DOC The Hamilton Collection: The Wisdom and Writings of the Founding Father by From Hamilton Alexander in History

Review

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Important BookBy EagletreeHard to read and worth every moment doing so. It reinforces the need for people to understand the attacks being levied against our form of government. Hamilton seemed to know the threats to the structure that would arise. I would have everyone who professes patriotism read this book and would hope if enough do; they would think about what is happening more seriously than the superficiality over competition between factions. I came away from the book realizing that all that matters is that we maintain our system with the utmost caution. That appears to have been Hamilton's intent.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Hamilton in his own words...By Cynthia K. RobertsonI have always been fascinated by Alexander Hamilton; and so I selected The Hamilton Collection: The Wisdom and Writings of the Founding Father; edited by Dan Tucker through Vine. I feared that I would find this book a little dry. Instead; Tucker weaves together the life of our first Treasury Secretary through Hamilton’s own words in a way that is both fascinating and very readable.Alexander Hamilton was a prolific and prodigious writer. Tucker breaks this book into sections including Hamilton’s childhood; his student years; his Revolutionary War service; his years of “Nation Building;” his years out of public service and his inner circle. Tucker gives a short explanation to set up each of Hamilton’s works; whether it is a letter or a published article. Many of these articles were published under a pseudonym; and these are also included. We read Hamilton pleading General George Washington for a field command in the Revolutionary War. There are also letters to Washington; begging him to take on the job as president (before both Washington’s first and second terms). We read parts of his Federalist Papers; where he is making a case for the states to ratify the Constitution. We learn how he stage-managed Washington’s presidency. We read his ideas on setting up the Treasury Department for our young nation. We see how he conspired against John Adams; Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr. And we read some of his personal letters; where he flirts with sister-in-law Angelica Church; and writes tenderly to wife; Eliza. Perhaps the most heartbreaking of letters is the letter he wrote to Eliza before his duel with Aaron Burr. She was only to be given the letter if he didn’t survive. The Hamilton Collection also contains portraits; drawings; paintings; and copies of letters.It was also interesting to see how Hamilton was ahead of his time in many aspects. He advocated for the enlistment of black slaves into the Revolutionary War; to be given their freedom after the war. He believed that improving inland transportation (roads; canals; bridges; etc.) would improve our developing economy. And he also stated that political factions would cause harm to our country. Sound familiar?I found The Hamilton Collection to be very engaging and even for an Alexander Hamilton fan; it provides new insights into the man. However; I am not sure that it would appeal to someone with just a casual interest in Hamilton.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Good way to learn about Hamilton - Mostly in his own words and in 275 pages - Good way to attack the mountain of his writingsBy Dan ShermanI often think best way to learn about history is to read good biographies; and the best way to learn about a person is through a person's writings; especially their letters. Hamilton wrote prodigiously; I recall that his writings fill 27 volumes. His writing often too is hard to read - like many authors in the 18th century; his writing seems quite verbose and sometimes slow to get the point. He was of course known in his life as a brilliant writer; with ability to argue for his beliefs in pamphlets and letters; with pe.rhaps his his famous writing being the Federalist papers (of which he wrote the largest number) in defense of the Constitution.This book presents a good collection of Hamilton's writings; set largely in the form of a biography; written in 7 chapters (with an 8th chapter focused on relations with specific individuals; including Aaron Burr). For each of the 10-15 excerpts of Hamilton's writings in each the chapter; the book's author briefly lays out the appropriate part of Hamilton's life in paragraph or two before the excerpt; and then explaining why Hamilton wrote what he did; in terms of topic covered; person to whom it was addressed; etc. This approach gives a good account of Hamilton's life; mostly in his own words. For me; this is much better than trying to tackle larger collections of his writings; in that it is easy to follow the main points his writings cover (otherwise you might be reading through a nearly 100 page densely written document) in context of his life. The excerpts seem well chosen and gave a good sense of how brilliant a stylist Hamilton could be.For me; this is a great way to approach Hamilton after seeing the Broadway show (or hearing the cast album) or reading a full biography like Ron Chernow. Yes; Hamilton really did write like he was running out of time. The book's author has done a great service by compiling highlights of Hamilton's writings and framing them so you get a good sense of who Hamilton was and what he believed in.Highly recommended!