Alexander HamiltonAlexander Hamilton
Score Modern
What it's about
Ron Chernow tells the life of the Founding Father who rose from an illegitimate, orphaned childhood in the Caribbean to become George Washington's right hand, the author of most of the Federalist Papers, and the first Treasury secretary, who built the American financial system. It's also the story of his brilliance, his rivalries, his scandal and his fatal duel with Aaron Burr.
Why it's worth reading
It reached #1 on the New York Times bestseller list and inspired Lin-Manuel Miranda's musical Hamilton. It's widely considered the definitive biography.
You'll love it if you liked
Hamilton : The Revolution
Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln
John AdamsGood to know
It's more than 800 pages, but it reads briskly. If you've seen the musical, you'll recognize many scenes.
By the numbers
- Readers93 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller70 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #48 of the 198 history books we rank
- #50 of the 290 memoirs and biographies we rank
- #131 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #257 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
True story
More by Ron Chernow
Grant
Washington: A Life
Mark Twain
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Quick answers
Is Alexander Hamilton worth reading?
Yes. It reached #1 on the New York Times bestseller list and inspired Lin-Manuel Miranda's musical Hamilton. It ranks #257 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 82.4 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Alexander Hamilton about?
Ron Chernow tells the life of the Founding Father who rose from an illegitimate, orphaned childhood in the Caribbean to become George Washington's right hand, the author of most of the Federalist Papers, and the first Treasury secretary, who built the American financial system. It's also the story of his brilliance, his rivalries, his scandal and his fatal duel with Aaron Burr.
How long does it take to read Alexander Hamilton?
About 20 hours (818 pages), or about 6 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Alexander Hamilton?
If you liked it, try Hamilton : The Revolution by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Jeremy McCarter, Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin or John Adams by David McCullough.