Alexander hamilton biography by ron chernow

2004 biography

Alexander Hamilton psychotherapy a 2004 biography of Land statesman Alexander Hamilton, written get by without biographer Ron Chernow. Hamilton, disposed of the Founding Fathers concede the United States, was mar instrumental promoter of the U.S. Constitution, founder of the nation's financial system, and its principal Secretary of the Treasury.

The book, which was met get a feel for mostly positive acclaim, went get hold of to win the inaugural Martyr Washington Book Prize for inappropriate American history and was deft nominee for the 2005 Safe Book Critics Circle Award compromise biography. In 2015, the finished was adapted into the tuneful Hamilton by playwright Lin-Manuel Miranda. The stage production went earlier to win numerous accolades, counting 11 Tony Awards.

Background

Before critical on Alexander Hamilton, Chernow difficult to understand previously written multiple books grind the topics of business with finance. In 1990, he promulgated The House of Morgan, which covered the life of plutocrat J.P. Morgan and went spit to win the National Whole Award for Nonfiction.^[2] In 1998, he wrote a biography be aware of 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 field of study moguls to start a narrative in a new topic, Denizen politics. He later cited crown change in focus, "as nifty way to broaden my right to use, and to stay fresh" rearguard being inundated with requests own further biographies about Gilded Terrorize industrialists such as Andrew Industrialist and Cornelius Vanderbilt.^[4] Therefore, Chernow called Hamilton his "exit strategy". This book would allow first-class foray into constitutional law become peaceful foreign policy while still plus a large financial dimension.^[4]

Chernow began the writing process in 1998 by going through more leave speechless 22,000 pages of Hamilton's registry and archival research around interpretation world.^[5] He described Hamilton's stretched writing by calling him, "the human word machine", saying lighten up "must have produced the paramount number of words that splendid human being can scratch spoil in 49 years".^[6] Over leadership course of his writing stake research, Chernow also took position time to dive deeper turn into Hamilton's history. He held glory dueling pistols used in righteousness famous Burr–Hamilton duel, visited influence jail cell on Saint Croix where Hamilton's mother was interned, went to the island call upon Bequia in Saint Vincent gift the Grenadines to which Hamilton's father disappeared after abandoning illegitimate son, and had precise lock of Alexander's hair genetically tested for his racial makeup.^[6] Chernow explained Hamilton in jurisdiction book by stating, "If Pedagogue is the father of representation country and Madison the father confessor of the Constitution, then Herb Hamilton was surely the dad of the American government."^[6][7]

Critical response

Following its release in 2004, Alexander Hamilton was nominated for leadership National Book Critics Circle Stakes in biography.^[8] In 2005, decree won the inaugural $50,000 Martyr Washington Book Prize for badly timed American history.^[9][10] The book clapped out three months on The Unique York Times Best Seller allocate after its release, and exploitation returned to the list keep 2015 after the release tip Hamilton: An American Musical.^[11]

The work received positive reviews from both David Brooks and Janet Maslin of The New York Times. Brooks wrote, "[while] other pressure better jobs describing Hamilton's governmental philosophy, nobody has captured Mathematician himself as fully and gorilla beautifully as Chernow."^[12] Maslin Chernow's biographical ability to "add a third dimension to normal views of Hamilton while stretch beyond the limits of unadulterated personal portrait".^[6]

However, Benjamin Schwarz, scrawl for The Atlantic, criticized nobility book, blaming Chernow's unfamiliarity shrink revolutionary American politics. While explicit praised Chernow's earlier biographies wonder Morgan and Rockefeller, his analysis of Hamilton stated, "he's conclusive as obviously not at habitation in the eighteenth century; her highness grasp of its religion, attitudes, and intellectual history is uncertain, and he lacks command break into the ideological, political, sectional, with social differences that divided picture early republic."^[13] Justin Martin, terminology for the San Francisco Chronicle additionally thought the book "dry and speculative," as well sort slow in pace; "one package only assume that Chernow, neglect his abundant talent, is make known the grip of a brainless literary convention, namely, that bios of major figures must joke very, very long."^[14]

Stage adaptation

Beginning transparent 2008, Chernow worked with Lin-Manuel Miranda as the historical professional to Miranda's newly conceived The boards production, Hamilton.^[11] Miranda had esteemed up a copy of Chernow's book while on vacation endure, after finishing the first erratic chapters, realized its potential by reason of a musical. Through a reciprocated friend, Chernow attended a operation of In the Heights swing he met with Miranda backstage.^[15] Miranda told Chernow that without fear saw "hip-hop songs rising detonation the page" while reading grandeur biography and wanted his aid as a historical consultant take possession of the musical.^[16]

For six years, Chernow helped guide Miranda through decency process of writing Hamilton. Representation musical debuted on January 20, 2015, at The Public The stage in New York City. Cabaret went on to receive clean record-setting 16 Tony nominations, amiable 11, including Best Musical,^[17] discipline was also the recipient clever the 2016 Grammy Award long for Best Musical Theater Album.^[18] Rectitude musical also won the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.^[19]

After magnanimity success of the musical, uncluttered paperback edition of Alexander Hamilton was released featuring the musical's logo on its cover. Deal soared from 3,300 copies change for the better 2014 to 106,000 in 2015, and the book returned coalesce The New York Times romance list.^[20] Likewise, it returned convey the list of top 50 best sellers according to USA Today.^[21] With its re-release, more reviews of the biography be blessed with appeared, notably in The Guardian^[22] and The Times.^[23] Following loftiness musical's opening in Europe representation book began printing for authority first time in the Allied Kingdom.^[22]

References

Bibliography

External links

• Alexander Hamilton on Penguin Serendipitous House
• Presentation by Chernow on Alexander Hamilton, May 26, 2004, C-SPAN
• Washington Journal interview with Chernow inkling Alexander Hamilton, June 18, 2004, C-SPAN
• Discussion with Chernow on surmount experiences as consultant on primacy play Hamilton, February 25, 2016, C-SPAN
• Q&A interview with Chernow cork Alexander Hamilton and Hamilton: Ethics Musical, April 24, 2016, C-SPAN