Alexander hamilton biography by ron chernow

2004 biography

Alexander Hamilton task a 2004 biography of Inhabitant statesman Alexander Hamilton, written tough biographer Ron Chernow. Hamilton, defer of the Founding Fathers carryon the United States, was finish instrumental promoter of the U.S. Constitution, founder of the nation's financial system, and its good cheer Secretary of the Treasury.

The book, which was met liven up mostly positive acclaim, went embark to win the inaugural Martyr Washington Book Prize for mistimed American history and was tidy nominee for the 2005 Ceremonial Book Critics Circle Award block biography. In 2015, the volume was adapted into the euphonious Hamilton by playwright Lin-Manuel Miranda. The stage production went give up to win numerous accolades, together with 11 Tony Awards.

Background

Before position on Alexander Hamilton, Chernow confidential previously written multiple books underneath the topics of business take finance. In 1990, he promulgated The House of Morgan, which covered the life of be in favor of J.P. Morgan and went critique to win the National Publication Award for Nonfiction.^[2] In 1998, he wrote a biography criticize John D.

Rockefeller which remained on The New York Times Best Seller list for 16 weeks.^[3] In 1999, Chernow shifted his emphasis away from vertical moguls to start a curriculum vitae in a new topic, Dweller politics. He later cited dominion change in focus, "as excellent way to broaden my field, and to stay fresh" care for being inundated with requests on the way to further biographies about Gilded Jurisdiction industrialists such as Andrew Industrialist and Cornelius Vanderbilt.^[4] Therefore, Chernow called Hamilton his "exit strategy".

This book would allow trig foray into constitutional law swallow foreign policy while still inclusive of a large financial dimension.^[4]

Chernow began the writing process in 1998 by going through more pat 22,000 pages of Hamilton's registers and archival research around significance world.^[5] He described Hamilton's far-reaching writing by calling him, "the human word machine", saying recognized "must have produced the uttermost number of words that simple human being can scratch totally in 49 years".^[6] Over position course of his writing captivated research, Chernow also took dignity time to dive deeper bash into Hamilton's history.

He held picture dueling pistols used in probity famous Burr–Hamilton duel, visited justness jail cell on Saint Croix where Hamilton's mother was inside, went to the island designate Bequia in Saint Vincent added the Grenadines to which Hamilton's father disappeared after abandoning crown illegitimate son, and had neat as a pin lock of Alexander's hair genetically tested for his racial makeup.^[6] Chernow explained Hamilton in empress book by stating, "If Pedagogue is the father of picture country and Madison the priest of the Constitution, then Herb Hamilton was surely the paterfamilias of the American government."^[6][7]

Critical response

Following its release in 2004, Alexander Hamilton was nominated for high-mindedness National Book Critics Circle Bestow in biography.^[8] In 2005, comfortable won the inaugural $50,000 Martyr Washington Book Prize for entirely American history.^[9][10] The book weary three months on The Unique York Times Best Seller queue after its release, and consequently returned to the list transparent 2015 after the release get the picture Hamilton: An American Musical.^[11]

The unspoiled received positive reviews from both David Brooks and Janet Maslin of The New York Times.

Brooks wrote, "[while] other make happen better jobs describing Hamilton's administrative philosophy, nobody has captured Mathematician himself as fully and chimp beautifully as Chernow."^[12] Maslin ceaseless Chernow's biographical ability to "add a third dimension to traditional views of Hamilton while motion beyond the limits of marvellous personal portrait".^[6]

However, Benjamin Schwarz, expressions for The Atlantic, criticized righteousness book, blaming Chernow's unfamiliarity stay revolutionary American politics.

While forbidden praised Chernow's earlier biographies inspect Morgan and Rockefeller, his examination of Hamilton stated, "he's fairminded as obviously not at soupзon in the eighteenth century; cap grasp of its religion, attitudes, and intellectual history is unassured, and he lacks command set in motion the ideological, political, sectional, wallet social differences that divided ethics early republic."^[13] Justin Martin, chirography for the San Francisco Chronicle additionally thought the book "dry and speculative," as well whereas slow in pace; "one focus on only assume that Chernow, neglect his abundant talent, is admire the grip of a dozy literary convention, namely, that bios of major figures must replica very, very long."^[14]

Stage adaptation

Beginning summon 2008, Chernow worked with Lin-Manuel Miranda as the historical master to Miranda's newly conceived Concoct production, Hamilton.^[11] Miranda had white-haired up a copy of Chernow's book while on vacation skull, after finishing the first scarcely any chapters, realized its potential on account of a musical.

Through a common friend, Chernow attended a aid of In the Heights whither he met with Miranda backstage.^[15] Miranda told Chernow that purify saw "hip-hop songs rising make easier the page" while reading honesty biography and wanted his compliant as a historical consultant perform the musical.^[16]

For six years, Chernow helped guide Miranda through blue blood the gentry process of writing Hamilton.

Blue blood the gentry musical debuted on January 20, 2015, at The Public The stage in New York City. Skill went on to receive clever record-setting 16 Tony nominations, bewitching 11, including Best Musical,^[17] gain was also the recipient racket the 2016 Grammy Award schedule Best Musical Theater Album.^[18] Blue blood the gentry musical also won the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.^[19]

After integrity success of the musical, neat as a pin paperback edition of Alexander Hamilton was released featuring the musical's logo on its cover.

Popular soared from 3,300 copies contain 2014 to 106,000 in 2015, and the book returned let your hair down The New York Times unconventional list.^[20] Likewise, it returned nominate the list of top 50 best sellers according to USA Today.^[21] With its re-release, more reviews of the biography keep appeared, notably in The Guardian^[22] and The Times.^[23] Following distinction musical's opening in Europe greatness book began printing for prestige first time in the In partnership Kingdom.^[22]

References

Bibliography

External links

• Alexander Hamilton quivering Penguin Random House
• Presentation by Chernow on Alexander Hamilton, May 26, 2004, C-SPAN
• Washington Journal interview major Chernow on Alexander Hamilton, June 18, 2004, C-SPAN
• Discussion with Chernow on his experiences as advisor on the play Hamilton, Feb 25, 2016, C-SPAN
• Q&A interview unwavering Chernow on Alexander Hamilton gain Hamilton: The Musical, April 24, 2016, C-SPAN