How Alexander Hamilton Screwed Up America

By: Brion McClanahan

Narrated by: Thomas Rosenfeld

He is the star of a hit Broadway musical, the face on the 10-dollar bill, and a central figure among the founding fathers. But do you really know Alexander Hamilton?

Rather than lionize Hamilton, Americans should carefully consider his most significant and ultimately detrimental contribution to modern society: the shredding of the United States Constitution.

Connecting the dots between Hamilton's invention of implied powers in 1791 to transgender bathrooms and same-sex marriage two centuries later, Brion McClanahan shows the origins of our modern federal leviathan.

©2017 Brion McClanahan (P)2017 Audible, Inc.

awesome

very well narrated and written. very insightful. awesome! i would reccomend to all that this be listened to or read.

As long as he could hold a pen, he was a threat

The popularity of the musical "Hamilton", featuring many people who looked nothing like the historical people they portrayed, brought Alexander Hamilton back into the forefront of popular conversation. Having never seen the musical, I can not attest to its quality. What I can attest to is the quality of this book...and it is considerable.

McClanahan is good writer, and obviously a very intelligent and educated man. This both works for and against the average reader of this book. The book is full of carnage Hamilton left of what started as a compact of sovereign states, and has been transformed into a monolithic imperial superstate, largely following the playbook Hamilton laid out before his death in 1804.

McClanahan spends considerable time discussing events that took place after Hamilton left the scene, including the actions of the odious John Marshall. When discussing the details of court cases that developed such ideas as incorporation of the Bill of Rights, the proposition nation myth, and other landmarks...the book can get a little dry. And for the life of me, I cannot understand how narrators can read a book and mispronounce words. Not names, common words. Doesn't anyone listen to these books before they are put on the site? It's annoying.

All in all, a recommended book that isn't as good as "9 Presidents Who Screwed Up America", but is a worthwhile book in its own right.

Not in the 3x5 card of allowable opinion

The true United States was supposed to be a diverse group of sovereign states answerable to their respective diverse populations. Nationalism has not only destroyed that state sovereignty, but also the liberties of its citizens. With an out-of-control swamp of corruption in DC using divide and conquer tactics to take revenge on the disenfranchised every election cycle, the outcome of nationalism is clear: We traded one tyrant 3,000 miles away for 3,000 tyrants one mile away. The Constitution has been unable to prevent the perversions foisted upon it.

The USA can be great again

This book is one of many that describes the original intent of the US Constitution and how that has been distorted by history and politicians to subdue the States and their citizens. A good read.

Exposing the Snake in the Grass

Dr. McClanahan's exposition of how and by whom the American general government began its downhill slide to what it is today is an absolutely riveting listen. Especially powerful is the book in conjunction with the companion course offered through McClanahan Academy. Hamilton set the precedent that would be embraced, followed, and magnified by one president after another, leading to today's imperial presidency and the general government's almost total dominion over nearly every facet and minutiae of an individual's life.

Excellent work by Mr. McClanahan

The reading by Rosenfeld is often lacking, but the content by the author is riveting, engaging, thorough, and damning of Hamilton and his followers. McClanahan does an excellent job of explaining how we arrived at this place in our history, and identifies ideas and habits we should reject in order to restore our federal union.

I highly recommend this book for all.

Thank You Audible

Let me be fully understood; I am very grateful to Audible for creating this audiobook. With that said, I found the preponderance of its content, which was created by Brion McClanahan to be similar too any number of "neo-conservative" treatises. This is not too say that Mr. McClanahan isn't a capable scholar, but this relates rather to his choice as to how the material is presented; i.e. the material is accurate, but presented in a "rough & ready" fashion.

Thomas Rosenfeld does his best in reading the text, but he sounds quite inexperienced. Overall, as it relates to this audiobook, perhaps my expectations were too high. Nevertheless, I am appreciative for it having been created.

A stretch?

I’ve never been a fan of Hamilton. Can’t say why, just an overall feeling. When I saw the title and description for this book, I thought it was a stretch, almost daring me to listen. While I cannot connect all the dots like the author has, I can see his point. The book did not flow in a manner that convinced me of the expectations. Having just finished Dumas Malone’s six volumes on Jefferson, I find this book seriously lacking, and incomparable. However, the book did confirm my disdain for Hamilton. Still, I hold Hamilton in high regard for playing a critical role in the founding of this country, perhaps more for his military service. I tip my hat. When he entered into the political realm, I lose all respect.

Best Historian in the Businesz

Brion McClanahan is an absolutely fantastic historian. He dares go where most modern scholars are too afraid to go and tells the cold hard truth regarding the founding period and the War for Southern Independence.

So very important for Modern America.

Brian is an incredibly smart person, bringing all this information together, in this context, is incredibly important for Modern America. All Americans should read this book.