   | Full Text Reviews: School Library Journal - 06/01/2017 Gr 7 Up—Brockenbrough engagingly re-creates the complex character and eventful life of Alexander Hamilton in her nuanced biography. The author explores this eloquent, passionate, and principled founding father, from his illegitimate birth on the Caribbean island of Nevis to his fatal duel with Aaron Burr. The chronological narrative relies on thorough research to present details of Hamilton as an orphan, student, Revolutionary War hero, writer, doting husband and father, womanizer, politician, and public servant. Delving into his relationships with George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Burr, John Adams, James Madison, the Schuyler sisters, and Maria Reynolds, the author tempers what would otherwise be a glowing tribute by investigating Hamilton's all-consuming ambition, love of women, and obsessive devotion to being a man of honor. Readers not well versed in American history will appreciate the clear, approachable syntax and storytelling that compellingly presents complicated events and ideas. Judicious use of primary and secondary sources ensures historical accuracy as the title provides insight into Hamilton's thoughts and offers a welcome scattering of humorous anecdotes. The prose strengthens as the well-paced work progresses; Brockenbrough hits her stride with a suspenseful description of the Battle of Yorktown. VERDICT A highly enjoyable, well-researched biography of Alexander Hamilton that both applauds his significant accomplishments and highlights his flaws. Consider for sophisticated readers.—Kate Reid, The Allen-Stevenson School, New York - Copyright 2017 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Booklist - 08/01/2017 Let’s face it: as a subject, Alexander Hamilton is hot, thanks to the wildly popular Broadway musical bearing his name. This brings a built-in audience to Brockenbrough’s ambitious biography, which follows Hamilton’s eventful life from his illegitimate birth in the West Indies to his appointment by George Washington as America’s first Secretary of the Treasury. Brockenbrough gives particular attention to Hamilton’s service in the Revolutionary War and to his role as Washington’s protégé, which gave him influence far beyond his rank. Those expecting a warts-and-all look, however, will be disappointed. The few flaws the author offers—Hamilton’s vanity, his recklessness, his ill-advised extramarital affair, his obsession with honor, which would be his undoing—are largely papered over or dismissed. By the same token, his adversaries, especially Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, are often strongly demonized. All this said, Hamilton’s life is an inspiration, a fact that Brockenbrough captures nicely in a well-written biography that fills a gap in the literature. Expect wide reader interest. - Copyright 2017 Booklist. Loading...
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