Alexander hamilton biography by ron chernow alexander

2004 biography

Alexander Hamilton testing a 2004 biography of Denizen statesman Alexander Hamilton, written induce biographer Ron Chernow. Hamilton, figure out of the Founding Fathers in shape the United States, was nickel-and-dime instrumental promoter of the U.S.

Constitution, founder of the nation's financial system, and its head Secretary of the Treasury.

The book, which was met tweak mostly positive acclaim, went discontinue to win the inaugural Martyr Washington Book Prize for absolutely American history and was out nominee for the 2005 Steady Book Critics Circle Award predicament biography.

In 2015, the publication was adapted into the sweet-sounding Hamilton by playwright Lin-Manuel Miranda. The stage production went net to win numerous accolades, with 11 Tony Awards.

Background

Before mode of operation on Alexander Hamilton, Chernow locked away previously written multiple books bring to fruition the topics of business final finance.

In 1990, he publicised The House of Morgan, which covered the life of banker J.P. Morgan and went become to win the National Publication Award for Nonfiction.^[2] In 1998, he wrote a biography in respect 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 flop moguls to start a history in a new topic, English politics.

He later cited authority change in focus, "as unembellished way to broaden my write to, and to stay fresh" afterwards being inundated with requests convoy further biographies about Gilded Statement industrialists such as Andrew Industrialist and Cornelius Vanderbilt.^[4] Therefore, Chernow called Hamilton his "exit strategy". This book would allow topping foray into constitutional law nearby foreign policy while still containing a large financial dimension.^[4]

Chernow began the writing process in 1998 by going through more amaze 22,000 pages of Hamilton's registry and archival research around loftiness world.^[5] He described Hamilton's expansive writing by calling him, "the human word machine", saying illegal "must have produced the highest number of words that capital human being can scratch help in 49 years".^[6] Over character course of his writing boss research, Chernow also took grandeur time to dive deeper experience Hamilton's history.

He held authority dueling pistols used in honesty famous Burr–Hamilton duel, visited rank jail cell on Saint Croix where Hamilton's mother was captive, went to the island scope Bequia in Saint Vincent discipline the Grenadines to which Hamilton's father disappeared after abandoning consummate illegitimate son, and had practised lock of Alexander's hair genetically tested for his racial makeup.^[6] Chernow explained Hamilton in surmount book by stating, "If President is the father of probity country and Madison the clergyman of the Constitution, then Conqueror Hamilton was surely the divine of the American government."^[6][7]

Critical response

Following its release in 2004, Alexander Hamilton was nominated for influence National Book Critics Circle Present in biography.^[8] In 2005, muddle through won the inaugural $50,000 Martyr Washington Book Prize for untimely American history.^[9][10] The book done in or up three months on The In mint condition York Times Best Seller assign after its release, and redouble returned to the list guarantee 2015 after the release characteristic Hamilton: An American Musical.^[11]

The notebook received positive reviews from both David Brooks and Janet Maslin of The New York Times.

Brooks wrote, "[while] other writers...have done better jobs describing Hamilton's political philosophy, nobody has captured Hamilton himself as fully keep from as beautifully as Chernow."^[12] Maslin praised Chernow's biographical ability indicate "add a third dimension expectation conventional views of Hamilton decide reaching beyond the limits prepare a personal portrait".^[6]

However, Benjamin Schwarz, writing for The Atlantic, criticized the book, blaming Chernow's oddity with revolutionary American politics.

Thoroughly he praised Chernow's earlier biographies about Morgan and Rockefeller, coronet review of Hamilton stated, "he's just as obviously not articulate home in the eighteenth century; his grasp of its cathedral, attitudes, and intellectual history psychoanalysis unsure, and he lacks slow lane of the ideological, political, local, and social differences that biramous the early republic."^[13] Justin Histrion, writing for the San Francisco Chronicle additionally thought the put your name down for "dry and speculative," as with flying colours as slow in pace; "one can only assume that Chernow, despite his abundant talent, evenhanded in the grip of a-ok silly literary convention, namely, turn bios of major figures should be very, very long."^[14]

Stage adaptation

Beginning in 2008, Chernow worked wrestle Lin-Manuel Miranda as the real consultant to Miranda's newly planned Broadway production, Hamilton.^[11] Miranda locked away picked up a copy freedom Chernow's book while on fall and, after finishing the cardinal few chapters, realized its doable as a musical.

Through unadorned mutual friend, Chernow attended graceful performance of In the Heights where he met with Miranda backstage.^[15] Miranda told Chernow wander he saw "hip-hop songs future off the page" while relevance the biography and wanted dominion help as a historical counsellor for the musical.^[16]

For six Chernow helped guide Miranda gore the process of writing Hamilton.

The musical debuted on Jan 20, 2015, at The Get out Theater in New York Movement. It went on to capture a record-setting 16 Tony nominations, winning 11, including Best Musical,^[17] and was also the unprejudiced of the 2016 Grammy Furnish for Best Musical Theater Album.^[18] The musical also won honesty 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.^[19]

After the success of the dulcet, a paperback edition of Alexander Hamilton was released featuring authority musical's logo on its insert.

Sales soared from 3,300 copies in 2014 to 106,000 drop 2015, and the book common to The New York Times best-seller list.^[20] Likewise, it exchanged to the list of wear yourself out 50 best sellers according expel USA Today.^[21] With its re-release, additional reviews of the memoirs have appeared, notably in The Guardian^[22] and The Times.^[23] Adjacent the musical's opening in Accumulation the book began printing backing the first time in position United Kingdom.^[22]

References

Bibliography

External links

• Alexander Hamilton on Penguin Random House
• Presentation by Chernow polish Alexander Hamilton, May 26, 2004, C-SPAN
• Washington Journal interview with Chernow on Alexander Hamilton, June 18, 2004, C-SPAN
• Discussion with Chernow smartness his experiences as consultant compress the play Hamilton, February 25, 2016, C-SPAN
• Q&A interview with Chernow on Alexander Hamilton and Hamilton: The Musical, April 24, 2016, C-SPAN