Review of "Alexander Hamilton" by Ron Chernow, Scott Brick

This lengthy biography of the famous Alexander Hamilton is a first-rate telling of the life of a fascinating man. The author is a National Book Award winner, and is a highly respected historian. The Hamilton story is about a man who overcame the odds to become one of the shapers of the new America. His life and deeds have been hotly debated over the years, but now we can set the record straight. Hamilton made many sacrifices to stand behind his ideas. The ideas were often disputed during his life.

Hamilton was an illegitimate orphan, and he was self-taught. He was from the Caribbean and came to North America where he became George Washington's aide-de-camp. When we became an independent country, Hamilton was appointed the first Treasury Secretary of the United States.

This biography brings the aristocratic Hamilton into our sights in a much more human way. We learn that Hamilton was very patriotic and devoted to the success of the new country. This story is not just about Hamilton, his public affairs and his feuds with Jefferson, Madison, Adams, Monroe and Burr. It's an expansive story that covers the birth of our Nation as well as telling the story of Hamilton.

There isn't a dull moment in our history, and, of course, Hamilton was right in the middle of all the patriotic fervor. This tape is worth listening to in its original form, and it is also available in other formats where it is abridged.