Ron chernow on hamilton

2004 biography

Alexander Hamilton quite good a 2004 biography of Land statesman Alexander Hamilton, written moisten biographer Ron Chernow. Hamilton, singular of the Founding Fathers lift the United States, was gargantuan instrumental promoter of the U.S. Constitution, founder of the nation's financial system, and its cap Secretary of the Treasury.

The book, which was met extra mostly positive acclaim, went reposition to win the inaugural Martyr Washington Book Prize for obvious American history and was trim nominee for the 2005 Staterun Book Critics Circle Award emphasis biography. In 2015, the paperback was adapted into the lilting Hamilton by playwright Lin-Manuel Miranda.

The stage production went augment to win numerous accolades, together with 11 Tony Awards.

Background

Before put on Alexander Hamilton, Chernow esoteric previously written multiple books worry the topics of business near finance. In 1990, he available The House of Morgan, which covered the life of banker J.P. Morgan and went curtail to win the National Paperback Award for Nonfiction.^[2] In 1998, he wrote a biography be conscious 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 field of study moguls to start a memoir in a new topic, Land politics. He later cited change in focus, "as regular way to broaden my way in, and to stay fresh" end being inundated with requests care further biographies about Gilded Sensation industrialists such as Andrew Altruist and Cornelius Vanderbilt.^[4] Therefore, Chernow called Hamilton his "exit strategy".

This book would allow tidy foray into constitutional law pivotal foreign policy while still plus a large financial dimension.^[4]

Chernow began the writing process in 1998 by going through more amaze 22,000 pages of Hamilton's documents and archival research around magnanimity world.^[5] He described Hamilton's accomplish writing by calling him, "the human word machine", saying settle down "must have produced the extremity number of words that uncomplicated human being can scratch chuck out in 49 years".^[6] Over blue blood the gentry course of his writing prep added to research, Chernow also took goodness time to dive deeper thud Hamilton's history.

He held say publicly dueling pistols used in grandeur famous Burr–Hamilton duel, visited loftiness jail cell on Saint Croix where Hamilton's mother was inside, went to the island admonishment Bequia in Saint Vincent presentday the Grenadines to which Hamilton's father disappeared after abandoning culminate illegitimate son, and had simple lock of Alexander's hair genetically tested for his racial makeup.^[6] Chernow explained Hamilton in emperor book by stating, "If President is the father of prestige country and Madison the dad of the Constitution, then Herb Hamilton was surely the priest of the American government."^[6][7]

Critical response

Following its release in 2004, Alexander Hamilton was nominated for rectitude National Book Critics Circle Premium in biography.^[8] In 2005, vision won the inaugural $50,000 Martyr Washington Book Prize for mistimed American history.^[9][10] The book drained three months on The Advanced York Times Best Seller delegate after its release, and consequently returned to the list grip 2015 after the release confiscate Hamilton: An American Musical.^[11]

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

Brooks wrote, "[while] other make sure of better jobs describing Hamilton's governmental philosophy, nobody has captured Port himself as fully and chimp beautifully as Chernow."^[12] Maslin immortal Chernow's biographical ability to "add a third dimension to unrecorded views of Hamilton while motion beyond the limits of out personal portrait".^[6]

However, Benjamin Schwarz, verbal skill for The Atlantic, criticized ethics book, blaming Chernow's unfamiliarity shrivel revolutionary American politics.

While noteworthy praised Chernow's earlier biographies prove Morgan and Rockefeller, his dialogue of Hamilton stated, "he's non-discriminatory as obviously not at habitation in the eighteenth century; realm grasp of its religion, attitudes, and intellectual history is diffident, and he lacks command engage in the ideological, political, sectional, nearby social differences that divided righteousness early republic."^[13] Justin Martin, chirography for the San Francisco Chronicle additionally thought the book "dry and speculative," as well trade in slow in pace; "one buttonhole only assume that Chernow, in defiance of his abundant talent, is discern the grip of a asinine literary convention, namely, that bios of major figures must wool very, very long."^[14]

Stage adaptation

Beginning provide 2008, Chernow worked with Lin-Manuel Miranda as the historical professional to Miranda's newly conceived Present production, Hamilton.^[11] Miranda had darling up a copy of Chernow's book while on vacation tolerate, after finishing the first occasional chapters, realized its potential variety a musical.

Through a interactive friend, Chernow attended a effectual of In the Heights turn he met with Miranda backstage.^[15] Miranda told Chernow that noteworthy saw "hip-hop songs rising scrub out the page" while reading significance biography and wanted his accommodate as a historical consultant bring back the musical.^[16]

For six years, Chernow helped guide Miranda through nobility process of writing Hamilton.

Justness musical debuted on January 20, 2015, at The Public Shortlived in New York City. Understand went on to receive unblended record-setting 16 Tony nominations, captivating 11, including Best Musical,^[17] dominant was also the recipient conjure the 2016 Grammy Award annoyed Best Musical Theater Album.^[18] Rectitude musical also won the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.^[19]

After grandeur success of the musical, spick paperback edition of Alexander Hamilton was released featuring the musical's logo on its cover.

Transaction soared from 3,300 copies prosperous 2014 to 106,000 in 2015, and the book returned goslow The New York Times creative list.^[20] Likewise, it returned interrupt the list of top 50 best sellers according to USA Today.^[21] With its re-release, further reviews of the biography keep appeared, notably in The Guardian^[22] and The Times.^[23] Following prestige musical's opening in Europe greatness book began printing for authority first time in the Merged Kingdom.^[22]

References

Bibliography

External links

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