SALT LAKE CITY — Although Lin Manuel Miranda's Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning musical "Hamilton" left Utah on May 6, Alexander Hamilton and his crowd are just a library visit or bookstore away with these 15 books. We've put together a mix of nonfiction and historical fiction to help ease your "Hamilton" blues.
Fiction
"THE HAMILTON AFFAIR: A Novel," by Elizabeth Cobbs, Arcade Publishing, 433 pages (f)
This historical novel takes true events and uses them to paint a deeper picture of Hamilton as a husband and father through a retelling of the relationship between Alexander and his wife, Eliza. Publisher's Weekly wrote that Cobbs' "depiction of Hamilton will endear him in the hearts of readers and shed light on one of the most misunderstood figures in American history and the woman who shared his life.”
"ALEX & ELIZA: A Love Story,” by Melissa de la Cruz, G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers, 368 pages (f)
This is the first of New York Times best-selling YA author Melissa de la Cruz's Alex & Eliza series. Of this imagined account of the unlikely love story between a bastard orphan and a distinguished young woman, RT Book Reviews wrote, “De la Cruz expertly expounds on the articulate, impressive Alex and intelligent, passionate Eliza, bringing them to life in a skillful, genuine way.”
"LOVE & WAR: An Alex & Eliza Story," by Melissa de la Cruz, G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers, 384 pages (f)
The sequel to “Alex & Eliza: A Love Story,” "Love & War" moves on from the whirlwind romance to the couple's new marriage as they learn more of each other and struggle through the heady early days of the country's birth.
"MY DEAR HAMILTON: A Novel of Eliza Schuyler Hamilton," by Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie, William Morrow Paperbacks, 672 pages (f)
This historical novel tells the story of Elizabeth "Eliza" Schuyler Hamilton. Co-written by Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie, the novel details Eliza's struggles — both personal and public — before, during and after her relationship with Alexander.
"HAMILTON AND PEGGY!: A Revolutionary Friendship," by L.M. Elliott, Katherine Tegen Books, 448 pages (f)
Although the third Schuyler sister introduces herself in "Hamilton" with a perfunctory, "And Peggy!" this historical novel gives readers a backstory for Margaret, i.e. Peggy, Schuyler. As she and her two sisters navigate life during the Revolutionary War, Peggy becomes friends with a young Alexander Hamilton who asks her to help him woo her sister — his future wife.
“CITY OF LIARS AND THIEVES," by Eve Karlin, Alibi, 266 pages, (f)
A fictitious take on the murder trial that resulted in the unlikely pairing of Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr, told by the murder victim’s cousin. Crime Fiction Lover called this book, "a well-researched, minutely plotted piece of work that will appeal to lovers of historical crime set in the New World. It offers a sharply focused sense of place and period and shines a spotlight on a dark and largely forgotten piece of New York history, making for a worthy debut.”
"I, ELIZA HAMILTON," by Susan Holloway Scott, Kensington, 400 pages (f)
Eliza Hamilton asks at the end of "Hamilton," "And when my time is up, have I done enough? Will they tell my story?" Scott's historical novel answers "yes" to both questions, giving readers the story of Eliza's ups and downs during her relationship with Alexander Hamilton. Publisher's Weekly wrote that, "Readers will be captivated by the affecting portrait Scott has painted of Eliza as an American patriot who was witness and counsel to Alexander’s enduring legacy.”
"THE DUEL: The Parallel Lives of Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr," by Judith St. George, Speak, 112 page (f)
Judith St. George's YA novel alternates between the stories of Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr, giving readers greater insight into their differing personalities and the political world that surrounded them, eventually leading to their fateful duel. Children's Literature wrote, "This well-researched book … would be useful in a school setting, not only as a dual biography but also as an introduction to life, culture, and the political system in the United States in the late 1700s."
Nonfiction
"ALEXANDER HAMILTON, REVOLUTIONARY," by Martha Brockenbrough, Feiwel & Friends, 384 pages (nf)
This in-depth, young people's biography of Alexander Hamilton is informed by Hamilton’s own writings and thorough research. A starred review from the School Library Journal calls the book "a highly enjoyable, well-researched biography of Alexander Hamilton that both applauds his significant accomplishments and highlights his flaws."
"ALEXANDER HAMILTON," by Ron Chernow, Penguin Books, 832 page (nf)
The one that started it all. Lin-Manuel Miranda was vacationing in Mexico when he read Chernow's Pulitzer Prize-winning historical tome, sparking the idea that Founding Father Alexander Hamilton would make an excellent subject for a musical.
“DUEL WITH THE DEVIL: The True Story of How Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr Teamed Up to Take on America’s First Sensational Murder Mystery,” by Paul Collins, 304 pages (nf)
Most people know the story of Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr dueling each other, but what many may not know is that, years before, Hamilton and Burr teamed up to defend murder suspect Levi Weeks in a highly sensational case. Although the case garnered only brief mention in "Hamilton," writer Paul Collins fleshes out the story of this 200-year-old cold case.
“THE QUARTET: Orchestrating the Second American Revolution, 1783-1789,” Joseph J. Ellis, Vintage, 320 pages (nf)
Pulitzer Prize–winning American historian Joseph J. Ellis digs into the history of the years between the end of the Revolutionary War and the formation of America's new federal government. Focusing on the collaboration and work of James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, John Jay and George Washington, Ellis shows how these men shaped America after the revolution.
“THE FEDERALIST PAPERS,” by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and John Jay, 208 pages (nf)
You can read pages and pages about Alexander Hamilton, but why not gain insight into his life by reading something he wrote? James Madison, John Jay and Hamilton penned these 85 articles that continue to influence American political theory.
"HAMILTON: The Revolution," by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Jeremy McCarter, Grand Central Publishing, 288 pages (nf)
This "Hamilton" history book details how creator Lin-Manuel Miranda and his team turned one of our lesser-known Founding Fathers into a national sensation over the course of six years of development. Cultural critic and writer Jeremy McCarter, who was involved with "Hamilton" from its earliest stages, joined Miranda in writing about the ups and downs of the musical's remarkable rise.
“WAR OF TWO: Alexander Hamilton, Aaron Burr, and the Duel that Stunned the Nation,” by John Sedgwick, Berkley, 480 pages, (nf)
This historical investigation looks more thoroughly into the rivalry between Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr. Although letters between Burr and Hamilton suggest their fateful duel was fought over a disagreement at a dinner party, Sedgwick offers that the duel was fought over something more serious — a threat to the newly formed nation.