Customer Reviews (1)

Good middle-school explanation of American Plan
If you're looking for an introduction to colonial economic theory, this book explains the difference between the Hamilton's American Plan and Jefferson's agrarian-based plan clearly.This book is geared for young students (5th grade to high school).Since most Americans have forgotten what life looked like before so-called "free trade" gutted our economy, it should also be recommended reading for all elected officials. ... Read more

Product Description
Although written over four hundred years after Alexander's death, Arrian's account of the man and his achievements is the most reliable we have. Arrian's own experience as a military commander gave him unique insights into the life of the world's greatest conqueror. He tells of Alexander's violent suppression of the Theban rebellion, his defeat of Persia and campaigns through Egypt and Babylon - establishing new cities and destroying others in his path. While Alexander emerges as a charismatic leader, Arrian succeeds brilliantly in creating an objective portrait of a man of boundless ambition, who was exposed to the temptations of power. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

The Campaigns of Alexander
This is an excellent translation of Arrian that's easy to read, interesting, and has plenty of footnotes to explain confusing matters, and to make this even better, there are even maps at the end. Simply an amazing account from an ancient general, who would have had to face the same type of troubles Alexander had to in his heyday.

Arrian the flatterer
A very important source on Alexander the Great.His book is just so comprehensive - it details everything you would need to know - the only problem is that it's quite biased in Alexander's favour.At times Arrian does describe Alexander as if he was a god.So yeah, lots of detailed accounts of battles and other interesting moments, and therefore a good starting point for researching Alexander, however you should also check out Curtius Rufus.

Great historical original
Such books are very rare. They are written by almost contemporary to that ancient time historians. Other modern books and movies are based on that original information which such books like this have. It's very interesting to read this book. I had a feeling as if I was in those ancient times while I was reading it. I am so glad that such masterpieces survived all those thousands years of different civilizations.

The defining ancient biography of Alexander
When I review translations of works I rate them on the importance of the work and the relative quality of translation.I deduct points if there are better translations available.

The quality of translation here is outstanding.The work is accessible and the general tone found in other Greek historiographies is left intact.The book is very readable and worthy of study.I am not aware of any better translation or edition than this one.

This work also is of great importance.Arrian's biography used the sources available to the author and fashioned a careful account of Alexander's conquests.The attention to detail is very good and Arrian discusses conflicts of the sources honestly.His work here has become the single most important ancient account of Alexander's campaigns to survive to the modern era.Its importance in its field cannot be overestimated.

Highly recommended.

Alexander, what more needs to be said?
Arrian was a Roman official and military man.He had access to many of the original documents pertaining to Alexander, documents now long gone.

In may ways Arrian is an appologist for Alexander and it is clear that he had great admiration for him.Like all men Alexander had flaws and Arrian is probably less willing to discuss those flaws than some other writiers might have been.Nevertheless, this is THE reference on Alexander and those of us who are fascianted by this man are going to want to read Arrians writings.Arrian writes a very readable book and this translation is, so far as my limited Greek can ascertain, very well done.This is not only history but an adventure book, and being written by one so close to the actual events is in itself a historical document, one that many readers will find difficult to put down.It is history without ponderousness and deserves the highest praise.

I recommend that anyone who has a yearn for adventure pick up this book and go with Alexander to Persia.You won't want to miss the trip.

Kindest Regards,
Bob ... Read more

Product Description
This documentary study of Jefferson and Hamilton focuses on their differing views of society and government in the formative years of the new American nation. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Disappointing
Although there are some interesting things here, the choice is somewhat strange and the limited number of papers disappointing.Missing for example, is something from Hamilton's Federalist Papers (which I think most people would consider his most important writing) or Jefferson's Notes on the State of Virginia .Perhaps Cunningham felt these are too well known.However, we then have Jefferson's Inaugural Address and Kentucky Resolutions which are very well known.Most importantly, I would have expected a much greater sampling of original materials considering the volume that are available from both Jefferson and Hamilton.

Great.
This book helps give the reader an excellent prespective on how the Federalists and Anti-Federalists helped shape our nation though debate and press.

I enjoyed this book because it is more of a collection of letters, from both Jefferson and Hamilton, leaving it up to you on how to interpret their stances and personalities.

this is a good book for a beginning hist class
This book really gives the reader a sense of what Hamilton and Jefferson were REALLY like.They had disputes and were mistrustful of eachother.There wasn't any school-boy stuff going on here.I recommend this book if you're interested in history and are in college.Good book! ... Read more

Product Description
Two of the most influential figures in American history. Two opposing political philosophies. Two radically different visions for America.

Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton were without question two of the most important Founding Fathers. They were also the fiercest of rivals. Of these two political titans, it is Jefferson—–the revered author of the Declaration of Independence and our third president—–who is better remembered today. But in fact it is Hamilton’s political legacy that has triumphed—–a legacy that has subverted the Constitution and transformed the federal government into the very leviathan state that our forefathers fought against in the American Revolution.

How did we go from the Jeffersonian ideal of limited government to the bloated imperialist system of Hamilton’s design? Acclaimed economic historian Thomas J. DiLorenzo provides the troubling answer in Hamilton’s Curse.

DiLorenzo reveals how Hamilton, first as a delegate to the Constitutional Convention and later as the nation’s first and most influential treasury secretary, masterfully promoted an agenda of nationalist glory and interventionist economics—–core beliefs that did not die with Hamilton in his fatal duel with Aaron Burr. Carried on through his political heirs, the Hamiltonian legacy:

• Wrested control into the hands of the federal government by inventing the myth of the Constitution’s “implied powers”
• Established the imperial presidency (Hamilton himself proposed a permanent president—–in other words, a king)
• Devised a national banking system that imposes boom-and-bust cycles on the American economy
• Saddled Americans with a massive national debt and oppressive taxation
• Inflated the role of the federal courts in order to eviscerate individual liberties and state sovereignty
• Pushed economic policies that lined the pockets of the wealthy and created a government system built on graft, spoils, and patronage
• Transformed state governments from Jeffersonian bulwarks of liberty to beggars for federal crumbs

By debunking the Hamiltonian myths perpetuated in recent admiring biographies, DiLorenzo exposes an uncomfortable truth: The American people are no longer the masters of their government but its servants. Only by restoring a system based on Jeffersonian ideals can Hamilton’s curse be lifted, at last.


From the Hardcover edition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (37)

He's got the wrong man!
While I agree with most of DiLorenzo's observations about our financial, political, and economic "devolution" since our founding, the problem is...so would Alexander Hamilton! The pernicious changes that we have undergone, since the time of Hamilton, have very little todo with Hamilton's original ideas and programs. Hamilton's First Bank of the US was very different from the Federal Reserve. Moreover, Hamilton would have never advocated government printed paper money, nor would he have advocated paper money, of any kind, that was not backed by gold or silver. He would have never supported deficit spending that was NOT in wartime. He would have despised FDR and and Keneysian economics. Hamilton's heroes were the small to medium sized business owners, and it is on them whom he would have relied to create jobs during a "Great Depessiion," NOT federal government programs. Regarding "Hamilton's debt," it was nothing of the kind. It was the Revolutionary War debt and Hamilton's programs served to drastically reduce it without doing harm to an American economy that, in 1789, was teetering on the brink of complete chaos. The taxes that he called for were miniscule and there were really no "protectionist" tarrifs until nearly 1820, sixteen years after Hamilton's death. Regarding Hamilton's so-called "Imperialism," again, it is unlikely that Hamilton would have supported intervention in some place like Iraq. Just read Washington's Farewell Address, of whom Hamilton was the principal author. Hamilton wanted to rid European influence from the American sphere, not conquer the world! Basically, DiLorenzo is wrongfully crucifying a man who was adroitly adressing immediate and dire circumstances, while Thomas Jefferson was privately writing quixotic and sycophantic treatesies on the far reaching talents and abilities of every single individual. A nice thought, but hardly reality. In the end, DiLorenzo's criticisms of the Fed, Corporate Welfare, interventionist Judges, and economic protectionism are well founded, but are these Alexander Hamilton's fault??? Absolutely NOT!!! Lastly, watch out for some contradictions in this book. For example, DiLorenzo claims that the dangerous tendancies of Hamilton and the Federalists were adopted by the Whigs and ultimately, the "Republicans," but then cites the "Democrat" administrations of Woodrow Wilson and FDR as being the most damaging of all.
All in all, "Hamilton's Curse" is an intersting and enlighteining read in many respects. However, regarding Hamilton, DiLorenzo is wrongly leveling WAY to much blame against, quite frankly, the wrong man!

Excellent Start to Finish
I read this over the winter, you should as well. Hamilton was a man most of us got a distorted view of in school. This book straightens that view out. Thomas Dilorenzo is an honest scholar, an author who gives you the unvarnished facts, something we should always strive for. If you want your history honest, this is a book for you. I'd also Highly recommend as companions to this, his books: The Real Lincoln, and Lincoln Unmasked. I own them all, and am proud I do!

Garbage
One star is too high a rating for this pack of outright fabrications. The author never reconciles how the prime author of the Federalist Papers cursed our founding.He also does not reconcile how everyone's founding hero, George Washington, credited Hamilton with being as important to the success of our country early on as any man.I know good writers who are struggling to get published. That this pile could be published is a travesty.Now I know where Glen Beck gets some of his more fringe ideas -- from "authors" like Dilorenzo.

All Americans Should Read This
DiLorenzo has done it again - exposing that a lot of the history you've been taught isn't exactly quite right.While not a perfect book, the author cleary, and bluntly, lays out how the carefully constructed, limited government laid out by the founders in the constitution was gradually perverted into the out-of-control, bloated, revenue hungry and nanny-state federal government of today that willfully ignores the desires of thevoters.It was interesting to see that a number of the tactics many hate today, such as running to federal judges to institute decrees that can't be pushed legislatively, implied powers in the constitution and invoking the phrase "in the public good" to justify all federal activity, goes back to Hamilton and his devotees.The author lays out how most of the founders carefully laid out a system in which the states (and their people) were to decide the powers of the federal government and how that was wiped out at the point of a gun in the 1860s.After that point, the federal government decided the limit of its own powers, an ability heightened by the creation of the federal reserve, a permanent income tax and direct election of senators in 1913.

The negative reviews of this book are very, very predictable from those who love the current massive government state and from PhD historians who do not like having their historical thoughts challenged.Don't be fooled by that and read this book and decide for yourself.Even if you can't agree with every premise of the author's, it will get you thinking.

Time to reconsider Jefferson
In view of the recent textbook debates in Texas, there has been a resurgence of interest in Thomas Jefferson. With Hamilton being the perpetual enemy of Jefferson, the time for this book is now. DiLorenzo's handling of the Jeffersonian view of government and its rival view epitomized in Alexander Hamilton is timely and needed. The book was enlightening in detailing how Alexander Hamilton's ideas have influenced and continue influencing American policies even today. If you want to better understand how American government grew so monstrous, then you need to return to the roots and read Hamilton's Curse. If you want to see the real Thomas Jefferson rather than the snippets of Jefferson that have become popular with the Thomas Jefferson movement, then read this book and find out about his ideas and how they have shaped the nation. ... Read more

Product Description
Alexander Hamilton and the Persistence of Myth explores the shifting reputation of our most controversial founding father. Since the day Aaron Burr fired his fatal shot, Americans have tried to come to grips with Alexander Hamilton's legacy. Stephen Knott surveys the Hamilton image in the minds of American statesmen, scholars, literary figures, and the media, explaining why Americans are content to live in a Hamiltonian nation but reluctant to embrace the man himself.

Knott observes that Thomas Jefferson and his followers, and, later, Andrew Jackson and his adherents, tended to view Hamilton and his principles as "un-American." While his policies generated mistrust in the South and the West, where he is still seen as the founding "plutocrat," Hamilton was revered in New England and parts of the Mid-Atlantic states. Hamilton's image as a champion of American nationalism caused his reputation to soar during the Civil War, at least in the North. However, in the wake of Gilded Age excesses, progressive and populist political leaders branded Hamilton as the patron saint of Wall Street, and his reputation began to disintegrate.

Hamilton's status reached its nadir during the New Deal, Knott argues, when Franklin Roosevelt portrayed him as the personification of Dickensian cold-heartedness. When FDR erected the beautiful Tidal Basin monument to Thomas Jefferson and thereby elevated the Sage of Monticello into the American Pantheon, Hamilton, as Jefferson's nemesis, fell into disrepute. He came to epitomize the forces of reaction contemptuous of the "great beast"--the American people. In showing how the prevailing negative assessment misrepresents the man and his deeds, Knott argues for reconsideration of Hamiltonianism, which, rightly understood, has much to offer the American polity of the twenty-first century.

Remarkably, at the dawn of the new millennium, the nation began to see Hamilton in a different light. Hamilton's story was now the embodiment of the American dream--an impoverished immigrant who came to the United States and laid the economic and political foundation that paved the way for America's superpower status. Here in Stephen Knott's insightful study, Hamilton finally gets his due as a highly contested but powerful and positive presence in American national life.

This book is part of the American Political Thought series. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Different Approach to Alexander Hamilton
When one looks at American political history, we tend to analyze the issues at the surface without realizing the ideology that influenced policies over the last 200 years.Stephen Knott developed a unique method at extracting the driving force behind American history.His thesis is that Alexander Hamilton was so influential in the development of the American government and economic system that his ideology has loomed in the background of every major period in U.S. history.

Mr. Knott provides research on historians, authors, and politicians of the last 200 years who have provided favorable and/or critical analysis of Hamilton's influence on American government and policy.What Knott was successful in proving was the point that Hamilton has had an effect, for better or for worse, on nearly every presidential administration.He also demonstrated how these administrations tended to attribute their policies to either Hamilton or Thomas Jefferson.The rivalry that began while both worked in George Washington's administration has continued to this day.

While unique and informative, this particular book on Hamilton does have one major drawback.Knott eventually shows his admiration for Hamilton.However, although he wisely references the negative material against Hamilton made by politicians and historians over the years, he tends to dwell on one particular comment that has not even been completely proven:the supposed quote that was used to show Hamilton's preference for a monarchy when he called the general public 'the beast'.Knott concludes his book by saying that most of the negative comments made towards Hamilton are not warranted, especially that particular quote.He does not help his own position with his constant referral to that quote throughout his book.He uses it so often, it tends to become distracting and it takes away from the other good material he has provided.

This is not a biography on Hamilton.Therefore, before purchasing this book, it is recommended that a biography on Hamilton be read first.Knott assumes the reader already knows some of Hamilton's accomplishments, milestones, and thoughts on government.Recommended biographies on Hamilton would be the books by Ron Chernow or Forrest McDonald.

"THOSE WHO STAND FOR NOTHING..."-A. Hamilton
"fall for anything."

Construction on the myth began years before Alexander Hamilton died on July 12, 1804.It surely got its nurturing from the National Gazette started in 1791 by Philip Freneau, Madison's Princeton roommate, and Thomas Jefferson.And it surely had its fires flaming during the fallout from Hamilton's Reynolds Affair which tainted his career from then on.From the get go, Hamilton's image was tarnished.He didn't fall for anything however.The day he died is the same day as the battle of the Boyne where the catholic, Stuart King James II and his Jacobites were defeated by the protestant William III, of Orange.Another Hamilton had died in a duel on November 15, 1712 in Hyde Park in London.Although his birth was deemed illegit, Alexander Hamilton was of noble lineage; his father's family was derived from the Scottish, ducal line of Hamilton.

Stephen F. Knott's book is not a biography; it's more of a thoughtful, unbiased tracing of pundits' and politicians' interpretation/opinion of his work in American government through the years up to the present.It is a must read for anyone who attempts to judge Hamilton's person because the historical record is replete with misrepresentations of his life's work.Knott's analysis is thorough; you'll understand the bias behind any biographer who studies him.I believe one best understands Hamilton from his own writings and those scholars who studied them as Knott did.Knott shows that Hamilton has been labelled a fascist, a monarchist, a Napoleon, a dictator, a Caesar by mostly Jeffersonians who were content with superficial studies of his life.He also explains how Hamilton viewed popular opinion, how he saw government stood to represent the people, how government stood to protect the people from unwise, even lawless movements such as fascism and communism.Knott also feels that we have much to learn from his thought on how our government should function.

In Knott's Chapter 7, entitled Hail Columbia!, he quotes the historian Daniel J. Boorstin as writing, "we are either Jeffersonians or Hamiltonians.In no other country has the hagiography of politics been more important".However, where does Burr fit in?He was Jefferson's Vice President at the time, good friends of the New York governor Clinton who was vehemently opposed to the Constitution.Indeed, New York was the state most resistant to its ratification, very nearly succeeding in killing it altogether if it had not been for Alexander Hamilton and others.And, as Knott relates, Adams, Jefferson, Washington, and the other founding fathers saw Burr as unprincipalled and unfit to govern.As to labelling Jefferson's people as "the beast", Knott rightly traces it to a comment a Henry Adams made, years after Hamilton's death, from a comment he heard fourth hand.I believe, and noone has made the connection, if Hamilton made that comment, "the beast" that he referred to is none other than the symbolic beast of Daniel 7 and Revelation 13 which opposes the saints and God and which exalts itself above God and above the law.Hamilton was christian to the core, fighting the good fight, not participating in evil deeds of darkness but exposing them just as Paul exhorted the Ephesian church to doin Ephesians 5:11.He publicly confessed his adultery.I believe he died a martyr and a saint.

Extraordinary
Knott provides us with a clear account of Hamilton's philosophical contributions and a compelling story about the uncertainty with which Americans approach his legacy.This book is masterful in detailing the competing political agendas and in framing how politicians, acamedicians, and pundits use the Founders and their rhetoric to push forward their own agendas.A wonderful book that helps us understand our American political culture, as much as one of our country's most important Founding Fathers.

Getting right with Hamilton
Finally! A compelling defense of the Founder second only to Washington in terms of indespensibility to the creation and greatness of this county. Professor Knott chronicles the roller-coaster ride of Hamilton's reputation, from his murder by the scoundral Burr to the present. He presents overwhelming evidence that General Hamilton has been abused by critics, historians and Jefferson-lovers alike. Knott's painstaking history of the apochryphal "great beast" comment provides a frightening lesson of how a single malicious report can turn even a great man's historical reputation upside down. The fact that Mr. Hamilton's solitary statue stands ignored at the back door of the Treasury Department while Mr. Jefferson is surrounded by marble and carved words perfectly illustrates how the myth of greatness trumps the reality of greatness. Professor Knott's conclusion that "a return to Hamiltonianism" could fix much of what ails American politics is right on the money. Fantastic book. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (4)

I recommend this book by Clark's Eye on Books
Alexander Hamilton: Young Statesman (Young Patriots series) by Helen Boyd Higgins. Patria Press, Inc (2008), Cloth $15.96 and Paper $9.95, 120 pages

Often, when visiting books from our youth and recalling the wonderful hours spent as a child reading them, you feel the need to share those experiences with your children or grandchildren.

In 1942, Helen Boyd Higgins wrote Alexander Hamilton, Young Statesman and created a timeless tale of a youth raised in a far away land that only the imagination of the reader can envision.Tribulations and intrigue abound in a format designed t o entertain and teach many life lessons.Young Alexander is bereft of a terrible temper and learns self control by many examples used by Higgins in her description of his rearing.The vocabulary is enriched by using words beyond the reader's comprehension, not to frustrate, but to expand a child's horizons.There is a dictionary of definitions at the end of the book which teaches new words.The audience for this book is 9 to 12 years of age.This story is of a young lad growing up in the Caribbean Islands, who yearns to come to America and be a part of the new land of opportunity by going to college to further his education.

The Young Patriots series is designed to `Hook' kids on History.Other titles in the series include, Amelia Earhart, Young Air Pioneer, William Henry Harrison, Young Tipp, Eddie Rickenbacker, Boy Pilot and Racer, and Mahalia Jackson, Gospel Singer to name a few of the 14 books published thus far.Gifts for birthdays, holidays, or just plain old fashioned fun reading are always good books. A present of this type instills in our youngsters the desire to appreciate reading and to treasure exemplary literature.Reasonably priced, this collection will become the foundation of a cherished library

Reasonably priced, this collection will become the foundation of a cherished library
Often, when visiting books from our youth and recalling the wonderful hours spent as a child reading them, you feel the need to share those experiences with your children or grandchildren.

In 1942, Helen Boyd Higgins wrote Alexander Hamilton, Young Statesman and created a timeless tale of a youth raised in a far away land that only the imagination of the reader can envision. Tribulations and intrigue abound in a format designed to entertain and teach many life lessons. Young Alexander is bereft of a terrible temper and learns self control by many examples used by Higgins in her description of his rearing. The vocabulary is enriched by using words beyond the reader's comprehension, not to frustrate, but to expand a child's horizons. There is a dictionary of definitions at the end of the book which teaches new words. The audience for this book is 9 to 12 years of age. This story is of a young lad growing up in the Caribbean Islands, who yearns to come to America and be a part of the new land of opportunity by going to college to further his education.

The Young Patriots series is designed to 'Hook' kids on History. Other titles in the series include, Amelia Earhart, Young Air Pioneer, William Henry Harrison, Young Tipp, Eddie Rickenbacker, Boy Pilot and Racer, and Mahalia Jackson, Gospel Singer to name a few of the 14 books published thus far. Gifts for birthdays, holidays, or just plain old fashioned fun reading are always good books. A present of this type instills in our youngsters the desire to appreciate reading and to treasure exemplary literature. Reasonably priced, this collection will become the foundation of a cherished library.

Clark Isaacs
Reviewer

Stories for Children Magazine 5 Star Review
Alexander Hamilton was born in 1757 on the island of Nevis in the British West Indies but, after his father's death moved, with his mother to her family's home on the Danish West Indies island of St. Croix.Receiving his earliest education at home from his mother, he later attended a small private boy's school conducted by a local minister named Knox and then came to New York colony as a young man just as the colonists were beginning to object to the heavy-handedness of the English government.The name may be somewhat familiar to us today because his picture graces our ten-dollar bill, but very few know much about him.His main claim to historic footnote fame is that he was killed by Aaron Burr in a duel.However, he accomplished much more than that in his short life (he was 49 when he was killed), and was one of our nation's most unheralded founding fathers.

As General Washington's aide-de-camp, Hamilton played a highly significant, though mostly unpublicized, role in the American Revolution.As the head of the Federalist Party, he was largely instrumental in achieving the ratification of the United States Constitution.And as President Washington's secretary of the treasury, he almost singlehandedly established the independent monetary program that guided this country for nearly 200 years, laying the groundwork for the capitalist economic system that enabled the United States to grow into the freest and most prosperous society that this world has ever known in less than 100 years.While Hamilton was not without his faults as a politician, all these are great reasons for knowing more about him and his part in our nation's past.In addition, lessons that we can learn from his young personal life include conquering fears, the value of a good education, controlling one's temper, perseverance, and the importance of hard work.

As a man, Hamilton's adult accomplishments as a military assistant to Washington, architect of the Constitution,first Secretary of the Treasury, and the face on the 10 dollar bill, were in part due to the experiences of his youth, and in Volume 14 of the Young Patriots Series, children can meet this noted personage from our nation's history as a young man. This slightly fictionalized account of Hamilton's childhood was originally one of the wonderful "Childhood of Famous Americans Series" published by the Bobbs-Merrill Company in 1942 and entitled Alec Hamilton, the Little Lion.Simon and Schuster publishes the "Childhood of Famous Americans" books now, but many of the older titles have been dropped for newer ones about more recent personalities.Thankfully, Patria Press is bringing back some of these out of print books in their "Young Patriots Series."
REVIEWED BY: Wayne S. Walker

A fun history book
Reviewed by Emily Judah (age 13) for Reader Views (5/08)

"Alexander Hamilton" is a fun book filled with the adventures of young and energetic Alexander Hamilton and his pet parrot, Hurry-Up.Alec, as his mother and friends call him, is a boy living on the island of St. Croix in the West Indies.Alec is allowed to roam free, and basically lives the life of luxury, with servants and maids to come at his every call.Alec loves to read and is fascinated with the newly-formed colonies of America which he hopes he will travel to one day.When Alec learns that he will be able to go to school, he can't wait to learn more about America and meet boys his age.The only problem is his Uncle Peter will only let him go to school, if he learns to ride a horse.Alec is terribly afraid of horses because he once fell off of one while riding.But he falls in love with the spunky little pony his uncle buys him and is soon off exploring the island with his newly-found friend.As Alec grows older he is offered an accounting job by the leading warehouse owner of the island.Alec is so smart and talented that he is soon the head accountant for the whole company.Yet Alec desperately wants to go to America and attend a university.You have to read the book to find out all of Alec's adventures and see if Alec makes it to America!

I enjoyed reading "Alexander Hamilton."I would recommend it for ages 8 to 12, as it is a pretty easy read.It is a history book that is made fun so kids can enjoy learning about history but also have fun at the same time.
... Read more

Product Description
Paperback edition of the classic Federalist Papers. Also available as digital edition for Kindle: ASIN B0037HOQFSAmazon.com Review
"This country and this people seem to have been made foreach other, and it appears as if it was the design of Providence, thatan inheritance so proper and convenient for a band of brethren... should never be split into a number of unsocial, jealous, andalien sovereignties." So wrote John Jay, one of the revolutionaryauthors of The Federalist Papers, arguing that if the UnitedStates was truly to be a single nation, its leaders would have toagree on universally binding rules of governance--in short, aconstitution. In a brilliant set of essays, Jay and his colleaguesAlexander Hamilton and James Madison explored in minute detail theimplications of establishing a kind of rule that would engage as manycitizens as possible and that would include a system of checks andbalances. Their arguments proved successful in the end, and TheFederalist Papers stand as key documents in the founding of theUnited States. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (164)

They were a gift so I can't say what the person thinks about them,just know they were please.Give you 5 stars
They werer a gift so I can't say what the person thinks of them, I do know they were please with the choice

Nothing new to add except another vote of confidence
I just want to say I am another person who has several editions of the 'Papers' and strongly believe that this is definitely the preferred one for study.Having read some of the other customer reviews, I think they have pretty much covered what makes this such a good edition.As I like this edition so much and use it regularly, I just wanted to boost the total number of positive 5 star ratings.Buy this one.I also recommend a good historical account of the writing of the 'Papers'.Libertys Blueprint: How Madison and Hamilton Wrote The Federalist, Defined the Constitution, and Made Democracy Safe for the World

Excellent Expose on the Malacca Straits Region!
This novel is highly entertaining, an is an excellent expose on the geopolitical situation in the Malacca Straits region, which is a highly important region re US interests in the world. I highly recommend this.

Into the minds of our founders
The Federalist Papers is like getting a rare glance into the minds of our founding fathers and their reasoning for the adoption of the U.S. Constitution. Each article is carefully argued and thoughtfully presented. It's the real deal.

Federalist Papers
Every American must read The US Constitution, then read The Federalist Papers to see what THE AUTHORS OF THE CONSTITUTION WERE THINKING.
The book in paper back is a real value. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A Fascinating Diary
This book is a fascinating voyage through one of the great 19th Century Southern political minds; perhaps second only to John C. Calhoun.Alexander H. Stephens was a strange little man, never weighing more than 100 pounds, and standing only 5' 7" tall; but "Little Aleck" had the heart of a lion. He was possessed of a small head with protruding ears and piercing black eyes.Trained as a lawyer, with a frail almost boyish figure, he never married and was totally devoted to his half-brother, Linton, who served in the Georgia Legislature, on the Georgia Supreme Court and as a Confederate officer, and whose family Alexander Stephens adopted as his own.
This diary covers Stephens experiences as a prisoner after the War Between the States had ended.The War basically ended in April, 1865, but Stephens who had served as the Vice President of the Confederacy, had already gone home to Crawfordville, Georgia, his home town. On May 11, 1865, Tim, one of his servants, came running into the parlor saying: "Master! Yankees have come!a whole heap are in town, galloping all about with guns." Thus Stephens, who unlike other Confederate cabinet officials had never attempted to flee to the sanctuary of another country, came to be a prisoner.He was transported to Fort Warren in Boston Harbor and thus begins this diary.
Throughout the diary, Stephens was indignant that he was even a prisoner, for in his mind (he was probably right) he had done nothing wrong. He had always acted according to the principles of the United States Constitution to which he was totally devoted. He had served 16 years in Congress and had retired in 1859, and when the War started in 1861 he was called upon to serve the Confederacy. As he repeatedly points out the States created the Federal Government, not the other way around.The Federal Government's rights were limited. He had served as a Whig in Congress in the beginning of his career and served with Lincoln who also served as a Whig in the 30th Congress in 1847, when Lincoln served his only term in Congress before becoming president in 1861. Stephens felt he knew Lincoln well and this may be one of the reasons he was elected vice president of the Confederacy, in addition to the fact that he cautioned against secession and for this reason it was felt perhaps he may have had gained some influence with Lincoln.
In any case, the diary covers everything about his life at Fort Warren, where after an initial period of discomfort and apprehension (there was the possibility he may be hanged), he was treated rather kindly by his captors. Stephens read and discusses such books as the Bible, Prescott's Conquest of Mexico, Swedenborg's Doctrine Concerning the Lord, Cicero on Duties, Cicero on Oratory, Aristotle on Economics, Aristotle on Politics, and so forth demonstrating that he was a true intellectual.He discusses the food he ate, his living conditions, and people he met and dealt with such as his guards, other prisoners, and even the little girl who was the daughter of one of his wardens who would bring him flowers and thrust her little hand through the bars to put them in a little flower pot in his cell.Stephens only spent four months and nineteen days in prison.His treatment was much less harsh than that of Jefferson Davis who served two years at Fort Monroe.In the end, like Jefferson Davis and others, he was released and not prosecuted for any offenses. It has been said this was because in truth they had committed no offenses and acted against the Federal Government in much the same way the leaders of the 13 Colonies had acted against the Crown when the 13 Colonies sought their independence from England and thus could not have been convicted of anything.
All in all, a wonderful diary; I have not enjoyed reading a diary as much since I read James Boswell's London Journal 40 years ago.

Fort Warren's last prisoner
This is a reprint of the original diary kept by Stephens while at the fort. It is the only book still in print that was written at Fort Warren. If you had a Confederate relative imprisoned at Fort Warren, this gives a terrific insight to the daily routine at the famous bastille. ... Read more

Product Description
Biographical profile of Alexander Hamilton, one of the most interesting, paradoxical, and brilliant members of our Founding Fathers. Professor Carl Rubine of Columbia University called him “the first Horatio Alger . . . the original underdog who made it.” It is hard to imagine anyone starting life with more disadvantages than he did or achieving such extraordinary success. Self-educated and possessing a superior intellect, Hamilton had a profound understanding of commerce, law, politics and international relations. Above all his communication skills, oral and written, were nonpareil. He not only established America's financial system, becoming his nation's first Secretary of the Treasury, he was responsible for penning a majority of the Federalist Papers, considered by most educators to be the finest writings on political discourse and governmental institutions in American history. It is quite likely that he also was the author of many if not most of George Washington's correspondence during the Revolutionary War. Loved and hated with equal passion, Hamilton had some glaring weaknesses and those failings produced his downfall and death at the hands of Aaron Burr. Fortunately for America, ratification of the Constitution and the creation of a strong federal government were his legacies. Award-winning author and syndicated columnist Daniel Alef, who has written more than 300 biographical profiles of America’s greatest tycoons, brings out the story of Hamilton, his remarkable achievements and his ultimate tragedy. [1,399-word Titans of Fortune article] ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Well written biographical sketch
This was a well written and approachable sketch of Hamilton. I can only point out that perhaps Alef could have addressed more clearly and emphatically Hamilton's greatest faults: women, the propensity to say exactly what was on his mind no matter the cost, and the potential for arrogantly believing he, and he alone, had all the answers.

This article deserves much more than the 1-star rating given it by the last reviewer. 5 stars for being approachable, easy to read, and informative.

Not worth the read
This is a synopsis or summary that is probably essay length.It is also glowing, effusive, and comes off as hyperbole in places.Reminds me of a lazy highschool student's book report. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

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The Federalist Papers serve as a primary source for interpretation of the Constitution, as they outline the philosophy and motivation of the proposed system of government. The authors of the Federalist Papers wanted both to influence the vote in favor of ratification and to shape future interpretations of the Constitution. According to historian Richard B. Morris, they are an "incomparable exposition of the Constitution, a classic in political science unsurpassed in both breadth and depth by the product of any later American writer." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Seminal work in all of history
Most would say, "all of US history."

No, these writings transcend continent and century.These papers are singularly important in the scope of human history.

Sure, the writing is dry by modern standards.I don't talk this way; neither does anyone else I know.

Just take the time to understand.It's worth the effort. ... Read more

Product Description
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. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A MASTERFUL MIXTURE OF THE PERSONAL AND POLITICAL
In the bibliography of this book Mr. Flexner wrote that he felt that the real Hamilton had become obscured through the years through the writings of people who were either too fawning or too critical, depending on their political biases. Mr. Flexner therefore tried to get back to original sources as much as possible. Reading quotations from Hamilton's correspondence is one of the great pleasures of this book. But there are many things that make this book special. The author has a smooth, easy-to-read style. I have read elsewhere, in connection with one of Mr. Flexner's volumes on George Washington, someone complaining that the style is stilted or "old-fashioned." I heartily disagree with that criticism. Mr. Flexner was born in 1908 and this book was first published when the author was 70, but there is nothing "old-fashioned" about the prose. The style is actually quite modern. Another thing I enjoyed about the book was that the author went into the psychiatric reasons for Hamilton's sometimes aggressive and impulsive behavior, but he did so in a reasonable manner. You didn't feel as though you were being bludgeoned with analytical arguments but Mr. Flexner "gently" gave some commonsense and logical reasons for why Hamilton behaved the way he did e.g.-the stigma of his illegitimate birth, his mother's irresponsible behavior, being brought up in the West Indies and being left to basically fend for himself at an early age, etc.

I also enjoyed the way Mr. Flexner concentrated on Hamilton's service as aide-de-camp to George Washington during the Revolutionary War. There is a lot of interesting military history here, dealing with the battles fought on Long Island and in Trenton and Princeton and Monmouth, as well as Yorktown. There are wonderful gems of information, such as Washington's propensity to lose his temper amongst his close aides, when he wasn't on "public view" and felt that he could "let his hair down" a bit. Other interesting scenes include: at the Battle of Princeton where a patriot cannonball went through the window of Princeton college and slammed into a portrait of George II that was hanging on the wall, "decapitating" the king. (The patriots took the portrait down and "repaired" it by having an artist paint a scene with George Washington in it!); The Battle of Trenton, where the patriot army celebrated by drinking up the liquor the Hessians had left behind. Washington wanted to pursue the Hessians but was forced to give up on the idea as his men were in no shape to do anymore fighting!; Finally, in the section dealing with the Battle of Yorktown, Mr. Flexner mentions that shortly before the battle word had spread that a British force, led by Benedict Arnold no less, had been so upset by the strong resistance they had encountered in trying to take a fortress in New London, Connecticut, that the British had executed the men who had wanted to surrender to them when the fighting was over. The patriot army at Yorktown wanted to get revenge on the British and Washington had to give a speech before the battle that he basically didn't want his men to "lower themselves" to that level. If British troops wanted to surrender the surrender should be accepted and they should be taken prisoner. The troops did obey Washington's directive...

On a final note, I felt Mr. Flexner was very fair in this book. The author looked at Hamilton from all angles and praised the good things about him- his intelligence and hard work and sincere interest in doing what he felt was good for the future of the country- but also criticized his sometimes rash and impulsive behavior, and the author didn't gloss over Hamilton's general disdain for humanity!

This was a really excellent book and well-worth your time.

Well written bio captures Hamilton's romantic character
Flexner vividly recounts Hamiltons life and career through age 26. This reads like Dickens writing history - from Hamilton's miserable, impoverished home life until age 10, his teenage life in his adoptedcountry, (America), his career in the Continental Army, his love forElizabeth Schuyler.

Flexner Brings the young Hamilton to life throughhis letters and actions in the revolution. This book has a vividness thatis remarkable. The famous and not so famous participants in the story cometo life also - George Washington, The Marquis de Lafayette, ElizabethSchuyler Hamilton, etc.

This book has been criticized for being overly"psycological". This aspect is not over done. Simply put, this isa great story - well told, well researched. Highly recommended. ... Read more

Product Description
Of all of the Founding Fathers of the American republic none, with the possible exception of Thomas Jefferson, has evoked more passions and aroused more controversy than Alexander Hamilton.

In this absorbing new biography, eminent historian Lawrence Kaplan examines Hamilton’s conception of America’s role in the world and the foreign policies that followed from his vision.Kaplan looks at how Hamilton acted upon his views in shaping the course of American foreign relations.

The author provides a focused, accessible biography of Hamilton and a nuanced assessment of his impact on Federalist Era foreign policy.In the Jefferson-Jackson era Hamilton’s persona as an elitist urban aristocrat condemned him as an enemy of an expanding democratic America—an Anglophile at a time when Great Britain was the major adversary.Such was his reputation as an enemy of the common man that his deep-seated opposition to the institution of slavery won little recognition from northern abolitionists.

This book will fascinate readers with its insights into Hamilton and the formative years of the United States of America. ... Read more