To say Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow is a masterpiece would simply be an understatement. With high praise from nearly all readers of this novel, and encouraged the start of its own Broadway Run on August 6, 2015, it is no surprise this biography catches the eye of many. Not to be confused with the play rendition of this book by Lin-Manuel Miranda. Despite this book being “cringey” at times due to the documentation of Hamilton’s hot headed behaviors, it’s interesting to see how Hamilton created so much for our country, but yet seems to always be behind the spotlight. This is especially shown when Hamilton assisted George Washington in nearly everything he did, and was his “right hand man”, for lack of a better term.

Ronald (Ron) Chernow has many accomplishments other than writing the well known biography of Hamilton. He won the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for Biography, won the 2011 American History Book Prize for his 2010 book, Washington: A Life, received the National Book Award for Nonfiction due to the writing of his 1990 book, The House of Morgan: An American Banking Dynasty and the Rise of Modern Finance. Although there are other credentials Chernow has, those are just the most significant ones, as well as Chernow providing inspiration for Miranda’s Hamilton play.
It showed Hamilton’s horrific rough patches in his life, but it also showed his constant victories for the American people. Not many men of power during these times understood the struggles of the American people/identity quite like Hamilton did (American Identity, APUSH