Here’s what we suggest in addition to reading Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow and listening to Hamilton the musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda. Listen to the podcast to hear us talk about some of these titles in more depth!
Don’t Be Shocked When Your History Book Mentions Me
(Narrative Nonfiction/Group Biographies)
- American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America by Colin Woodard
- America’s Women: 400 Years of Dolls, Drudges, Helpmates, and Heroines by Gail Collins
- Assassination Vacation by Sarah Vowell
- Dinner at Mr. Jefferson’s: Three Men, Five Great Wines, and the Evening that Changed America by Charles Cerami
- Duel With the Devil: The True Story of How Alexander Hamilton & Aaron Burr Teamed Up To Take on America’s First Sensational Murder Mystery by Paul Collins
- Founding Mothers: The Women Who Raised Our Nation by Cokie Roberts
- George Washington’s Secret Six: The Spy Ring that Saved the American Revolution by Brian Kilmeade & Don Yaeger
- The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family by Annette Gordon-Reed
- Jefferson and Hamilton: The Rivalry that Forged a Nation by John Ferling
- Male-Male Intimacy in Early America: Beyond Romantic Friendships by William Benemann
- A People’s History of the United States: 1492-Present by Howard Zinn
- Revolutionary Medicine: The Founding Fathers and Mothers in Sickness and in Health by Jeanne Abrams
- Revolutionary Mothers: Women in the Struggle for America’s Independence by Carol Berkin
- Scorpion Tongues: Gossip, Celebrity, and American Politics by Gail Collins
- Women of the Republic: Intellect and Ideology in Revolutionary America by Linda Kerber
Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story?
(Biographies/Memoirs)
- Abigail Adams: A Life by Woody Holton
- American Sphinx: The Character of Thomas Jefferson by Joseph Ellis
- Bad Boy: A Memoir by Walter Dean Myers
- Becoming Madison: The Extraordinary Origins of the Least Likely Founding Father by Michael Signer
- Georgiana: Duchess of Devonshire by Amanda Foreman
- Hole in My Life by Jack Gantos
- The Immortal Irishman: The Irish Revolutionary Who Became an American Hero by Timothy Egan
- John Adams by David McCullough
- Lafayette in the Somewhat United States by Sarah Vowell
- Martha Washington: An American Life by Patricia Brady
- My Beloved World by Sonia Sotomayor
- Washington: A Life by Ron Chernow
Take a Break
(Fiction With a #HamVibe)
- Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz (read by Lin-Manuel Miranda)
- The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation by M. T. Anderson
- Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel
- Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson
- Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
- In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez
- Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
- No Crystal Stair: A Documentary Novel of The Life and Work of Lewis Michaux, Harlem Bookseller by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson
- One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia
- Patriot Hearts: A Novel of the Founding Mothers by Barbara Hambly
- Proxy by Alex London
- Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly
- The Time-Traveling Fashionista at the Palace of Marie Antoinette by Bianca Turetsky
- Wolf by the Ears by Ann Rinaldi
- Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
LMM On Your Side
(Works By or Publicly Endorsed By Lin-Manuel Miranda)
- Affairs of Honor: National Politics in the New Republic by Joanne Freeman
- Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow
- Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation by Joseph Ellis
- Hamilton: The Revolution by Lin-Manuel Miranda & Jeremy McCarter
- The Heartbreak of Aaron Burr by H. W. Brands
- My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok
What Time Is It? Showtime!
(Musicals By or Publicly Endorsed By Lin-Manuel Miranda)
- Bring It On: The Musical (Original Broadway Cast Recording)
- Camelot (Original Broadway Cast Recording)
- Evita (Movie)
- Hamilton (Original Broadway Cast Recording)
- In The Heights (Original Broadway Cast Recording)
- Jesus Christ Superstar (Movie)
- The Last Five Years (Off-Broadway Cast Recording)
- Les Miserables (Original Broadway Cast Recording)
- Rent (Original Broadway Cast Recording)
The Other 51
(Historical Record)
- Alexander Hamilton at the New York Historical Society
- The Federalist Papers by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay
- Writings by Alexander Hamilton
Everybody’s Dancin’ And The Band’s Top Volume
(Books on Music & Musicals)
- Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop: A History of the Hop-Hop Generation by Jeff Chang
- Decoded by Jay-Z
- Dramarama by E. Lockhart
- Finishing the Hat: Collected Lyrics (1954-1981) with Attendant Comments, Principles, Heresies, Grudges, Whines and Anecdotes by Stephen Sondheim
- Home: A Memoir of My Early Years by Julie Andrews
- Joy Ride: Show People & Their Shows by John Lahr
- Look, I Made a Hat: Collected Lyrics (1981-2011) with Attendant Comments, Amplifications, Dogmas, Harangues, Digressions, Anecdotes and Miscellany by Stephen Sondheim
- Our Musicals, Ourselves: A Social History of the American Musical Theatre by John Bush Jones
- The Rap Year Book: The Most Important Rap Song From Every Year Since 1979, Discussed, Debated, and Deconstructed by Shea Serrano
- Razzle Dazzle: The Battle for Broadway by Michael Riedel
- Rent by Jonathan Larson
- The Secret Life of the American Musical: How Broadway Shows Are Built by Jack Viertel
- Showtime: A History of the Broadway Musical Theater by Larry Stempel
- Sister Mischief by Laura Goode
- Strippers, Showgirls, and Sharks: A Very Opinionated History of the Broadway Musicals That Did Not Win the Tony Award by Peter Filichia
Skill With a Quill
(Comics)
- The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi
- Drama by Raina Telgemeier
- Economix: How Our Economy Works (And Doesn’t Work) In Words & Pictures by Michael Goodwin & Dan Burr
- Hark! A Vagrant by Kate Beaton
- Hip Hop Family Tree by Ed Piskor
- The Influencing Machine: Brooke Gladstone On The Media by Brooke Gladstone & Josh Neufeld
- Nothing Can Possibly Go Wrong by Prudence Shen & Faith Erin Hicks
- Prez by Mark Russell & Ben Caldwell
- Step Aside, Pops by Kate Beaton
- Taxes, the Tea Party, and Those Revolting Rebels: A History in Comics of the American Revolution by Stan Mack
- Unterzakhn by Leela Corman
- 101 Artists To Listen To Before You Die by Ricardo Cavolo
* Worst Bestsellers is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
(But no pressure, we’re also happy if you get these items from your local library or independent bookstore.)
