Alexander Hamilton: Ambivalent Anglophile

This briskly written volume is an important contribution to the never-ending debate over early American foreign policy. Kaplan clearly demonstrates that while Alexander Hamilton revered British political institutions, this by no means meant that he was prepared to endorse or accept British policies. Like his great enemy, Thomas Jefferson, Hamilton believed that ‘the survival and prosperity of the United States rested on independence from the great powers of Europe.’ Kaplan by no means ignores Hamilton’s flaws, but his analysis convincingly shows us that Hamilton was indeed an ‘ambiguous anglophile.’ — Bradford Perkins, University of Michigan

From Kaplan’s years of scholarly immersion in the foreign policy of the early Republic comes a masterpiece of clarity and insight into one of its most controversial framers. Alexander Hamilton: Ambivalent Anglophile is a fresh and long-overdue appraisal that distills the insights of an eminent scholar. The dean of historians in his field, Kaplan has captured the essence of Hamilton’s personality and place in the strife-torn issues of foreign policy. — Peter Hill, George Washington University