ALEXANDER HAMILTON, American [Paperback]

I should listen to my mother more often. "Never talk about religion or politics." That's hard to do, however, in an election year! However, my mother is usually correct. (My Hamilton roots come from my mother's, mother's, mother, Molly Hamilton Summers. This Scots-Irish branch of my family is also the bookworm branch in the family. My mother's reading a book right now!)

I find it funny that most of Hamilton's modern day biographers hold predominantly republican sentiments. Richard Brookhiser is an editor of The National Review, a conservative publication with strong right leanings. My mother tells me too that it's good that there are Republicans as well as Democrats, although I'm still somewhat skeptical!

After calming down from my initial upset over Brookhiser's estimation of Alexander's father's character, (he states repeatedly that he was a bum), I've carefully read every word of the book. Brookhiser's analysis of Hamilton and other patriots is fair-minded for the most part. The book is only 200 plus pages, and so is not an in-depth analysis of Hamilton or his achievements as McDonald's is. Brookhiser's book should be read before McDonald's; I think it would make McDonald's less cumbersome to read. Again, Forrest McDonald's book is incredibly well researched, no doubt about it.

Brookhiser includes some of my favorite quotes by or about Hamilton, although my favorite story about his life is not. Whatever you think about the duel, Princeton University, at one time, contained evidence of Alexander's markmanship on their walls. During the battle of Princeton, Alexander fired his cannon at a picture of King George III, the Hanoverian king of Britain, totally smashing it head on! The frame was saved and the portrait was switched to one of General George Washington! Alexander had decided against Princeton and enrolled at Columbia where he could study at his own fast speed.

I think Forrest McDonald's assessment of Burr is more thorough. It seems to me, the real issue between them was financial/political, not just a "character" issue on Burr's part. However, Brookhiser' biography is probably more realistic and forgiving in his analysis of Jefferson, Adams, Madison and others who did not share Hamilton's views in the last years of his life.

What I liked most about this book was that Alexander's feats/defeats are told within the continental context through which they were unfolding. It's a good review of the basics in American colonial history.

We learn about Hamilton's foreign birth and unlikely beginnings. We follow his rise and learn about the many strengths he had. Brookhiser is sympathetic to Hamilton's merits, as I believe we should be, but he doesn't shy away from his limitations either.

The author also takes on the various debates and controversies that still surround facets of Hamilton's life. The author cuts through them and shares his conclusions with us including what cannot be resolved and what the various contentions would mean if it were to hold.

This book reads quickly, but deserves some mediation and consideration rather than a dash through. There are some helpful pictures, many helpful notes and an index.

If these criticisms don't matter to you, then you might find this book satisfactory. Not recommended.