Existing comment:
Student in War
When the Revolutionary War began, Alexander Hamilton had no military training or experience. To learn the art of war, he threw himself into reading the available military manuals and histories from Europe. Hamilton read recent treatises on military skills and tactics alongside histories of the wars of Prussia, France and ancient Greece. He learned the complex elements of firing, transporting and supplying artillery from these books, along with advice from veteran artillerymen. John Muller's A Treatise of Artillery, first published in 1757, was the most influential work on artillery available in English during the Revolutionary period. Hamilton also absorbed texts on philosophy, politics, economics and geography by authors including Plutarch, Cicero, Bacon and Hobbes.
In 1777, Hamilton poured over the Universal Dictionary of Trade and Commerce, taking pages of notes on countries' industries and exports, exchange rates, currency, labor and land. That immense publication -- two volumes weighing a total of twenty-five pounds -- was an indispensable resource on the political, legal and financial aspects of trade and commerce.
While living in New York, Hamilton borrowed these books and pamphlets from the King's College library and Alexander McDougall, a patriot leader and future general in the Continental Army. When Hamilton joined the army, he took with him an astonishing load of books, carrying them on campaigns and studying them when his daily duties were finished. In addition to teaching him how to be a proper soldier and effective leader in a professional army, Hamilton's wartime reading helped shape his vision for the new nation's government, economy and institutions. |