Broadus Mitchell (1892–1988)

Broadus Mitchell was an economics professor at Johns Hopkins, Occidental College, New York University, Rutgers and Hofstra who wrote extensively on American history. His two favorite subjects were the economic history of the South and Alexander Hamilton. He wrote a two-volume biography of Hamilton, followed by four more books on the Founding Father which focused on more specific area of his life.

This book is a concise version of his two-volume magnum opus. Now, there are good and bad things about this book. It is a well-written and extensively researched book by a true expert on the subject. The biggest downside is that the book really gets very dry in the middle (about 100 pages or so) when discussing Hamilton's economic policy. And while this is a 'concise' biography, it is still nearly four hundred pages. So if you're looking for a brief tome which you can read in one sitting, this isn't it. Mitchell also doesn't attempt to hide his admiration of Hamilton.

All in all, a good introduction to Hamilton, which will help you decide if you'd like to read more about him.… (mere)