Reviews for Lee the American

The average rating for Lee the American based on 2 reviews is 3.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2020-09-24 00:00:00 Teck Li Andrew Koh A very interesting charting of Alexander Hamilton's reputation in America from his death in 1804 to the modern day (wrapping up in 2002, when the book was published). I was very intrigued by Knott's method of charting the highs and lows (okay, mostly lows) of how Hamilton is viewed by Americans and comparing it to how Thomas Jefferson's reputation was viewed. To be honest, Jefferson has had much better press over the centuries. Again, the study wrapped up at the dawn of the 21st century, well before the phenomenon of Lin-Manuel Miranda's Hamilton: An American Musical catapulted Alexander Hamilton to veritable stardom in the eyes of the American people. One almost wishes that Knott could write one more chapter for this book, to bring his thoughts on Hamilton and his reputation to the present. To be honest, the book was a bit dry in places, but for the most part, I enjoyed it. Not for the casual reader, but someone who has a really deep, abiding interest in the subject of the historical Hamilton.

Review # 2 was written on 2021-03-05 00:00:00 Arnold Sanchez First off all, mad respect for the amount of research this author has done on the book. This must have taken a lot of time and is something I applaud. The book gives an honest view of Hamilton, who seemed to have been a forgotten founding father. The book is an account of quotations from people over the course of history, about Hamilton and how they viewed him. The book also explains why Hamilton was so important for America as it is today. About halfway it gets a little bit repetitive, but the authors more than redeems himself again towards the end.