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genius_koala's review
2.0
1.5 stars rounded up in this case, mostly out of respect for the amount of research. The author does a good job of painting a picture of New York during Hamilton's lifetime, but given the lack of primary sources, a picture of the main is near impossible. I think the author set himself up for failure in this case by over promising.
lulureads365's review
4.0
Jeremiah G. Hamilton was a beast! They didn't like him because he came from out of nowhere and beat them at their own game! I have so much respect for Shane White for basically making something out of nothing. He searched through newspaper articles and was able to give us a picture of this forgotten (intentional?) historical figure. Although I learned a lot, Hamilton is still somewhat enigmatic.
clairebear23's review against another edition
challenging
informative
medium-paced
5.0
White begins this book with the qualification that historians try to not speculate too much on why people did what they did when there is not written or known evidence to support their argument. But this does not stop White from engaging in thoughtful discussion about what actions could mean and always concedes when he simply does not know.
This book isn't just about Jeremiah G. Hamilton. It's also about race and the rise of capitalism in one of the world's best known cities. I learned a lot while reading this book and I really enjoyed it.
This book isn't just about Jeremiah G. Hamilton. It's also about race and the rise of capitalism in one of the world's best known cities. I learned a lot while reading this book and I really enjoyed it.
lulureads365's review against another edition
4.0
Jeremiah G. Hamilton was a beast! They didn't like him because he came from out of nowhere and beat them at their own game! I have so much respect for Shane White for basically making something out of nothing. He searched through newspaper articles and was able to give us a picture of this forgotten (intentional?) historical figure. Although I learned a lot, Hamilton is still somewhat enigmatic.
whatsheread's review against another edition
I really wanted to love this fascinating story of a black man who managed to break the racial barriers to become one of the wealthiest men of his generation. Unfortunately, while the facts are interesting, they were put together in such a way that I found myself unable to read more than a page at a time without falling asleep. Hamilton lived quite the life for a free black man, but the actual specifics are frustratingly few. This leads to more speculation that one might like about a subject who was a frequent visitor to the New York court system. Mr. White does an adequate job of presenting the barriers Hamilton faced but all in all, this is a disappointing snoozefest.
maebinnig's review
3.0
I don't think anyone could possibly have written a better biography of Mr. Hamilton, and "the black man" (as Mr. White calls him countless times) himself is to be commended for making his way so well in a society that was completely set up against him. But...this is some REALLY dry reading.
The research is meticulous, but even the most thorough historian can't find records that don't exist--and, as White reminds us over and over, Jeremiah G. Hamilton's past is pretty spotty. We don't get any of the detail that good biographies use to bring their subjects to life. Instead, White is forced to fill the gaps with general historical information about the time period or area. It's interesting, and it's well written, but it's definitely not exciting. No one is going to come away from this wondering why this is the first biography of Hamilton; rather, they might wonder what compelled the author to write it in the first place.
(I received this book for free through a Goodreads giveaway.)
The research is meticulous, but even the most thorough historian can't find records that don't exist--and, as White reminds us over and over, Jeremiah G. Hamilton's past is pretty spotty. We don't get any of the detail that good biographies use to bring their subjects to life. Instead, White is forced to fill the gaps with general historical information about the time period or area. It's interesting, and it's well written, but it's definitely not exciting. No one is going to come away from this wondering why this is the first biography of Hamilton; rather, they might wonder what compelled the author to write it in the first place.
(I received this book for free through a Goodreads giveaway.)
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