If you like Revolutionary War history, this is a well-researched book that deals specifically with America’s early economic system, and specifically Alexander Hamilton’s role in creating it.

This isn’t as exciting as a lot of history from this era, which is to be expected considering the topic, but even for those (like me) who love the history of this era but aren’t especially interested in finance and the economy, it’s fairly readable and not too drinking, though I think it’s a tad overlong and could have used a bit tighter editing.

This is a good companion book to the more glamorous accounts of Hamilton’s contributions to early America, and likely won’t appeal if you’re just, say, a big fan of the Hamilton musical, but definitely worth a read if you like to nerd out over early American history even if you’re not especially intrigued by economic theory and practice.

I was provided an ARC of the audiobook in exchange for my honest review, which I am all too happy to give.

I have never read any work by this author before, but I am always drawn to books that are willing to delve into the parts of history that are usually not discussed. With the renewed interest in Alexander Hamilton after the musical, I wanted to see what Hogeland would bring to the table.


I was surprised to see so much detail and storytelling revolving around Herman Husband in this book. I only had a basic understanding of his importance in the time. It was nice to be able to have a better idea of how he fit into the landscape of the unstable early years of America, however I feel like there were times where the author lost sight of the purpose of his book and wanted to have Husband become the main character. There were many details and stories of Husband that did not lend any further understanding to Hamilton and his plans for the American government.

I think this book could have benefited from another round of editing to keep the information more streamlined. Reading the book, especially in the second half, it felt much longer than it actually was.

That said, I did enjoy the book, I learned a lot of new details I did not know and I appreciated showing the founding fathers in a more realistic light than a lot of people are willing to. These were men who wanted freedom, but wanted nothing more than to protect their own power and wealth.

Also, while I did have to speed up the audiobook, the narrator did do a great job. While keeping a consistent rhythm, it never felt monotone.

DNF at 63%.

I've read many a book on the founding fathers and Hamilton especially. I read Ron Chernow's biography of the man years before Lin Manuel-Miranda brought Hamilton's life to the forefront. I've studied economics and enjoyed it, so why not take a deep dive into how Hamilton essentially set up this country's economy?

I stopped and started this audiobook MANY times because 1) sometimes authors shouldn't narrate their own book despite being wholly invested in the subject and 2) sometimes leaving minutiae out and not going off on tangents makes a book better.

The founding of our country and how it came to be a success is one of my favorite topic to delve into. Sadly, this book was BORING. I've made rules for myself to get out of books at around the 30% mark if I'm not enjoying them, so the fact that I gave this book until the 2/3 mark is pretty good.

Thanks to NetGalley and Tantor Audio for the digital copy of this audiobook. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

THIS is the Hamilton story that needs made into a film! As a whole I believe we have all been in the throes of Hamilton: The Musical and have missed out on a great deal of the brilliance and strife of Hamilton’s life and mind. This book gave some fascinating insight into the sides of Alexander Hamilton the musical fails to acknowledge, for better or worse. The author narrates the audiobook and he did a fantastic job. I did find I had to listen at 1.75 rather than my usual 1.5, as he spoke on the slower side but rather clearly so I was able to speed it up and not miss anything.

I recommend this look into Hamilton’s mind and his dramatic involvement in the creation of the America we know today to any and all fans of American history.

Behind the myth, Alexander Hamilton developed a visionary yet polarizing economic blueprint which spurred explosive growth and bitter battles over democracy itself. This portrayal of Hamilton and those who opposed him reveals the conflict between the American oligarchy and the everyday Americans who fought for the rights of full citizenship.

This compelling audiobook is brilliantly narrated by the author. It’s interesting, informative, and easy to read. I enjoyed the human stories and the intellectual debates that helped forge the early United States.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.