The Young Hamilton: A Biography

by James Thomas Flexner

Written as a character study, Young Hamilton, explores the first twenty-six years of Alexander Hamilton's life and is designed to reveal how Hamilton's early years shaped him into the statesman he became.

Genres: History, Biography, Nonfiction, American History

497 pages, Hardcover

First published February 1, 1978

About the author

James Thomas Flexner was an American historian and biographer best known for the four-volume biography of George Washington that earned him a National Book Award in Biography and a special Pulitzer Prize. A cum laude graduate of Harvard University, Flexner worked as a reporter for the New York Herald Tribune from 1929 until 1931, after which he worked as an executive secretary for the New York City Department of Health before leaving the job the following year in order to devote his full energies to writing.

Reviews

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Flexner's extensive study of George Washington made this Hamilton book a natural for him. Published in 1978, long before the current Hamilton mania, Flexner's book, in fact, focuses on the relationship between Washington and his brilliant, mercurial aide-de-camp. Hamilton's military service alongside Washington takes up the bulk of this biography, with the last decades of Hamilton's life relegated to the final chapter or so. I found Flexner's writing style to be quite charming, and he offers several perceptive comments about Hamilton's personality -- how it helped him both achieve and fail, and how it made him one of the most fascinating characters of the revolutionary generation.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book that makes history interesting. I read it as part of a US History course and found that Hamilton was an interesting PERSON, despite all the politics. Despite coming from a seedy place, always unsure of himself and the love of others, he managed to be a strong hand in the development of America. Highly recommended.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic account of Alexander Hamilton's early life, ending with his heroic charge at the Battle of Yorktown. Over a century later, Teddy Roosevelt led his own heroic charge that ended another American war, seizing Kettle Hill in Cuba in 1898. Both Hamilton and Teddy had a soaring ambition for personal and national greatness, and they both despised Thomas Jefferson!

[Natalia Maria Nadzieja · Rating 3 out of 5]

Przeczytałam znowu i niestety okazała się chujowa

[Jim Gallen · Rating 4 out of 5]

James Thomas Flexner’s “The Young Hamilton” unique perspective is that it devotes 46 of its 47 chapters to its subject’s life from birth in 1757 to 1783 which excludes his days in the Constitutional Convention, as Secretary of the Treasury in the Washington administration and his regime unsettling rivalry with Thomas Jefferson. Even this relatively short career had accomplishments enough for a long life. During this time Hamilton lived in the West Indies as the child of a broken relationship (his parents were never able to marry) and the orphaned son of a mother who died young, commenced a mercantile career, moved to the mainland and pursued an education. Arriving in New York just as the revolutionary spirits were rising he became progressively involved in protests and military units. While serving in an artillery unit he attracted the attention of General Washington at whose behest he joined his staff. The responsibilities Washington assigned to Hamilton to compose orders and other communications evidence the respect that his personality and work commanded. This tome covers several crucial events during the Revolutionary War including the capture of Maj. Andre and the betrayal of Benedict Arnold, the message to Congress to evacuate Philadelphia, and the Battle of Yorktown.

In the bibliography of many this work has been superseded by more modern texts. I find that the understanding of an historical figure is enhanced by reading biographies written at different times. I think that besides presenting a 1970s view of Hamilton “The Young Hamilton” forces the reader to pay attention to the incredible rise that prepared its subject for the challenges he would face when championing the writing and adoption of the Constitution and the organization of the government that it created. I recommend more modern biographies for an introduction to Alexander Hamilton and Flexner’s volume for a deeper understanding of this remarkable life.

[Nicholas Maulucci · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lot of good information about the Revolutionary War. A good, well-written biography. Recommended for all history buffs to read, or if you homeschool and are looking for a good history book for your highschoolers...