Book Description
One of the most vivid, influential, and controversial figures ofthe American founding, Alexander Hamilton was an unusually prolific and vigorouswriter. As a military aide to George Washington, forceful critic of the Articlesof Confederation, persuasive proponent of ratification of the Constitution,first Secretary of the Treasury, and leader of the Federalist party, Hamiltondevoted himself to the creation of a militarily and economically powerfulAmerican nation guided by a strong republican government. His public and privatewritings demonstrate the perceptive intelligence, confident advocacy, drivingambition, and profound concern for honor and reputation that contributed both tohis rise to fame and to his tragic early death.

Arranged chronologically, Writings contains more than 170 letters,speeches, essays, reports, and memoranda written between 1769 and 1804. Includedare all 51 of Hamilton's contributions to The Federalist, as well assubsequent writing calling for a broad construction of federal power under theConstitution; his famous speech to the Constitutional Convention, which gaverise to accusations that he favored monarchy; early writings supporting theRevolutionary cause and a stronger central government; his visionary reports asTreasury secretary on the public credit, a national bank, and the encouragementof American manufactures; a detailed confession of adultery made by Hamilton inorder to defend himself against charges of official misconduct; and his self- destructive attack on John Adams during the 1800 campaign. An extensiveselection of private letters illuminates Hamilton's complex relationship withGeorge Washington, his deep affection for his wife and children, his mountingfears during the 1790s regarding the Jeffersonian opposition and the FrenchRevolution, and his profound distrust of Aaron Burr. Included in an appendix areconflicting eyewitness accounts of the Hamilton-Burr duel.

Joanne Freeman is the editor. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Alexander Hamilton: Writings (Library of America)
I do not think Library of the America has even put out a bad bood and this is no exception.The contents are of great use to anyone interested in our government.The index in the back is exhaustive and helps greatly.Buy this book.

Essential writings from a great American
Alexander Hamilton is one of the most important, most misunderstood and most under studied Americans ever.He is the central figure in establishing the Federal Bank, as different as it is today from what it was then.He is responsible for the majority of the Federalist Papers, the most important documents produced in support of the Federal Constitutuon and the heated debates it entailed.But another thing most people don't know is that he is an American Revolution hero, serving, with distinction under Geroge Washington, receiving his highest praise and becoming his right hand man.He is the most elegant and gifted of writers.To understand his beginnings, read Alexander Hamilton: American by Richard Brookheiser, and understand the humble beginnings he was born into, working as a store clerk in the West Indies, educating himself in America and turning himself into one of the Americans who has a true grasp on the English language.His politics aside, he was a brilliant man.He was a gentleman and he was honest.He was a mna full of pride and great courage.He refused to let himself be bad mouthed, accepting Aronn Burr's duel, but he refused to fire at his opponent, instead firing into the air.A very honourable end to a great American.His writing are essntial to understand his life and his mind, his political orientation and lifelong goals.Not only that, but this is great literature.This receives my highest recommendation.

Alexander Hamilton Speaks for Himself
With this volume, the Library of America continues its project presenting the best of American culture and thought in an accessible way.

The subject of this volume is Alexander Hamilton. Although John Adams has frequently been regarded as the least understood of the Founders, Hamilton has his own plausible claim to this honor. History has not treated Hamilton kindly. He has certain obvious flaws in terms of arrogance,temper, and judgment.These flaws are amply revealed in this collection of writings. Hamilton, nevertheless, has much to teach us about government and about our country.This collection of his writings is a treasure.

At the outset, I was reluctant to begin a project of reading this volume through in its entirety. As my reading progressed, I couldn't put the volume down.

The book covers all phases of Hamilton's political and personal life, from its beginnings in what is now the U.S. Virgin Islands to his death at age 49 in the notorious duel with Aaron Burr. The heart of the book begins with Hamilton's role in the Constitutional Convention, in which he advocated for a strong Federal government and, in particular for a strong Executive. The book continues with Hamilton's 51 contributions to "The Federalist" in which he explained the Constitution to the people of the State of New York in terms which remain a seminal exposition of the basic governing document of the United States. Again the focus is on the need for a strong central government with a will and ability to act for the public good.

Hamilton was the first Secretary of the Treasury.This book gives us long selections from his work in which he advocated forcefully for having the Federal government pay the Revolutionary War Debt, for founding the Bank of the United States, and in promoting industry in the fledgling United States. These works divided Hamilton from Jefferson and Madison and became the basis of partisan politics in the United States.
In defending the constitutionality of the National Bank from attacks from Jefferson and Madison, Hamilton set the foundation for an expansive view of the power of the Federal government under the constitution.This view was controversial in its time and remains so.Hamilton's position, however, has largely come to prevail over the years and is an important basis for our governmental structure as it has developed over time.

The book includes Hamilton's public confession of an adulterous affair, his criticism of John Adams which divided and doomed the Federalist party, and Hamilton's own political career,and documents regarding Hamilton's fatal duel with Aaron Burr.

There is much to be learned from this book. Hamilton was a paradoxical figure both behind and ahead of his time. This is a valuable work for understanding our country. Kudos to the Library of America for allowing us to learn.

The best one-volume Hamilton collection ever assembled.
With this volume, Alexander Hamilton assumes his rightful place in the ranks of the Library of America -- not only as a key historical figure in the founding of the Republic, but as a master of political argument and writing.With care and sensitivity, Prof. Joanne B. Freeman of Yale University has assembled the best and most comprehensive one-volume Hamilton collection ever assembled -- but she has done something even more important:She has presented us with a thorough, judicious, and enlightening documentary life of Hamilton.This book will be indispensable to anyone who wants to understand the origins of the Constitution, of the American economy, and of the nation's political system and public life.It also will be indispensable to anyone who wants to understand Alexander Hamilton as a political, constitutional, and economic thinker, as a key shaper of American government and public policy, and as a human being.

-- R. B. Bernstein, Adjunct Professor of Law, New York Law School ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A great book
This is the best book on Hamilton ever written and among the best books on republican government.It is truly a joy to read, a "page-turner" even if you never thought a page-turner possible among academic books.

THE author who understands Hamilton's statesmanship best.
I discovered Prof. Stourzh's book by accident in 1974 in a Dallas bookstore at a time when I was writing a term paper on the statesmanship of Alexander Hamilton. Every book (then current) that I came across seemed todwell on collateral things (e.g. the Jefferson vs. Hamilton thing, or the"Maria Reynolds Affair" etc.) that purported to explain Hamiltonas "man and politician", and therefore explain Hamilton's"politics". But since I was already well read in Aristotle,Cicero, Aquinas, Machiavelli, Locke, Montesquieu, The Federal ConventionNotes, The Federalist, de Tocqueville, etc.; and since I was alreadyfamiliar with THE quintessential theme running throughout all of politicalphilosophy -- namely, the critical role of "founder" in theestablishment of good government -- I found every book on Hamilton to begrossly inadequate for my needs, and even a bit presumptuous and overrated. . . that is, until I came across Prof. Stourzh's book on AlexanderHamilton & The Idea of Republican Government.

Here is an authorwho hits the bull's eye of the target. With the exception of only one otherauthor (Professor Paul Eidelberg, who has written excellently on TheAmerican Founding), I seriously doubt there will ever be another writer onHamilton who will surpass Professor Stourzh's understanding of AlexanderHamilton as Hamilton understood himself -- a statesman of the first order,founder of republican government, driven by that ruling passion of thenoblest minds: Honor. Professor Stourzh's book captures this essence. Thereis tremendous depth to this book. Therefore, you don't read this book --you STUDY this book, in exactly the same way that you study Aristotle'sPOLITICS or Machiavelli's PRINCE. That is, word-by-word, line-by-line,paragraph-by-paragraph, and then you start over again.

ALEXANDERHAMILTON & THE IDEA OF REPUBLICAN GOVERNMENT is one of those"great books" that is truly a classic. That is, its value isuniversal and timeless. The fact that this book is out-of-print is,ironically, a testament to its enduring value. The fact that this book isout-of-print means that its would-be purchaser must search long and hard tofind this treasure trove. This effort only prepares the reader for what hemust do, next, if he is to truly appreciate this book once the reader findsit: Again, this book is intended to be read word-by-word, line-by-line,paragraph-by-paragraph, and then you start over again, this time with pen& paper in hand. This book should be on the shelf of every man andwoman who is a serious student of republican government, whether he or shebe teacher, professor, lawyer, judge, politician, or aspiring statesman --or plain old, ordinary citizen.

In short, Professor Stourzh is THEauthor on Alexander Hamilton who understands Hamilton and Hamilton'sStatesmanship, BEST. ... Read more

Book Description
Newbery-finalist James Lincoln Collier creates insightful character studies of our most well-known American figures. By blasting through the myths surrounding our heroes, we see them as they really were, with their conflicts, their fears, their shortcomings, and their ambitions. We come to know them and so to admire their achievements all the more. ... Read more

Book Description
Alexander Hamilton and the Persistence of Myth explores theshifting reputation of our most controversial founding father. Since the dayAaron Burr fired his fatal shot, Americans have tried to come to grips withAlexander Hamilton's legacy. Stephen Knott surveys the Hamilton image in theminds of American statesmen, scholars, literary figures, and the media,explaining why Americans are content to live in a Hamiltonian nation butreluctant to embrace the man himself.

Knott observes that Thomas Jefferson and his followers, and, later, AndrewJackson and his adherents, tended to view Hamilton and his principles as "un- American." While his policies generated mistrust in the South and the West,where he is still seen as the founding "plutocrat," Hamilton was revered in NewEngland and parts of the Mid-Atlantic states. Hamilton's image as a champion ofAmerican nationalism caused his reputation to soar during the Civil War, atleast in the North. However, in the wake of Gilded Age excesses, progressive andpopulist political leaders branded Hamilton as the patron saint of Wall Street,and his reputation began to disintegrate.

Hamilton's status reached its nadir during the New Deal, Knott argues, whenFranklin Roosevelt portrayed him as the personification of Dickensian cold- heartedness. When FDR erected the beautiful Tidal Basin monument to ThomasJefferson and thereby elevated the Sage of Monticello into the AmericanPantheon, Hamilton, as Jefferson's nemesis, fell into disrepute. He came toepitomize the forces of reaction contemptuous of the "great beast"--the Americanpeople. In showing how the prevailing negative assessment misrepresents the manand his deeds, Knott argues for reconsideration of Hamiltonianism, which,rightly understood, has much to offer the American polity of the twenty-firstcentury.

Remarkably, at the dawn of the new millennium, the nation began to see Hamiltonin a different light. Hamilton's story was now the embodiment of the Americandream--an impoverished immigrant who came to the United States and laid theeconomic and political foundation that paved the way for America's superpowerstatus. Here in Stephen Knott's insightful study, Hamilton finally gets his dueas a highly contested but powerful and positive presence in American nationallife. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Different Approach to Alexander Hamilton
When one looks at American political history, we tend to analyze the issues at the surface without realizing the ideology that influenced policies over the last 200 years.Stephen Knott developed a unique method at extracting the driving force behind American history.His thesis is that Alexander Hamilton was so influential in the development of the American government and economic system that his ideology has loomed in the background of every major period in U.S. history.

Mr. Knott provides research on historians, authors, and politicians of the last 200 years who have provided favorable and/or critical analysis of Hamilton's influence on American government and policy.What Knott was successful in proving was the point that Hamilton has had an effect, for better or for worse, on nearly every presidential administration.He also demonstrated how these administrations tended to attribute their policies to either Hamilton or Thomas Jefferson.The rivalry that began while both worked in George Washington's administration has continued to this day.

While unique and informative, this particular book on Hamilton does have one major drawback.Knott eventually shows his admiration for Hamilton.However, although he wisely references the negative material against Hamilton made by politicians and historians over the years, he tends to dwell on one particular comment that has not even been completely proven:the supposed quote that was used to show Hamilton's preference for a monarchy when he called the general public 'the beast'.Knott concludes his book by saying that most of the negative comments made towards Hamilton are not warranted, especially that particular quote.He does not help his own position with his constant referral to that quote throughout his book.He uses it so often, it tends to become distracting and it takes away from the other good material he has provided.

This is not a biography on Hamilton.Therefore, before purchasing this book, it is recommended that a biography on Hamilton be read first.Knott assumes the reader already knows some of Hamilton's accomplishments, milestones, and thoughts on government.Recommended biographies on Hamilton would be the books by Ron Chernow or Forrest McDonald.

"THOSE WHO STAND FOR NOTHING..."-A. Hamilton
"fall for anything."

Construction on the myth began years before Alexander Hamilton died on July 12, 1804.It surely got its nurturing from the National Gazette started in 1791 by Philip Freneau, Madison's Princeton roommate, and Thomas Jefferson.And it surely had its fires flaming during the fallout from Hamilton's Reynolds Affair which tainted his career from then on.From the get go, Hamilton's image was tarnished.He didn't fall for anything however.The day he died is the same day as the battle of the Boyne where the catholic, Stuart King James II and his Jacobites were defeated by the protestant William III, of Orange.Another Hamilton had died in a duel on November 15, 1712 in Hyde Park in London.Although his birth was deemed illegit, Alexander Hamilton was of noble lineage; his father's family was derived from the Scottish, ducal line of Hamilton.

Stephen F. Knott's book is not a biography; it's more of a thoughtful, unbiased tracing of pundits' and politicians' interpretation/opinion of his work in American government through the years up to the present.It is a must read for anyone who attempts to judge Hamilton's person because the historical record is replete with misrepresentations of his life's work.Knott's analysis is thorough; you'll understand the bias behind any biographer who studies him.I believe one best understands Hamilton from his own writings and those scholars who studied them as Knott did.Knott shows that Hamilton has been labelled a fascist, a monarchist, a Napoleon, a dictator, a Caesar by mostly Jeffersonians who were content with superficial studies of his life.He also explains how Hamilton viewed popular opinion, how he saw government stood to represent the people, how government stood to protect the people from unwise, even lawless movements such as fascism and communism.Knott also feels that we have much to learn from his thought on how our government should function.

In Knott's Chapter 7, entitled Hail Columbia!, he quotes the historian Daniel J. Boorstin as writing, "we are either Jeffersonians or Hamiltonians.In no other country has the hagiography of politics been more important".However, where does Burr fit in?He was Jefferson's Vice President at the time, good friends of the New York governor Clinton who was vehemently opposed to the Constitution.Indeed, New York was the state most resistant to its ratification, very nearly succeeding in killing it altogether if it had not been for Alexander Hamilton and others.And, as Knott relates, Adams, Jefferson, Washington, and the other founding fathers saw Burr as unprincipalled and unfit to govern.As to labelling Jefferson's people as "the beast", Knott rightly traces it to a comment a Henry Adams made, years after Hamilton's death, from a comment he heard fourth hand.I believe, and noone has made the connection, if Hamilton made that comment, "the beast" that he referred to is none other than the symbolic beast of Daniel 7 and Revelation 13 which opposes the saints and God and which exalts itself above God and above the law.Hamilton was christian to the core, fighting the good fight, not participating in evil deeds of darkness but exposing them just as Paul exhorted the Ephesian church to doin Ephesians 5:11.He publicly confessed his adultery.I believe he died a martyr and a saint.

Extraordinary
Knott provides us with a clear account of Hamilton's philosophical contributions and a compelling story about the uncertainty with which Americans approach his legacy.This book is masterful in detailing the competing political agendas and in framing how politicians, acamedicians, and pundits use the Founders and their rhetoric to push forward their own agendas.A wonderful book that helps us understand our American political culture, as much as one of our country's most important Founding Fathers.

Getting right with Hamilton
Finally! A compelling defense of the Founder second only to Washington in terms of indespensibility to the creation and greatness of this county. Professor Knott chronicles the roller-coaster ride of Hamilton's reputation, from his murder by the scoundral Burr to the present. He presents overwhelming evidence that General Hamilton has been abused by critics, historians and Jefferson-lovers alike. Knott's painstaking history of the apochryphal "great beast" comment provides a frightening lesson of how a single malicious report can turn even a great man's historical reputation upside down. The fact that Mr. Hamilton's solitary statue stands ignored at the back door of the Treasury Department while Mr. Jefferson is surrounded by marble and carved words perfectly illustrates how the myth of greatness trumps the reality of greatness. Professor Knott's conclusion that "a return to Hamiltonianism" could fix much of what ails American politics is right on the money. Fantastic book. ... Read more

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.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (50)

Excellent Primer
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
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.'
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 andsuccessfully 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 Americansdelivers 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 hiscareer. 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
Richard Brookhiser writes with clear and precise prose.His abiltyto 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
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. ... Read more

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. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

American Machiavelli:Alexander Hamilton and the Origins of U.S. Foreign Policy
Ordered as a Christmas gift.Did not arrive until after.Person receiving the book was pleased.

To Be Not Good
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
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
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. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (24)

Alexander Hamilton
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
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
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
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
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 indeedprobably 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 visionwas his understanding ofthe critical importance that a dynamic system of national credit and currency would play in bringing aboutprosperity. 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, thatdrove 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 thisviolent customhad 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'slife will have to look to other sources. ... Read more

Book Description

In the first full, one-volume biography of Alexander Hamilton in more than two decades, award-winning historian Willard Sterne Randall takes a fresh look at one of the most brilliant, conflicted, and elusive of our nation's founders.

Orphaned at thirteen and apprenticed in a counting house, the precocious Hamilton learned principles of business that helped him, as the first U.S. secretary of the treasury, to create the American banking system and invent the modern corporation. But first the staunch, intrepid Hamilton served in the American Revolution, primarily as aide-de-camp to General Washington, acting as Washington's spymaster. Forging a successful legal career, Hamilton coauthored The Federalist Papers and plunged into politics. Irresistibly attractive to women, he was a man of many gifts, but he could be arrogant and was at times a poor judge of character.

In this meticulously researched, illuminating, and lively account, Willard Sterne Randall mines the latest scholarship to provide a new perspective on Alexander Hamilton, his illegitimate birth, little-known military activities, political and diplomatic intrigues, and sometimes scandalous private life.

From his less than auspicious start in 1755 on the Caribbean island of Nevis to his untimely death in a duel with his old enemy Aaron Burr in 1804, Alexander Hamilton, despite his short and tragic life, left a huge legacy.

Customer Reviews (17)

the first modern american?
Randall does an excellent job of telling Hamilton's story as well as describing his significane to the development of the new nation.As I read the book I was struck by how "modern" Hamilton was.His emphasis in centralized structures, efficient government and the significant role economics played in his political understanding.I was struck how Hamilton was more pragmatic than many of his contemporaries.

Recommend this to anyone wanting to flesh out their understanding of the Revolutionary period.

just okay
I read Randall's Jefferson biography and was unimpressed. However, I thought I would give Randall another chance with his Hamilton biography. I thought it was slightly better than the Jefferson bio.

Then I read Chernow's Hamilton biography, which leaves Randall's in the dust. The main problem with Randall is that he is a professor and, as convential wisdom goes, professors write to pad their vita and for other professors, with little concern for the reader and more concern for quantity than quality. (In fact, with few exceptions [like J. Ellis], you should always skip a history book when the dust jacket announces the author is a professor).

This book is an adequate overview of Hamilton, but why read it when an exceptionally better book exists? For completists and Hamilton enthusiasts only.

Not complete, but entertaining
Excellent biography of one of the lesser known founding fathers.Includes his birth in St Croix with ancestral background and proceeds to his death at the hands of Aaron Burr during their duel.Randall refrains from making Hamilton superhuman or flawless, but does center his piece on his contributions to America before, during and after the Revolutionary War. A treat for any Hamilton fan or those looking to become familiar with him.

Randall on Hamilton
Randall's book is exhaustive in its coverage of Hamilton's life, development and texture.But the result is skimpy coverage of his greatest contributions. Hamilton's finger prints are all over American political economy.
Fascinating glimces into St Croix childhood and developing anthipathy for slavery. Women's rights, too. Interesting but exhausting detal about the Revolution: walked the reader through each season from 1776 to 1781. Likely duplicating work Randall did for his Washington biography.Cop out. Hamilton was also first secretary of the Navy; a tidbit but no meat.

Simply another Genius in the Revolution
If one studies American history, particularly the years leadingto the Revolution, one is struck at the concentration of genius at a single point in time. The American Revolution was totally unique in that it was guided by ideas and ideals.There were no hated Jews or bourgeois or Hutus or "infidels".It was an event inspired by unique individuals, one of whom this book is about.

I agree with other reviewers that the last few years are rushed.(Perhaps a two-volume series would have been preferable.)But, if this is supposed to be about the man, his origins, his ideas and his actions - it succeeds brilliantly.

ALexander Hamilton, the self-made man of illigetimate origins, made so many monumental contributions that simply stating them is breathtaking. He was a brave fighter, he created the current financial system of debt, credit, sound money and banking, he was an abolitionist who fought slavery his entire life, his moderate views on treatment of prisoners was advanced. His legal writings were mandatory reading for New York law students; His authorship of the Federalist Papers secured his place in history as did his organization of the finances of the country.

He practically instituted the idea of judicial review, his memo to Washington on the decorum of the Presidency remains relevant today. The book is detailed (vast research) with quotes from letters of the times. Hamilton excelled at both theoretical and practical subject.He was a master of organization, a speaker so powerful that opponents prevented him from presentin in person his plans for handling debt and organizing Treasury.

His marriage proved unhappy and he had affairs, yet his wife remained loyal for 50 years after his death.A great read, the only drawback being the abbreviated later years. ... Read more

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 RevolutionRevolutionary 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). ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A Must Read For Those Interested in The Founding Fathers
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. ... Read more

Product Description
A biography profiling the life of Alexander Hamilton, a founding father of the United States and the first Secretary of the Treasury. Includes source notes and timeline. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Dated but worthwhile
More interesting for an examination of how the perception of Hamilton has changed over time than as a biography (the book is over 100 years old). The author was the Senator who destroyed President Wilson's dream of a League of Nations, leaving him a broken man ... Read more