Alexander Hamilton
by Ron Chernow
★ Top 5 book of 2004 · #4 on Best Books of 2004
Chernow offers a full-length life of Hamilton, an orphan from the Caribbean who rose to become Washington's aide, a coauthor of The Federalist Papers, and the first Treasury Secretary. The book argues his ideas shaped modern America.
Best for: Readers of American history who want a detailed portrait of a Founding Father
Alexander Hamilton is #4 on BookWard's Best Books of 2004, out of 48 2004 books that cleared our data bar.
What Alexander Hamilton is about
Ron Chernow's biography follows Alexander Hamilton from an illegitimate, largely self-taught orphan in the Caribbean to one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. Hamilton became an instrumental promoter of the Constitution, the first Secretary of the Treasury, and the founder of the nation's financial system.
Chernow argues that America's political and economic strengths grew out of Hamilton's sacrifices, made to champion ideas that were often wildly disputed in his own time. It was described as the first full-length Hamilton biography in decades and won the inaugural George Washington Book Prize.
Alexander Hamilton on the Best Books of 2004
Alexander Hamilton came out in 2004. Of the 48 books first published in 2004 that met BookWard's data bar, it ranks #4 on our Best Books of 2004 list.
Why it made the list: 321 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.6 out of 5 (12 ratings). The list ranks each year’s books on how many readers have picked them up, how highly readers rate them, and how many are reading them right now.
Nearby on the 2004 list
- Rich Dad, Poor Dad for Teens Robert T. Kiyosaki, #2
- The Ruins of Gorlan John Flanagan, #3
- Blink Malcolm Gladwell, #5
- She Comes First Ian Kerner, #6
See all Best Books of 2004 Best books by year
More years: Best Books of 2003 Best Books of 2005.
The numbers behind it
- Readers: 285 want to read it, 18 are reading it now and 18 have read it, according to Open Library.
- Ratings: 4.6 out of 5 from 12 Open Library ratings.
| Signal | This book (0 to 100) | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Reach | 75 | 55% |
| Reader love | 88 | 25% |
| Being read right now | 83 | 20% |
Questions about Alexander Hamilton
When was Alexander Hamilton published?
Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow was first published in 2004.
Was Alexander Hamilton one of the best books of 2004?
Alexander Hamilton is #4 on BookWard's Best Books of 2004, out of 48 2004 books that cleared our data bar. 321 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.6 out of 5 (12 ratings).
Why is Alexander Hamilton on the Best Books of 2004 list?
321 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.6 out of 5 (12 ratings).
More of the best books of 2004
- Darkly Dreaming Dexter Jeffry P. Lindsay, #1
- Rich Dad, Poor Dad for Teens Robert T. Kiyosaki, #2
- The Ruins of Gorlan John Flanagan, #3
- Blink Malcolm Gladwell, #5
- She Comes First Ian Kerner, #6
- The Plot Against America Philip Roth, #7
See the full Best Books of 2004, the Top 100, or new books on Rising.
How we know
This page uses public data: Open Library reader counts and ratings, and Wikipedia page views for recent years. The description is paraphrased from real source text. Rankings reflect reading interest, not quality or sales, and can be affected by data gaps. Lists update monthly.
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