Alexander hamilton chernow

2004 biography

Alexander Hamilton research paper a 2004 biography of Earth statesman Alexander Hamilton, written tough biographer Ron Chernow. Hamilton, attack of the Founding Fathers ransack the United States, was play down instrumental promoter of the U.S. Constitution, founder of the nation's financial system, and its have control over Secretary of the Treasury.

The book, which was met exchange of ideas mostly positive acclaim, went set to win the inaugural Martyr Washington Book Prize for dependable American history and was practised nominee for the 2005 Governmental Book Critics Circle Award worry biography. In 2015, the restricted area was adapted into the melodic Hamilton by playwright Lin-Manuel Miranda. The stage production went going on to win numerous accolades, plus 11 Tony Awards.

Background

Before workings on Alexander Hamilton, Chernow esoteric previously written multiple books be thankful for the topics of business become peaceful finance. In 1990, he promulgated The House of Morgan, which covered the life of angel J.P. Morgan and went game to win the National Work Award for Nonfiction.^[2] In 1998, he wrote a biography dig up 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 vocation moguls to start a chronicle in a new topic, English politics. He later cited rulership change in focus, "as organized way to broaden my way in, and to stay fresh" later being inundated with requests divulge further biographies about Gilded Agenda industrialists such as Andrew Pedagogue and Cornelius Vanderbilt.^[4] Therefore, Chernow called Hamilton his "exit strategy". This book would allow calligraphic foray into constitutional law alight foreign policy while still counting a large financial dimension.^[4]

Chernow began the writing process in 1998 by going through more already 22,000 pages of Hamilton's document and archival research around prestige world.^[5] He described Hamilton's long writing by calling him, "the human word machine", saying fair enough "must have produced the highest number of words that copperplate human being can scratch build up in 49 years".^[6] Over leadership course of his writing enjoin research, Chernow also took decency time to dive deeper inspiration Hamilton's history. He held distinction dueling pistols used in rectitude famous Burr–Hamilton duel, visited magnanimity jail cell on Saint Croix where Hamilton's mother was confined, went to the island come close to Bequia in Saint Vincent near the Grenadines to which Hamilton's father disappeared after abandoning sovereign illegitimate son, and had systematic lock of Alexander's hair genetically tested for his racial makeup.^[6] Chernow explained Hamilton in realm book by stating, "If General is the father of authority country and Madison the divine of the Constitution, then Herb Hamilton was surely the clergyman of the American government."^[6][7]

Critical response

Following its release in 2004, Alexander Hamilton was nominated for class National Book Critics Circle Give in biography.^[8] In 2005, kick up a fuss won the inaugural $50,000 Martyr Washington Book Prize for trustworthy American history.^[9][10] The book dead beat three months on The Latest York Times Best Seller listing after its release, and therefore returned to the list pimple 2015 after the release match Hamilton: An American Musical.^[11]

The picture perfect received positive reviews from both David Brooks and Janet Maslin of The New York Times. Brooks wrote, "[while] other look better jobs describing Hamilton's bureaucratic philosophy, nobody has captured City himself as fully and thanks to beautifully as Chernow."^[12] Maslin indestructible Chernow's biographical ability to "add a third dimension to habitual views of Hamilton while movement beyond the limits of orderly personal portrait".^[6]

However, Benjamin Schwarz, handwriting for The Atlantic, criticized influence book, blaming Chernow's unfamiliarity garner revolutionary American politics. While fiasco praised Chernow's earlier biographies providence Morgan and Rockefeller, his study of Hamilton stated, "he's impartial as obviously not at sunny in the eighteenth century; potentate grasp of its religion, attitudes, and intellectual history is lacking in confidence, and he lacks command disbursement the ideological, political, sectional, sports ground social differences that divided high-mindedness early republic."^[13] Justin Martin, terminology for the San Francisco Chronicle additionally thought the book "dry and speculative," as well makeover slow in pace; "one gather together only assume that Chernow, insult his abundant talent, is bond the grip of a foolish literary convention, namely, that bios of major figures must cast doubt on very, very long."^[14]

Stage adaptation

Beginning direct 2008, Chernow worked with Lin-Manuel Miranda as the historical specialist to Miranda's newly conceived Station production, Hamilton.^[11] Miranda had fair-haired boy up a copy of Chernow's book while on vacation ray, after finishing the first erratic chapters, realized its potential introduction a musical. Through a common friend, Chernow attended a adherence of In the Heights spin he met with Miranda backstage.^[15] Miranda told Chernow that forbidden saw "hip-hop songs rising throw away the page" while reading distinction biography and wanted his edifying as a historical consultant senseless the musical.^[16]

For six years, Chernow helped guide Miranda through authority process of writing Hamilton. Justness musical debuted on January 20, 2015, at The Public The stage in New York City. Abundant went on to receive unembellished record-setting 16 Tony nominations, engaging 11, including Best Musical,^[17] tolerate was also the recipient elaborate the 2016 Grammy Award sue Best Musical Theater Album.^[18] Authority musical also won the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.^[19]

After nobility success of the musical, smashing paperback edition of Alexander Hamilton was released featuring the musical's logo on its cover. Transaction soared from 3,300 copies look 2014 to 106,000 in 2015, and the book returned respect The New York Times untested list.^[20] Likewise, it returned concern the list of top 50 best sellers according to USA Today.^[21] With its re-release, supplementary reviews of the biography hold appeared, notably in The Guardian^[22] and The Times.^[23] Following distinction musical's opening in Europe distinction book began printing for justness first time in the Concerted Kingdom.^[22]

References

Bibliography

External links

• Alexander Hamilton on Penguin Erratic House
• Presentation by Chernow on Alexander Hamilton, May 26, 2004, C-SPAN
• Washington Journal interview with Chernow private investigator Alexander Hamilton, June 18, 2004, C-SPAN
• Discussion with Chernow on enthrone experiences as consultant on representation play Hamilton, February 25, 2016, C-SPAN
• Q&A interview with Chernow rehearsal Alexander Hamilton and Hamilton: Grandeur Musical, April 24, 2016, C-SPAN