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Carregando... Alexander Hamiltonde Ron Chernow
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Registre-se no LibraryThing tpara descobrir se gostará deste livro. Ainda não há conversas na Discussão sobre este livro. I decided to move it down from 4 to 3 stars. The section on the Federalist Papers along with Hamilton's work on the first bank was quite interesting. Many of Hamilton's contemporaries were two dimensional (Jefferson, Adams, Madison, Burr, and Washington). I think Chernow stretched in trying to understand the motivation and thinking of Hamilton. I would rather an author just use a narrative style to tell the story with facts that are easily corroborated along with quotes from primary sources. Don't be intimidated by the number of pages (nearly a thousand) and the density of the text. Whether or not you've seen the Tony Award-winning musical "Hamilton" inspired by Chernow's comprehensive examination of the life and works of Alexander Hamilton, the "ten dollar founding father without a father," this book will have you turning pages long past midnight. Although Hamilton himself lived a life worthy of any Greek epic, his days were frequently spent in study, his legal practice, and in the construction of a post-Revolution American nation. Perhaps inspired by the legendary writing of Hamilton himself, Chernow has made financial history, legal definitions, and nation-building riveting. The result is an excellent biography of a man whose brilliance was often hampered by his pride and temper. Although Hamilton's extramarital dalliances (real or imagined) and premature death at the hands of Aaron Burr made it easy for his enemies to dismiss his work and smear his reputation, his colossal achievements in his adopted home and on global economics leave a shadow that stretches to the present day. Hamilton is by turns fascinating, compelling, frustrating - but never boring. Chernow captures the Hamilton that his devoted wife Eliza Schulyer Hamilton fought so hard to preserve against the slander of his enemies - a brilliant self-taught man who charmed, chattered, and clawed his way to the top of an exclusive society bent on keeping outsiders at bay; a courageous soldier and early abolitionist who sought to distance himself from his past in the violent and bloody West Indies slave trade; and a devoted husband and father who cherished his children even though he was often absent from their daily lives.
In this favorable, hefty biography of Alexander Hamilton, Chernow (The Warburgs; The House of Morgan) makes the case for him as one of the most important Founding Fathers, arguing that America is heir to the Hamiltonian vision of the modern economic state. His sweeping narrative chronicles the complicated and often contradictory life of Hamilton, from his obscure birth on Nevis Island to his meteoric rise as confidant to Washington, coauthor of The Federalist Papers, and America's first Treasury secretary, to his bizarre death at the hands of Aaron Burr. A running theme is the contradictions exhibited during his life: a member of the Constitutional Convention, Hamilton nevertheless felt that the Constitution was seriously flawed and was fearful of rule by the people. A devoted father and husband, he had two known affairs. Lastly, he was philosophically and morally opposed to dueling, and yet that's how he met his end. Although quite sympathetic to Hamilton, Chernow attempts to present both sides of his many controversies, including Hamilton's momentous philosophical battles with Jefferson. Chernow relies heavily on primary sources and previously unused volumes of Hamilton's writings. A first-rate life and excellent addition to the ongoing debate about Hamilton's importance in the shaping of America. PrêmiosDistinctionsNotable Lists
Referências a esta obra em recursos externos. Wikipédia em inglês (22)Biography & Autobiography.
History.
Politics.
Nonfiction.
HTML: The #1 New York Times bestseller, and the inspiration for the hit Broadway musical Hamilton!
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Google Books — Carregando... GênerosClassificação decimal de Dewey (CDD)973.4092History and Geography North America United States Constitutional period (1789-1809) Constitutional period (1789-1809)Classificação da Biblioteca do Congresso dos E.U.A. (LCC)AvaliaçãoMédia:
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I was struck by many similarities to today's political life. And surprised...we hear about the decline of thoughtful debate, the fierceness of partisanship, and how things used to be better. Yet the US Government ran a deficit in its earliest years. People declined Cabinet jobs because of public scrutiny. And members of Congress literally came to blows with canes and fireplace tongs. Plus ca change....
The book is very well researched and written in an accessible style. I think the author may have injected a little too much interpretation of Hamilton's words or actions at times, but overall he did a great job of bringing this part of U.S. history to life. ( )