It's a big book!



The book has 43 chapters, 731 pages of text, 48 pages of footnotes, and 7 pages of bibliography.  It was given to me as a birthday gift last May by my wonderful SRQ friends Ron and Charlotte Thompson.

The book is


 It is  a magnificent and comprehensive biography of a man who was arguably the most brilliant man of the Revolutionary War; as a soldier, as a lawyer, and as a scholar (with James Madison) of the meaning of the new United States Constitution  (c.f. "The Federalist Papers").

 Hamilton was loved and respected by George Washington.

In the early days he was a friend and ally of John Adams (our second President, and of James Madison (our fourth).

Jefferson (our third President) and Hamilton were implacable foes from the get go.

Because Hamilton  wrote prolifically author Chernow has been able to write what may well be the definitive biography.

In all of his adult life Alexander Hamilton was sustained  by his wife, Eliza (Elizabeth) Schuyler Hamilton.

 She loved, adored and supported him despite his tawdry affair with Mrs. Mariah Reynolds.  

 Eliza lived for fifty years after Alexander's death.

 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

 My American friends will know that Alexander Hamilton was killed in an avoidable duel  with former Vice-President Aaron Burr, at  a bluff on the New Jersey side of the Hudson River.

 The duel  destroyed the aspirations and political hopes of Burr.

 But it exalted the status of  Hamilton. His long funeral procession took two hours from its  beginning to the end at Trinity  Church, Wall St, New York.

 Hamilton's remains, and those of Eliza are buried in the Trinity Church graveyard.

 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 Thomas Jefferson  does not emerge well in Chernow's book.  He, Jefferson, comes forth as manipulative and cunning.

 Nor does John Adams emerge well.   Nobody liked/likes Adams except for his wife Abigail (and Adams' modern  day biographer David McCullough).

 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I have next to no investment in Hamilton's life but I know that he was brilliant. 

 Agree with me or not, but do not pass judgment  until you have read all 43 chapters and 731 pages of Chernow's book.


And as you do so please note Ron Chernow's editorial comments:

Page 534 " Hamilton was incapable of a wise silence "   and

 Page 619 "he had a serious (?) (capacity? ) for the self inflicted wound, and was capable of marching off a cliff". 


"Aye"  (as the Scots  might say) "there's the rub"

Location: Sarasota, FL, USA

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Shoe insults

Last year I consulted with a local podiatrist: Dr. Robert F Herbold Jr. D.P.M. 4717 Swift Rd., Sarasota , FL – 34231  because I was being bothered with a couple of bunions  (yes I am at that age). I was very impressed with this Doctor.  He agreed that I had bunions, but he ventured that it was much too soon for surgery. (Now there’s a first). Instead he recommended some “arch supports” to relieve the tension for my feet, a tension which was exacerbating the bunions. What’s more -  he told me that he sells these arch supports at the miserly sum of $2.50 each (about 1/5 of the price in the local pharmacies). He is an honest man, and I recommend him to anyone with foot problems. So, a couple of weeks ago, having purchased some new walking shoes, I knew that I needed to buy a couple of new arch supports I took myself to his office. Once there, my mind went blank. I wanted to ask his front desk Clerk if I could buy some “shoe inserts” , as I could not rem...
Read more

It began in Bristol U.K. "A man dies" and "Jesus Christ Superstar"

Image
I well remember the swirling controversy in Bristol, U.K. when a (Presbyterian) Minister the Revd, Earnest Marviin created a ":Rock Opera", called "A Man Dies"  in and for his congregation in the Lockleaze area of Bristol, U.K. Earnest Mrvin I was a sixteen years old member of the Plymouth Brethren Church back in those days, so I most likely disapproved of "A Man Dies" .  We, (the Plymouth Brethren),  disapproved of everything! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I had forgotten all about "A Man Dies" until earlier today when saw these pictures on the "Bristol, Then and Now"  Facebook page.   St. James Presbyterian Church, Lockleaze, Bristol  The Bristol Then and Now page includes the following commentary: Lockleaze, Bristol  -  'Jesus Christ Superstar' began at St.James (Presbyterian) Chur...
Read more

The background, the couple, my friends, the wedding ceremony, the Shaykh, the Priest,

Image
The background   I have known the Keller/Bonsey family since 2000 when I became the Rector at St. James's, Cambridge, MA. They (Elisabeth Keller and the Revd. Steven Bonsey with their four children Noah, Sam, Josiah and Annie) had come back to Cambridge from Hawaii where Steve had been the Rector of an Episcopal parish. Steve had just been appointed as a Chaplain at Tufts University (no Sunday morning duties) so the entire family was able to enrich our common life at St. James's - which they did with great love and joy. I count them as friends and have stayed in touch with them since my retirement.  Noah, the oldest son is eloquent in Arabic (he spent a year in Damascus when Syria was a safe place).  He has developed a super career as an analyst of social media in the near East.    Noah worked in Tampa for a while a few years ago, so he and I were a...
Read more