton over Jefferson. Certainly the United States would not be the nation it is, had Madison & Jefferson prevailed. By the same token, I think history has been unkind to Hamilton, largely because people insist on propagating myths & misunderstandings about him. One of those is that he was a foe of "democracy". While that is arguably true, it's not necessarily a bad thing, & if the writer does not go on to explain WHY Hamilton didn't like "democracy", then it becomes pure rhetoric & propaganda. It is my suspicion that much of the calumny directed against Hamilton over the years has been the result of his political opponents deliberately distorting his arguments, taking them out of context, or even outright lying about him, all in the name of attaining political power. In my view, such character assaults are simply disgraceful. That does not mean that Hamiltonianism cannot be justly critiqued. For example, Madison was entirely correct in his analysis of Hamiltonian interpretations of "necessary & proper", or "promote the general welfare". It was precisely those disagreements that fed the break between the two, as it well it should have been, because those are precisely the critical points for ANY discussion of government: what is its role, & what is it allowed to do in pursuit of that role. Chernow has done a mostly fine job restoring Hamilton's legacy to its rightful place, & anyone who cares about the beginnings of America should read this book.
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Summary: One of American History's Shining Stars
Review: There have NOT been enough biographies of Alexander Hamilton, and Ron Chernow has restored this often maligned founding father into his deserved spotlight. The marvelous opening passage describes the longings of Hamilton's widow, Elizabeth, for her husband who had died nearly 50 years previously. This romantic image sets the tone for this brilliant book, as it explores the heart as well as the mind of Alexander Hamilton. For those who do not know, Hamilton was not merely a capitalist and economist who happened to die in a duel with Aaron Burr. True, he was the founder of The Bank of New York and was America's first Secretary of the Treasury. But Hamilton was also a tireless abolitionist, a brilliant lawyer and writer, General Washington's right-hand-man, a war hero, founder of the New York Post, and a swash-buckling romantic. Taken on their own, these achievements are amazing enough, but given the enormous obstacles and tragedies he had to overcome during his youth, it's just mindboggling. To take it a step further, he accomplished all this in just 49 years, which was his age at the time of his death. A life as full, as dramatic, as IMPORTANT as Alexander Hamilton's deserves volumes. Ron Chernow's extensive biography is a long book but, even so, the amazing life he is describing requires such length. And, to Chernow's credit, the book achieves just the right balance of admiration and criticism, romanticism and realism, speculation and fact. Hamilton's life swung between often contradictory ideas and emotions, and Chernow presents them all to us, rather than sticking with one overriding image. ALEXANDER HAMILTON by Ron Chernow is perhaps the most important book written about the nascent years of our country since Ellis' FOUNDING BROTHERS, which would make an excellent companion to this book. I would also strongly recommend McCullough's JOHN ADAMS, as well.
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Summary: White-washing Hamilton's legacy
Review: There is a reason why Abigail Adams called Hamilton "another Bonaparte", why Noah Webster called him "the evil genius" of the United States, and why Aaron Burr, Vice-President of the United States could shoot and kill Alexander Hamilton, be under indictment in the State of New Jersey, and then calmly proceed to the United States Senate and preside over the impeachment trial of Supreme Court Justice Samuel Chase. Those people who knew Hamilton knew him for what he was--a scoundrel. Chernow's portrayal of Hamilton as misunderstood Founding Father is a whitewash of his true legacy--that of a person who despised democracy, favored a plutocracy (or a new phrase---"judocracy"--rule by judges), and who is responsible in many ways for the dysfunctional nature of the federal government. Chernow is subtle in his reclamation project. For example, Hamilton's last written words, except his instructions to his wife upon his death, are that secession of the New England states from the union, a cause which he supported in general, would offer "no relief to our real Disease; which is DEMOCRACY, the poison of which" [emphasis and capitalization in original, but not in Chernow's version] would only be more concentrated if New England were to secede. Chernow can't write a biography without mentioning Hamilton's hatred for rule by the people, but he can soften it, by removing the emphasis which Hamilton intended to be there. Chernow's talent as a writer is undeniable. He observes that "today, we are indisputably the heirs to Hamilton's America, and to repudiate his legacy is, in many ways, to repudiate the modern world." Precisely. If you relish living in a country with unfulfilled pretensions to democracy, a muscular judiciary, an executive that governs by administrative fiat, and an unwieldy and ineffective legislative branch, then you will relish Hamilton's America. If you are saddened by the unfulfilled promise of democracy in America, you should find out who the true Hamilton was---as portrayed by others besides Chernow.
Rating:
Summary: Phenomenal
Review: This book is easily one of the finest biographies published over the past decade and focuses on a subject that has long been neglected. Chernow does a remarkable job of showing how Hamilton was the true visionary among the founding fathers. While Jefferson and Madison envisioned a nation of independent farmers, Hamilton had the foresight to recognize that the United States was to become the most economically and militarily powerful nation in the world through a highly sophisticated system of banking. While Jefferson's predictions about the future economic and political makeup of the US and his naiive and overly optimistic forecast regarding the French Revolution (he claimed that he'd allow himself to be stoned as a false prophet if the French Revolution did not turn out peacefully) never came to pass, Hamilton's vision has been validated by American history and experience, proving him to be the intellectual superior to his more famous counterpart from Virginia. Chernow's book also helps to dispell many of the untruths and misconceptions floating around after John Adams' undeserved rehabilitation at the hands of McCullough. Adams was an ornery, cantankerous, and stubborn individual of ordinary talents. It is no surprise that of the early presidents, only he and his son John Quincy failed to serve two terms. In the final analysis, Chernow's tour de force shows Hamilton for the visionary and man of integrity that he truly was (lest one forget, Hamilton was a vociferous opponent to slavery on moral grounds and, unlike hypocrites like Jefferson and Adams, never owned a slave). The America we inhabit to today, with all its economic, political, and military might is a Hamiltonian creation. For that, all Americans owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to this long overlooked Founding Father.
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