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Aug 15, 2016cknightkc rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
I confess I probably would not have read this lengthy biography if I weren’t going to see the hit Broadway musical HAMILTON next month. Author Ron Chernow skillfully presents an in-depth study of the brilliant statesman and Founding Father who was the principal designer of institutions which continue today, including the federal government, the financial system, and the Coast Guard. Through his prolific writings, a complete picture emerges of Alexander Hamilton both in his professional and personal lives. Other famous historical figures from this period, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, John Adams, and James Monroe, come to life through their interactions with Hamilton. What I took away from this tome was that even in it’s infancy, US politics was not immune to it’s share of scandal and divisive discourse (some of which makes our current national and state campaigns pale in comparison). The issues Hamilton and his contemporaries debated sound all too familiar: immigration, taxes, “big” vs “small” government, as well as America’s role in the world. It is hard to fathom how much more Hamilton would have achieved had his own personality not gotten in the way.