Alexander Hamilton: A Life

by Willard Sterne Randall

Book Overview

"Hamilton's turbulent life, the dramatic birth of a nation, all against the richly evoked gritty background of the 18th century--Randall's book is propelled with the page-turning intensity of an epic novel." -- Ronald Blumer, Peabody Award-winning writer

A new reissue of this important biography of Alexander Hamilton--arguably one of the most brilliant and complex of our nation's founders.

From...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0060195495
• ISBN13: 9780060195496
• Release Date: January 2003
• Publisher: Harper
• Length: 496 Pages
• Weight: 1.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.5" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

"The voice of the people has been said to be the voice of God..."-AH

"...and, however generally this maxim has been quoted and believed, it is not true to fact. The people are turbulent and changing, they seldom judge or determine right. " "The nation is hemorrhaging" and needs to be sent to an ER staffed with advanced degrees and state of the art equipment. There are those golden minutes with heart attack patients and brain injuries within which medical intervention is crucial. Hopefully, the nation will not have socialized medicine as in Canada as the Redgrave family knows. "The nation is hemorrhaging," Alexander Hamilton exclaimed during those crucial years of the revolutionary war. I cannot find the quote or context found in this book, but, OH, so relevant today. A few of our founding fathers crafted our fledgling government and the constitution to give voting rights, not to all, but to an enlightened few. I'm beginning to understand now the wisdom of their logic. I was always taken aback and even insulted by such a saying, but it is nevertheless true. Leave it to the experts. Otherwise we might be ruled by folks who rally people to peace concerts, with females fainting and screaming as if it were a Beatles concert during a terrorist attack. OY VEY! What have we chosen, what have we voted for? This book was recommended to me by an Irish professor from Northern Ireland in 2004. Randall's book was published in 2003 and I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT! I would recommend this be read before Forrest McDonald's book. This book is not as detailed, but it is more readable and distills the most important details of Hamilton's life. Both authors are noted historians and both used as primary sources the Syrett Papers which contains many original writings, letters of Alexander Hamilton. I have so many pages bookmarked. Hamilton's field manual for the army is still used by the military today and he wrote another law manual for lawyers practicing in New York state also used today, 250 years later. Hamilton was 34 years old when he became the nation's first Treasury Secretary. The nation's finances were in a shambles. Some states' debts were drowning for lack of credit, the continental currency was totally worthless, foreign debt was astronomical, etc. etc. "The nation is hemorrhaging". Hamilton took 110 days to come up with a plan to save the union. When it was presented to congress, a clerk read the whole document which took one hour and a half to read. How long would it take to hear the "stimulus plan"? Go to Americansolutions.com and sign up for a tea party on April 15 at a city near you! Sounds like a grand time! I hope they have lady Grey tea! My fav! Was the King really to blame, or was it really some scumbags in Parliament who were the true causes of the American colonists' woes? I really, really, wonder these days. Suggest you read "Duke Hamilton is dead by Victor Stater which is about another duel by the Duke of Hamilton in Scotland with a member of Parliament in Hyde Park. Anyway, I loved

Simply another Genius in the Revolution

If one studies American history, particularly the years leading to the Revolution, one is struck at the concentration of genius at a single point in time. The American Revolution was totally unique in that it was guided by ideas and ideals. There were no hated Jews or bourgeois or Hutus or "infidels". It was an event inspired by unique individuals, one of whom this book is about. I agree with other reviewers that the last few years are rushed. (Perhaps a two-volume series would have been preferable.) But, if this is supposed to be about the man, his origins, his ideas and his actions - it succeeds brilliantly. ALexander Hamilton, the self-made man of illigetimate origins, made so many monumental contributions that simply stating them is breathtaking. He was a brave fighter, he created the current financial system of debt, credit, sound money and banking, he was an abolitionist who fought slavery his entire life, his moderate views on treatment of prisoners was advanced. His legal writings were mandatory reading for New York law students; His authorship of the Federalist Papers secured his place in history as did his organization of the finances of the country. He practically instituted the idea of judicial review, his memo to Washington on the decorum of the Presidency remains relevant today. The book is detailed (vast research) with quotes from letters of the times. Hamilton excelled at both theoretical and practical subject. He was a master of organization, a speaker so powerful that opponents prevented him from presentin in person his plans for handling debt and organizing Treasury. His marriage proved unhappy and he had affairs, yet his wife remained loyal for 50 years after his death. A great read, the only drawback being the abbreviated later years.

Insightful and Interesting

Reads like the best fiction. A big book that reads quickly and ends too soon. Insight, education and enjoyment. Might be read before "The Real Lincoln" by Thomas J. DiLorenzo, which, you might say, is almost its sequel.

The Original American Success Story

Willard Sterne Randall's biography of Alexander Hamilton joins the recent glut of books covering America's colonial period that have either focused on Hamilton or featured him prominently. Randall's highly readable account of Hamilton's life brings into sharp focus the man who was Thomas Jefferson's ideological counterpoint in the two competeing governing philosopys that emerged from the American Revolution. Ironically, while the aristocratic Jefferson became the champion of the "common man," it was the "commoner" Hamilton who came to favor a strong central government at the expense of individual (and state's) rights.Hamilton's rise from the illegitimate son of a West Indies merchant to the very heights of power at a time when such avenues were normally reserved for nobility make him America's first great self-made man. Most of the other founding fathers were from either the aristocrat or merchantile classes. Hamilton, whose family's entire modest estate was confiscated at the time of his mother's death when he was a boy, was possessed of the unique ambition of an insecure man who spent his life trying to overcome his humble origins. As Randall demonstrates, Hamilton's close relationship with George Washington, who recognized his junior's incredible organizational and intellectual gifts, was of key importance to the latter's success.The text of the book is quite sympathetic its subject, perhaps overly so at times. Though Randall does not ignore the less noble aspects of Hamilton's character, he strives whenever possible to show him in the best possible light. Thus Aaron Burr, who actually made his own important contributions to the nation, comes off mostly as a despicable villian. Burr will always be infamous for firing the bullet that ended Hamilton's life, but Hamilton was equally at fault for the feud that ended so tragically.Oveall, Randall's book is an enjoyable and enlightening work that will most appeal to history buffs.

Hamilton's foundation

By examining Hamilton's early life, Randall helps explain why Hamilton accomplished so much. As a youth, Hamilton overcame severe handicaps through energy, intelligence and creativity. Randall shows Hamilton's confidence and strength increasing. He was soon speeding past his peers. A tragedy that his life was cut short.