Washington A Life by Ron Chernow is a one book biography of the first President of the United States from cradle to grave. History has portrayed Washington as a dull, taciturn man of granite self-control, so the author wanted to dig deeper into Washington’s correspondence to present the side of Washington that was vivid and dramatic. How did a British colonial aristocrat become the leader of the American Revolution?
Summary
The author divides Washington’s life into six parts. Frontiersman,
part one, explains the history of the short-lived males of the Washington line.
George Washington learned to become a surveyor and took part in the French and
Indian War. Planter, part two, covers when he has taken control of the Mount
Vernon plantation because of untimely deaths in his family and his marriage to
the widow Martha Custis. General, part three, shows when he became the military
leader of the American Revolution. He faces eight years of battle but only
wishes to return to Mount Vernon. Statesman, part four, covers when the states are
governed by the ineffectual Articles of Confederation. He serves as the
president of the Continental Congress leading to the drafting of the Constitution.
President, part five, is about his eight years in office. It details the
battles in his cabinet between Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson. Legend
part six covers the years after Washington’s retirement to Mount Vernon with
Martha. Second President John Adams named him a Lieutenant General for the last
17 months of his life but did not take a field command. He lived out his last
days and passed into legend.
Recommendation
Washington A Life by Ron Chernow delivers on its premise to show how Washington was a vivid and dramatic person. He was a person of his times but tried to create a party-less government. Washington led by quiet example and held his fragile new country together. He was the only person who could have accomplished his great feats.
Links
This is the link to the Goodreads page of Washington A Life by Ron Chernow.
Another book by Ron Chernow is Alexander Hamilton. I read the Washington biography because I liked how he wrote Alexander Hamilton. This is the link to my review of Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow.
Hamilton, an American Musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda
and Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow
Hamilton, An American Musical
I watched the play Hamilton on 08-25-18 at the State Theater
in Cleveland, Ohio. After enjoying the play, I wanted to experience all things,
Hamilton. This review includes five different media I experienced in 2018. I watched
the play; I read the biography; I read the book featuring all the lyrics and
stories about the production; I ripped the soundtrack from the library, and I
ripped the Hamilton Mixtape from the library. All the media was great, and I am
glad I pursued all things, Hamilton. If the play comes back to Cleveland, I
would like to see it again.
Hamilton play Introduction
I made a monthly plan for 2018 to go out with my wife for date nights. The plan was Hamilton on 8-25, the Ohio State Buckeyes versus Oregon State on 9-1, the play of Pride and Prejudice on 10-27, the big ten championship game on 12-1, and the Cleveland orchestra Christmas concert at severance hall on 12-22. They were all great events. I wasn’t sure I would like Hamilton because I had heard about the amount of the rap used by the actors. I’m not a rap fan, I am a rock fan. But when the play started on 8-25, I was hooked. The play tells the gripping story of Alexander Hamilton’s life with no dialog. All the words are sung using different styles of music including rap, rock, R & B, soul, Broadway tunes and Motown.
Hamilton play Summary
Alexander Hamilton immigrated to New York City as a
young man, became a successful lawyer, fought in the American Revolution, was
George Washington’s closest confidant, and created the Federal banking system.
But the people of our culture remember him as the face on the ten-dollar bill
and the guy who lost a duel to Aaron Burr. This play makes the story real and
applicable to today. Lin-Manuel Miranda, the play’s author, the songwriter and
the lead actor, author, the songwriter and the lead actor is a genius. He based
this play on the Hamilton biography of Ron Chernow. It’s so much more than a
play. His lyrics are rich and on point. He tells us a compelling story. The
final song’s title says it all. Who lives, who dies, who tells your story.
Lin-Manuel told Alexander Hamilton’s story, he told it well, and it will be
told for generations to come. That is the definition of a legacy, a wonderful
achievement.
Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow
Alexander Hamilton Introduction
Ron Chernow researched every part of Alexander Hamilton’s life to write his biography called Alexander Hamilton. He tracked down all the available sources and wrote this biography, warts and all. Hamilton was brilliant and driven to succeed, but his passions lead him to poor choices in business, love, and pursuing a vendetta that leads to his fatal duel.
Alexander Hamilton Summary
The biography starts with his parents. They were a
black sheep fourth child of a Scottish nobleman and a plantation girl from the
island of Nevis. Hamilton’s drive to better his position in life was from
seeking to avoid being poor like them. He inspired the people of St. Croix with
a published letter about a hurricane that hit the island and they gathered the
money to send him away to school. Hamilton went to King’s College (now called
Columbia) in New York City. He became a lawyer and fought in the Revolutionary
War as George Washington’s most trusted aide. He longed for the glory of battle
but was too valuable for his administrative skills for Washington to risk him
in combat so he saw limited action. After the war, he was the first treasury
secretary for Washington’s cabinet and he set up the Federal banking system from
scratch. Washington and Hamilton were the leaders of the Federalist Party and were
opposed by the Democrat-Republicans led by Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and
Aaron Burr.
Aaron Burr started as a friend and colleague to Hamilton, but the slights between the two men graduated up into a vendetta. Hamilton’s aspirations of becoming the next president were ended with a sex scandal started by the Reynolds Pamphlet which was written by Hamilton himself. After Washington retired, Hamilton became the highest ranking general in the army, but they did not go to war with England again at that time. Hamilton blocked Aaron Burr’s bid to become the third president and this lead to the fatal duel.
Alexander Hamilton Recommendation
Chernow makes all the aspects of Alexander Hamilton’s life come alive and it is easy to see how Lin-Manuel Miranda was inspired to write songs and eventually a play about it.
There’s a book on the Hamilton play called Hamilton: The Revolution by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Jeremy McCarter. The book has the full lyrics of the songs from the Broadway Musical with annotations by Lin-Manuel. It also includes pictures from the performances. The 46 songs are arranged into 32 chapters and each chapter starts with a short article about different aspects of the production. The articles cover the original solo performance of the song Alexander Hamilton by Lin-Manuel, background information about the main players of the original production, backstage stories on the set, choreography, instrumentation, costumes, cut and unused alternate songs, and other insights. My highlights were pictures of the original notebook notes from Lin-Manuel on pages 36 & 202, the full lyrics of the cut song Cabinet Battle #3 on the debate on slavery on page 212, and photographs of original letters and pamphlets written by Hamilton. This book brings back memories of the play, the annotated lyrics gives insight into the writing process, and studying the printed lyrics help in understanding all the words to the cast recording.
I borrowed the double CD from the library of Hamilton,
American Musical, the Original Broadway recording. All 46 songs, 23 per disk,
of the play are on the disks. I like all the songs but my favorite five tunes
are in order from the best; Alexander Hamilton, My Shot, You’ll Be Back, The
Room Where It Happens, and Who Lives Who Dies Who Tells Your Story.
Hamilton The Mixtape
Lin-Manuel Miranda also commissioned various artists
to cover the songs from the cast recording. The songs are on the CD, The
Hamilton Mixtape. My favorite five tunes in order from best are; Say Yes To
This, Helpless, Dear Theodosia (Reprise), Wait for it, and It’s Quiet Uptown. There
were two songs that were not part of the play that were demoed for this CD. They
were Valley Forge and Cabinet Battle #3. Both songs were interesting, and it’s
too bad they couldn’t be included in the play because of time and material.
My Hamilton Mixtape
I made a 21 song under 80 minutes Mix tape featuring
the best songs from both albums as follows:
Alexander Hamilton from the Cast Recording
My Shot from the Cast Recording
The Story of Tonight from the Cast Recording
The Schuyler Sisters from the Cast Recording
You’ll Be Back from the Cast Recording
Helpless recorded by Ashanti
Satisfied recorded by Queen Latifah
Wait For It recorded by Usher
That Would Be Enough recorded by Alicia Keys
What Comes Next? From the Cast Recording
Dear Theodosia (Reprise) recorded by Chance the Rapper
Say No To This from the Cast Recording
Say Yes To This recorded by Jill Scott
The Room Where It Happens from the Cast Recording
Washington On Your Side from the Cast Recording
One Last Time from the Cast Recording
I Know Him from the Cast Recording
Burn recorded by Andra Day
It’s Quiet Uptown recorded by Kelly Clarkson
The World Was Wide Enough from the Cast Recording
Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story from the Cast Recording
Links
I mentioned watching the play and reading the biography in my Writing Progress Report for October 2018. This is the link.
Bonus: There is a YouTube video of an original solo
performance of the song Alexander Hamilton by Lin-Manuel Miranda at an evening
of poetry, music and the spoken word at the White House on May 12, 2009. It’s
an amazing performance with over 6 million views.
