12 Read Alikes for Fans of Hamilton
I have yet to see Hamilton, I know how so many people have been excited for its release on Disney+. I’m a huge fan of musicals both theatre and movie versions. And I greatly admire Lin Manuel Miranda’s work, so I’m excited to sit down and watch it, eventually! And I would love to read more about Hamilton. I don’t know a lot about Hamilton except for his duel with Aaron Burr and I’d really like to learn more. Today I’m sharing 12 Read Alikes for Fans of Hamilton.
My partner actually shared this article with me and I thought it was pertinent to share as well. Like all historical pieces, this play is one person/team’s interpretation of history. Every interpretation must leave something out, that’s how a story is created. Although we are unsure as to whether or not Hamilton ever owned slaves, the family he married into were one of the largest slave-owning families in New York.
This is a part of history our country is continuing to address. As Black Lives Matter protests continue across our country, as statues are being taken down of men who supported and upheld slavery, can we be Hamilton fans this lens? Can we appreciate the art of the musical, while also acknowledging that Hamilton and the other Founding Fathers created a country where the effects of slavery are still felt today?
Art is created through a specific lens, especially where history is involved. And we need to be aware that there is often much of the story that we don’t see. I think you can appreciate the musical and still want a more equal way of life in the 21st century.
12 Read Alikes for Fans of Hamilton
If you want to learn more about who Alexander Hamilton was, enjoy hip hop and slam poetry, or want to learn more about the time period, check out these books!
- Aaron and Alexander: The Most Famous Duel in American History by Don Brown
- Alex and Eliza by Melissa de la Cruz
- Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow
- Alexander Hamilton: The Outsider by Jean Fritz, illustrated by Ian Schoenherr
- Eliza: The Story of Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton by Margaret McNamara, illustrated by Esme Shapiro
- Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson
- Hamilton and Peggy!: A Revolutionary Friendship by L.M. Elliott
- The Notorious Benedict Arnold: a True Story of Adventure, Heroism, and Treachery by Steve Sheinkin
- On The Come Up by Angie Thomas
- The Poet Slave of Cuba: A Biography of Juan Francisco Manzano by Margarita Engle, Sean Qualls
- The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo
- Worst of Friends: Thomas Jefferson, John Adams and the True Story of an American Feud by Suzanne Tripp Jurmain, illustrated by Larry Day
Are you looking for even more titles? Check out the Barnes & Noble blog!
