Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow

This was quite a book. Long and very thick reading. As biographies go it was a difficult one to muddle through. But the reward was there.

Of all the forefathers perhaps only George Washington had more of an impact on his country and many feel for his long standing efforts to establish the United States on solid financial footing Washington may have even stood beneath Hamilton.

Hamilton had flaws, he was impulsive, made mistakes in his marriage, and was defensive in the extreme.

We have all heard the story of the duel that ended his life. Much talk takes place in the book about affairs of honor and the culture which fostered duels. It is interesting and for us at this juncture in our society we do find it easy to understand.

Last year I read a biography of Aaron Burr and it too told a good tale. In both cases the authors are more sympathetic to their subjects than their opponents. This is to be expected. Still I think that Chernow does a good job playing straight with the facts. Nancy Isenburg writing of Burr was a little more one sided. Or of course it could be that I feel this way for having read the Hamilton book most recently.

Perhaps the best historical judgment on Hamilton are his battles with everyone with the exception of Washington. It would seem that he was difficult at best and could alienate people on both sides of the party system. Jefferson, Adams and Madison all considered him a scoundrel and Monroe felt no better.

A rewarding book. Very well done

A fulfilling read.