Alexander Hamilton, Revolutionary
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4.5 • 4 Ratings
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- $9.99
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
Complex, passionate, brilliant, flawed—Alexander Hamilton comes alive in this exciting biography.
He was born out of wedlock on a small island in the West Indies and orphaned as a teenager. From those inauspicious circumstances, he rose to a position of power and influence in colonial America.
Discover this founding father's incredible true story: his brilliant scholarship and military career; his groundbreaking and enduring policy, which shapes American government today; his salacious and scandalous personal life; his heartrending end.
Richly informed by Hamilton's own writing, with archival artwork and new illustrations, this is an in-depth biography of an extraordinary man.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
The hit musical Hamilton piqued our interest (and that of many others) in the founding father whose likeness appears on the $10 bill. Younger readers will enjoy Martha Brockenbrough’s lively history of the man, which is more colloquial and accessible than Ron Chernow’s definitive biography. Brockenbrough uses crisp details and easy-to-follow storytelling to color in the details of Hamilton’s dramatic, inspiring, and tragic life story. Her book is a great gift for budding history buffs.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Brockenbrough's ambitious and impressively researched project gives equal weight to Alexander Hamilton's personal and professional lives and to the history of the founding and early years of the United States. Tracing Hamilton's amazing journey from his illegitimate birth in 1755 on the West Indies island of Nevis to his death by duel in 1804, Brockenbrough (The Game of Love and Death) dives into the extraordinary life of this accomplished and multifaceted historical figure. Packed with characters and detailed descriptions of the major historical events of the late 18th century, including many Revolutionary battle scenes, the book's scope is somewhat daunting; even readers newly obsessed with Hamilton, thanks to Lin-Manuel Miranda's blockbuster musical, may feel overwhelmed at times. The colloquial tone is approachable, though attempts to create suspense through dramatic pronouncements ("It would be unlike anything the world had ever seen") become a little worn. Nearly 80 pages of back matter include a family tree, timeline, list of major Revolutionary battles, bibliography, and footnotes, as well as around two dozen short essays on topics that include duels, wig wearing, and Federalism. Ages 12 up.
