Alexander Hamilton
Ron Chernow's 2004 biography traces Alexander Hamilton's rise from an orphaned, illegitimate child in the West Indies to one of the most important figures in the founding of the United States. The book follows his service under George Washington, his work designing the national banking system as the first Treasury Secretary, his role in the Federalist Papers, and his bitter rivalries with Jefferson, Adams, and Aaron Burr. Chernow draws on extensive research to show both Hamilton's brilliance and his flaws, including the affair that produced America's first sex scandal and the duel that killed him. The biography later inspired Lin-Manuel Miranda's hit musical, which brought new attention to both the book and its subject. It is a long, immersive account of a man who built much of the country's financial machinery.
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What you might want to know about Alexander Hamilton
The questions readers send us most often, answered without spoilers.
A full-length biography of the founding father who shaped American finance, from his birth in the Caribbean to his death in a duel.
Yes. Lin-Manuel Miranda read Chernow's biography and based his musical on it, and Chernow served as a historical consultant on the production.
Very. It is a long, thoroughly researched biography that covers Hamilton's entire life, from his Caribbean childhood to his fatal duel with Aaron Burr.
Alexander Hamilton was written by Ron Chernow, published in 2004 by Penguin Books.
Alexander Hamilton is 832 pages in standard print editions, though page counts vary slightly between hardcover, paperback, and large-print formats.
At an average reading pace of about 250 words per minute, Alexander Hamilton takes most readers 12 to 18 hours to finish.
Alexander Hamilton is available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats from Amazon, Bookshop.org, ThriftBooks, and most major bookstores.