Here’s what I wrote on GoodReads:
Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow
Finally finished reading “Alexander Hamilton” by Ron Chernow. It is a VERY good book, full of detail of the behind the scenes machinations of the early republic. I could see the foundation of some of today’s political idiocy especially during the Adams and Jefferson administrations.
I’ll never think of the founding fathers in the same way again. They were all putzes. George Washington fared the best, but sometimes I wanted to yell at him too. Adams was insane, Madison a lackey to Jefferson, and Jefferson and Monroe were scoundrels. Hamilton was definitely full of himself and foisted his opinion on everyone, whether they wanted to hear it or not. How the hell they created a functional government in those early days was nothing short of a miracle.
Also, in the musical “Hamilton”, Lin-Manuel Miranda had a MUCH kinder treatment of Aaron Burr. Way kinder than the real Aaron Burr deserved. It was interesting to learn how much of a self-important jerk Burr was.
If you want to have your suburban, watered-down, high school American history knowledge shoved to the wayside, this is the book you need to read. I highly recommend it.
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