ALEXANDER HAMILTON, American

Rating:
Summary: Typical Federalist Biography
Review: Mr. Brookhiser's "Alexander Hamilton, American" should have had "Englishman" attached to the title, not American. Mr. Brookhiser, a typical conservative, attempts to paint the hight priest of monarchial Federalism is a glowing light. Hamilton is not depicted as he really was: a brilliant, unscrupulous, arrogant, elitist nationalist who had no desire to ensure liberty for posterity. Hamilton's own writings show him to be an extreme nationalist,monarchist, and admirer of Great Britian.

Mr. Brookhiser glosses over Hamilton's dishonesty in crafting the Federalist Papers( in which he claimed total authorship, a complete lie). Hamilton claimed that the Constitution "limted government", and that the state's rights and powers would be preserved. These statements were total propaganda to the masses to reassure their concerns for their local governments.

Hamilton also proposed a UNLIMITED monarchy during the Constitutional Convention. A President and Senate for life, a weak house of representative, no power to overide executive vetos, the governors of the states appointed by the President, a powerful and absolute federal judiciary, and the power of war making located in the President and Senate. This was not an "American" plan, but a carbon copy of the rotten English government just overthrown. Hamilton called the people " a great beast" and stated they "seldom judge or determine right". He told George Washington during the Whiskey Rebellion that he had learned "to hold public opinion of no value".

This man was not a republican or a believer in liberty. He was a monarchist and defender of strong central government. He was not an "American" as Mr. Brookhiser relates but an enemy of republican government.

Rating:
Summary: Full of details.
Review: This well-written book introduces more than a founding father to the reader; instead, you meet a man, flaws and all. The little details Brookhiser includes to achieve this feat are so interesting, that I had to read a few of them more than once in order to grasp onto them better.

Rating:
Summary: Nice introduction
Review: This is a short biography of one of the most influential and troubled men in our early history. Brookhiser writes short biographies that gloss over and mention items that are not readily understood by those new to the subject. This volume is no exception. After reading this book, I felt I knew a great deal more about Hamilton; yet I still did not understand him. Much of Hamilton's life is not talked about, including more about his scandals and his personal (or not-so-personal) relationship with George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. This book is a good primer for understanding the founder of the Federalist party, but more must be read to understand his very intriguing life.

Rating:
Summary: History Comes Alive (with unwanted punditry)
Review: The fifth star comes with a few reservations, but Richard Brookhiser's portrait of Alexander Hamilton is strongly written and argued, and fills in the life story of one of our leading founders. The ordering is clear and concise, and the material is relevant.

As one of my history professors used to point out, titles count. Alexander Hamilton, American has only three words, and two of them are a proper name. Nonetheless, as so often happens when writing about American history, there's plenty written between the lines. Unlike a more detached biography, Brookhiser has written passionately on behalf of Hamilton. This can go either way, and here it has gone in a bit of a partisan way. The style of writing comes off like something out of the National Review. Brookhiser has wasted no words of praise on many of the other figures of the time, slamming presidents Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe, as well as other sundry figures, but heaping great praise on Washington and Adams. His claim that John Adams is impossible not to love is curious, since few friends or foes of his time seem to have loved him, even if they respected him. What I am getting at is that subtly, and thankfully infrequently, Brookhiser has attempted to make Hamilton into a modern GOPist. As a lifelong liberal, I would gladly knock off stars if it were glaring or obnoxious. It is not. It is noticeable, especially in the middle chapters and in the last few pages, so I'm pointing it out.

Another reason that the preceding comments are not of great concern is that Hamilton was in many ways an American hero who lived the American dream as we have now come to know it. He came from nothing, was born out in the sugar plantations of the West Indies, and rose through the ranks of war hero to join the founding cabinet of The United States. This is exciting stuff, and it shows in the writing. History comes alive in these pages, and that is the important thing to point out here.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Introduction to a Complex Man
Review: One of the reasons I picked this book up was a desire to become more familiar with Alexander Hamilton. Not only is Hamilton left behind by the other founding fathers who would one day ascend to the presidency, but he is also over-looked as the only non-native major player in our country's founding. Brookhiser does an excellent job in fanning an inquisitiveness that is only natural in regard to such a multi-faceted man. We see Hamilton the soldier, the treasury secretary, the lawyer, and the flawed man all individually, and also corporately as a historic figure. Hamilton's complexities are not thouroughly answered, but merely raised to such a level that will send the reader on a continued quest to understand this great, and sometimes forgotten man.

Rating:
Summary: Concise and Approachable
Review: Consistant with his biography of G. Washington, R. Brookhiser's ALEXANDER HAMILTON, AMERICAN affords the reader a fun to read and brief history of one of America's founding fathers. Brookhiser captures the true essence of the villified Hamilton in his work, demonstrating the genius brought to the table by the nation's first Secretary of the Treasury both in the planning of the Constitution and the establishment of first laws and precedents. The book is excellent.

Rating:
Summary: Alexander Hamilton, American
Review: From a biographical perspective the book is quite adequate; however, as an interesting read, it is less than expected. It presented the information in an interesting and consice way. The problem is quite frankly, the style it was written in was a bit to academic for my tastes.

I didn't get as good a 'feel' for the man, as I have in other biographies of this period. He for sure, is a very interesting character, but the book treats them in much the same way as some of his more functional accomplishments.

Rating:
Summary: Perfect to Satisfy a Casual Interest
Review: This Alexander Hamilton biography, by National Review writer Richard Brookhiser, was perfect for me. In reading Joseph Ellis's Founding Brothers, I became intrigued by Alexander Hamilton, probably the most vilified of the Founding Fathers. And, since the Ellis book was mostly about John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, I left it wanting to know more about some of the Fathers, particularly Hamilton. I found Brookhiser's book in the reviews of John Maggiore, whose recommendations and reviews have been most helpful in the past. And, once again, he was right. This is a wonderful book. Not only is it very well written, it also conveys many facts for its small size. Alexander Hamilton seems, and was, larger than life, and this book does a great job of capturing that man, warts and all.

Rating:
Summary: Authorative bio on important American
Review: Ever wonder why so little is taught about Hamilton to our school children? You will after reading this interesting bio on one of our most dedicated patriots. Insightful look at one of our most underrated historical figures.

Rating:
Summary: Hamilton emerges from history's shadows...
Review: Thanks to the author, this underrated and under appreciated founding father comes alive as an interesting and all-too human character. Dry going at times, but that may have more to do wth my proclivity for personal rather than historical information. Great resource, worth reading and will hopefully help to bring Hamilton a bit more of the recognition he has so long deserved.