The Duel: The Parallel Lives of Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr

by Judith St. George Narrated by John H. Mayer

Overview

In curiously parallel lives, Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr were both orphaned at an early age. Both were brilliant students who attended college - one at Princeton, the other at Columbia - and studied law. Both were young staff officers under General George Washington, and both became war heroes. Politics beckoned them, and each served in the newly formed government of the fledgling nation. Why, then, did these two face each other at dawn in a duel that ended with death for one and opprobrium for the other?

Judith St. George's lively biography, told in alternating chapters, brings to life two complex men who played major roles in the formation of the United States.

Editorial Reviews

Horn Book

St. George employs the dual biography format with facility and flair, bringing these two historical figures to life.

Booklist

Well researched and organized, the book offers insights into the personalities, lives, and times of Burr and Hamilton. A fine choice . . .

School Library Journal

Gr 5-9–Early in the morning on June 11, 1804, Aaron Burr shot and killed Alexander Hamilton. Both men were prominent citizens of the infant United States of America–Burr, indeed, was the vice president–but while Hamilton was lionized, Burr was vilified for the rest of his life. Interestingly, this marked the parting of ways in two lives that were remarkably similar. Both men had been orphaned young; both were excellent, driven students; both men had served on the staff of General George Washington during the Revolutionary War; both were lawyers in New York City; and both were deeply involved in politics. In the course of 25 years, their life paths crossed time and again, culminating in a tragic duel, as senseless as it was damaging for both parties. St. George does an excellent job of presenting the stories of the two men, informed by particulars that give a sense of character as well as of the historical milieu. Readers who like historical fiction will find this equally intriguing and approachable. The nine chapters, chronologically organized and compellingly written, move along smoothly to the inevitable, but still distressing, end. Similar in content to Dennis Brindell Fradin’s excellent Duel! Burr and Hamilton’s Deadly War of Words (Walker, 2008), St. George’s book has a bit more background on both men. Given its illustrative content, Fradin’s title will move better with younger readers, but most collections could use both volumes.–Ann Welton, Helen B. Stafford Elementary, Tacoma, WA

Kirkus Reviews

This briskly paced, concise dual biography of Burr and Hamilton highlights the remarkable parallels the men shared: Both were orphaned at a young age; both attended the same New Jersey academy; both were brilliant students, attending college and earning law degrees; both were heroes in the American Revolution; both served on George Washington's staff; both would play prominent roles in the fledgling United States government. St. George effectively demonstrates how similar Burr and Hamilton were in personality-deeply driven, ambitious, arrogant men who proved to be thin-skinned when it came to the nastiness endemic to political and professional competition. Their lives were intertwined for 25 years in war, in legal practice, in business dealings and as bitter political rivals. The parallel narratives alternate smoothly, with a silhouette of the subject clearly indicating transitions. The author's ability to lucidly explain the political intricacies of the time is impressive, revealing to readers that politics were as ugly, if not uglier, in the nation's earliest days as they are now. (Biography. 12 & up)

From the Publisher

"Well researched and organized, the book offers insights into the personalities, lives, and times of Burr and Hamilton. A fine choice . . ."--Booklist

"St. George employs the dual biography format with facility and flair, bringing these two historical figures to life."—Horn Book

"This well-researched book includes an excellent bibliography and a fairly thorough index. It would be useful in a school setting, not only as a dual biography but also as an introduction to life, culture, and the politicalsystem in the United States in the late 1700s."—Children's Literature

"Well researched and even uses some primary sources, which helps readers get a real sense of who Hamilton and Burr really were and the impact their lives had on American history."--VOYA

"St. George does an excellent job of presenting the stories of the two men . . . Readers who like historical fiction will find this equally intriguing and approachable."—School Library Journal

"The author's ability to lucidly explain the political intricacies of the time is impressive, revealing to readers that politics were as ugly, if not uglier, in the nation's earliest days as they are now."—Kirkus Reviews

OCTOBER 2016 - AudioFile

John H. Mayer’s narration of this engaging chronicle of Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr brings to mind a fireside storyteller recounting an oft-told tale. His tone strikes an excellent balance between solemn and conversational, showing a reverence for both men and a lighthearted sense of humor in recounting their human flaws. However, even when the narrative moves quickly, giving it great potential to draw young readers into the current wave of interest surrounding both historical figures, Mayer’s pacing remains slow and measured. Furthermore, he misses the opportunity to convey the high stakes of the infamous duel to which the audiobook owes its title. E.M.C. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine

Product Details

BN ID:	2940169324341
Publisher:	Penguin Random House
Publication date:	10/04/2016
Edition description:	Unabridged

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