The Hamilton Affair by Elizabeth Cobbs
March 2019 meeting
Library of Congress -- Alexander Hamilton Papers
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Article in The Smithsonian: “Alexander Hamilton’s Adultery and Apology” (7/25/2013)
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/alexander-hamiltons-adultery-and-apology-18021947/
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PERSONAL INFORMATION:
Born July 28, 1956, in Gardena, CA; daughter of Donald (an owner of a construction company) and Joanne Shelby (a teacher) Cobbs; married Lonnie Rowell, 1988 (marriage ended, 1993); children: Gregory Theodore Shelby, Victoria Marie Shelby. Education: University of California, San Diego, B.A., 1983; Stanford University, M.A., 1984, Ph.D., 1988. Politics: Democrat. Religion: "Former Catholic." Memberships: American Historical Association, Organization of American Historians. Addresses: Office: Texas A&M University, Department of History, Melbern G. Glasscock Bldg., College Station, TX 77843-4223. E-mail: cobbs@tamu.edu.
CAREER:
Center for Women's Studies and Services, publications coordinator, 1974-83, president, 1983-94; University of California, lecturer, 1988-89; San Diego State University, Department of History, associate professor, 1989-98, Dwight E. Stanford professor of American foreign relations, beginning, 1998, Dwight E. Stanford chair in U.S. foreign relations; U.S. State Department, Historical Advisory Committee, staff, 1999-2005; Stanford University, Hoover Institution, research fellow, 2010--; Texas A&M University, Melbern Glasscock Chair. Member, Historical Advisory Committee of the US State Department, 1999-2006; jury member, Pulitzer Prize in History, 2008.
AWARDS:
John D. Rockefeller III Youth Award, Rockefeller Foundation, 1980; Allan Nevins Prize, Society of American Historians, 1989; Stuart L. Bernath Prize, Society for Historians of American Foreign Relations, 1993, for The Rich Neighbor Policy: Rockefeller and Kaiser in Brazil; fellow of Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, 1994; San Diego Book Award, 2009, for Broken Promises: A Novel of the Civil War.
WRITINGS:
The Rich Neighbor Policy: Rockefeller and Kaiser in Brazil, Yale University Press, 1992.All You Need Is Love: The Peace Corps and the Spirit of the 1960s, Harvard University Press (Boston, MA), 1998.(Editor, with J. Gjerde)
Major Problems in American History: Documents and Essays,2nd edition, Houghton-Mifflin (Boston, MA), 2002, 3rd edition (edited with E.J. Blum and J. Gjerde), 2010.
The Hamilton Affair (novel), Skyhorse Publishing (New York, NY), 2016.
In the Lion's Den, self-published, 2009, also published as Broken Promises: A Novel of the Civil War, Balantine Books (New York, NY), 2011.American Umpire, Harvard University Press (Boston, MA), 2013.
The Hello Girls; America's first women soldiers , Cambridge, Massachusetts :, Harvard University Press,, 2017
Cobbs has adapted American Umpire as a PBS documentary
Sidelights
Elizabeth Cobbs Hoffman is a historian and author of both nonfiction and fiction; her work is centered on American history, touching on the framers, American foreign policy, and the Civil War. In All You Need Is Love: The Peace Corps and the Spirit of the 1960s, Cobbs presents a critical history of the Peace Corps during the 1960s. Noting that the Peace Corps serves at the intersection of humanitarian aid with foreign policy, Cobbs Hoffman asserts that the Peace Corps functions to improve perceptions of racism and imperialism. The Peace Corps became extremely popular in the 1960s thanks to the rise in social justice activism as well as the country's poor international image. However, the author recounts, the organization's power and enrollment faded during the 1970s and 1980s. Aid and interest increased again when the Soviet Union disbanded in the 1990s.
Lauding Cobbs Hoffman's overview in Library Journal, Cynthia Harrison advised: "Though intended for an academic audience, Hoffman's accessible writing will reach any interested reader." Bruce Watson, writing in Smithsonian, was also impressed, asserting: "Through all its sweat and struggle, the Peace Corps remains more spirit than substance, and Hoffman captures that spirit beautifully." As Walter L. Hixson noted in the Journal of Interdisciplinary History, All You Need Is Love offers a "sympathetic account," making it "the best work now available on the subject."
Cobbs Hoffman traces America's foreign policy shift to arbiter of peace in American Umpire, arguing that sovereign states have favored arbitration over war since the end of the Thirty Years' War in 1643. Given the foundational ideologies of the United States, Cobb writes, U.S. foreign policy has centered on creating an international environment in which democratic capitalism is able to survive and thrive. This goal requires extensive efforts to minimize war, stressing diplomacy and sanctions instead. Furthermore, the author asserts, transparent political policies must be favored over secrecy.
American Umpire was so successful that the author adapted the book as a PBS documentary, and a Kirkus Reviews critic called the volume "a useful, cogent examination of why ... America continues to be the one country the world looks to when in crisis or need of support." Meena Bose in Political Science Quarterly was equally laudatory, advising: "Hoffman presents an original thesis for reinterpreting American foreign policy and develops it with a comprehensive study of major international transitions in U.S. history. Her book convincingly makes the argument that principles of access, arbitration, and transparency are more accurately viewed as global goals than Western ones, and that they created a new world order favored by many nations, not just the United States."
The Hamilton Affair reimagines the life of Alexander Hamilton, offering readers a historical novel centered on Hamilton's courtship with his wife, Elizabeth Schuyler. Told in chapters that alternate between Hamilton's perspective and Schuyler's, The Hamilton Affair covers a wide swath of early American history, from 1768 to 1854. This span covers both protagonists' childhoods and extends to Hamilton's death. Along the way, Cobb portrays Hamilton's thoughts about the newly formed United States and ideas of preserving it, as well as his grief over George Washington's death.
In the words of a Publishers Weekly contributor, "Cobbs's depiction of Hamilton will endear him in the hearts of readers." Offering applause for the novel in the Miami Herald, Amy Reyes announced: "Historical fiction is tricky; authors have to walk a fine line between the facts, creative license and complete speculation. Cobbs is subtle with Hamilton." Referring to fans of the hit Broadway musical Hamilton, Reyes added: "Cobbs' novel presents a thoroughly researched portrait of the Hamiltons that makes you feel like you are in the room where it happened. It's a bouquet to obsessed Hamilfans, but this well-written novel is enough to keep the lay reader satisfied, too."
ONLINE
Department of History, Texas A&M University Web site, https://history.tamu.edu/ (February 7, 2017)Elizabeth Anne Cobbs Home Page, http://elizabethcobbs.com (February 7, 2017).*
(includes book trailers)
Tubman Command -- coming May 2019 brings Harriet Tubman to life at the moment of her greatest gamble. Cobbs, author of the bestselling The Hamilton Affair, has taken yet another iconic figure from American history and crafted a story rich in emotional depth and astonishing realism. With Tubman as the face of the campaign to put a famous American woman on the twenty-dollar bill by 2020, interest in her story has never been higher.
Publishers Weekly
PW Reviews 2016 July #2
Cobbs's (Broken Promises) second novel is a fictionalized biography that will appeal to both biography fans and general fiction readers. Cobbs's tale of Alexander Hamilton's life concentrates mostly on his wooing of future wife Elizabeth Schuyler. But it's when he is contemplating the future of a newly independent nation and questioning the morality of mankind that the story feels most alive. Beginning in 1768 and ending in 1854, the novel alternates chapters from Alexander's and Elizabeth's point of view, beginning with their respective childhoods, their first meeting, their life in the public eye, and ending from Elizabeth's perspective after Alexander's death. Nearly 100 years is a lot of ground to cover, leaving little time to dwell on the emotions of pivotal moments such as Alexander and Elizabeth's wedding or the death of George Washington. Still, the politics of the time are easy to follow, even for non-historians, and Cobbs's depiction of Hamilton will endear him in the hearts of readers and shed light on one of the most misunderstood figures in American history and the woman who shared his life. Agent: Jim Donovan, Jim Donovan Literary. (Aug.)[Page ]. Copyright 2016 PWxyz LLC
Booklist Booklist Reviews 2016 July #1
*Starred Review* Can't get tickets to Hamilton, the megahit Broadway musical? Don't despair, check out Elizabeth Cobbs' finely tuned fictional biography of one of America's most intriguing yet vastly underrated Founding Fathers. Born on the Caribbean Island of St. Croix, the illegitimate Hamilton survived impoverishment, the death of his beloved mother, and a devastating hurricane before emigrating to New York at the age of 16. Determined to better himself, the über-intelligent Hamilton attended King's College (Columbia University), where he excelled as both a student and as a leader. Hamilton's close relationship to George Washington, his friendships and conflicts with his fellow revolutionaries, and the rise and fall of his political star are all detailed, but it is his courtship of and marriage to the beautiful, vivacious Elizabeth Schuyler, a member of one of the oldest and most distinguished colonial families, that serves as the centerpiece of Cobbs' page-turning historical novel. Cobbs paints a portrait of a love so deep it was able to survive betrayal and a devastatingly public scandal. The focus alternates between Alexander and Elizabeth as their tempestuous tale unfolds in all its triumph and tragedy. Hamilton's true story is so fantastical, it is amazing that it has taken this long to transform his life and times into a national sensation. Copyright 2014 Booklist Reviews.Kirkus Reviews
Kirkus Reviews 2016 June #2
Cobbs' novel chronicles the difficult political and family life of Alexander Hamilton.Well before the publication date of this novel, the Broadway musical based on Hamilton's life will in all likelihood have won many Tony awards. Can another fictional re-examination of this controversial statesman succeed in saying anything new about Hamilton—and do it without rap songs? Hamilton's story certainly invites dramatization. Born the illegitimate son of a runaway wife on the Caribbean island of Nevis and raised in St. Croix, Hamilton is disinherited in early adolescence when his mother dies of a malarial fever. His intelligence and grit net him a clerk position with an importer and then sponsorship to leave the islands for New York to further his education. Swept up in revolutionary fervor, he becomes George Washington's aide-de-camp, eventually winning his own command but always bucking the disadvantages of his humble beginnings. He meets his future wife, Eliza, whose father, Philip Schuyler, is a New York landholder who throws in his lot with the Continentals. Chapters narrated by Eliza alternate with chapters narrated by Alexander, and the first half of the novel lacks momentum as the characters negotiate the ponderous logistics of courtship, marriage, intrigue, jockeying for position on the battlefield and in Washington's Cabinet, etc. It isn't until the end of the Revolutionary War that the plot thickens. Alexander, appointed the United States' first Treasury Secretary, puts out countless fiscal fires threatening the fledgling republic's economy. He not only refuses to own slaves, but publicly advocates for abolition. He is subjected to much unfair opprobrium, largely, it appears, because he doesn't belong to the post-revolutionary boys' club. James Monroe, James Madison, and Thomas Jefferson come off as particularly ignoble, and Aaron Burr seems downright sociopathic. Cobbs displays how Hamilton's outsider status leaves him very little wiggle room: an extramarital affair which might have been hushed up in the right circles leads directly to his downfall.Although it's entering a crowded field of biographies, fictional or not, of various Founding Fathers, Cobbs' meticulous account holds its own—even without catchy tunes. Copyright Kirkus 2016 Kirkus/BPI Communications. All rights reserved.
Other Reviews LJ Express Reviews
According to historian and author Cobbs (American Umpire; Broken Promises), this novel of the Hamiltons has been five years in the making. It's a happy coincidence that aligns its publishing so perfectly with the Broadway sensation. Despite its title, this novel takes on much more than just the notorious scandal in which Alexander Hamilton found himself blackmailed by his mistress Maria Reynolds and her husband. Rather, it follows Alexander's rise to fame from bastard son and Elizabeth Schuyler's privileged upbringing, their rather sweet courtship and the sordid affair that threatened their marriage, and Alexander's untimely death in a duel, all set against the backdrop of the American Revolution. can sometimes be a frustrating read, interest in the Hamiltons should bring this title an audience.There's a lot of ground to cover here, and that strain shows. While she can write quite well and has a great feel for the period, Cobbs has an odd habit of building up to a momentous scene, then skipping the event entirely. With a tighter focus or a different structure, this may not have been quite so noticeable. As is, this can make for a disorienting and choppy experience. Verdict While this work—Liz Kirchhoff, Barrington Area Lib., IL (c) Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Read-alikes
1. I, Eliza Hamilton by Susan Holloway Scott, Reason: These richly detailed historical novels examine the courtship and marriage of founding father Alexander Hamilton and Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton. I, Eliza Hamilton is narrated by its titular protagonist, while The Hamilton Affair unfolds from the perspectives of husband and wife. -- NoveList Contributor (2017, 3c.)
2. My dear Hamilton by Stephanie Dray, Reason: These well-researched biographical novels depict the life of Eliza Hamilton, her courtship and marriage to Alexander, and her own pivotal role in the American Revolution. Affair focuses mainly on her relationship with her husband while My Dear encompasses her entire life. -- Halle Eisenman (2018, 13c.)
3. Benjamin Franklin's bastard by Sally Cabot, Reason: In their exploration of the complicated personal lives of America's founding fathers, these dramatic and richly detailed historical novels introduce complex women whose turbulent relationships with charismatic but deeply flawed men endure even as they weather betrayal, scandal, and tragedy. -- NoveList Contributor (2013, 4 c.)
4. The traitor's wife by Allison Pataki, A Reason: The private lives of public figures change the course of American history in these richly detailed novels. The Hamilton Affair involves the extramarital liaison that scuttled Alexander Hamilton's political aspirations; The Traitor's Wife describes events leading to Benedict Arnold's treason. -- NoveList Contributor (2014, 5c.)
5. Patriot hearts by Barbara Hambly, Reason: "Remember the ladies," Abigail Adams once advised her husband, John. Though barred from participation in public life, the wives and mistresses of prominent men make their mark on early American history look and politics in these richly detailed biographical novels. -- NoveList Contributor (2007, 6 c.)
6. Dear George, Dear Mary by Mary Calvi, Reason: Drawing on diaries, correspondence, and other historical documents and told from the alternating perspectives of their protagonists, these richly detailed biographical novels recount the bittersweet romances between Founding Fathers of the United States and heiresses from prominent New York families. -- NoveList Contributor (2019, 7c.)
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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
The Hamilton Affair
1. Discuss the ways in which Alexander Hamilton was a successful man. In what ways was he also a failure?
2. Alexander says only “honor” had an older claim to his heart than Eliza. Why was that? What else drove him, besides love and honor?
3. Elizabeth Schuyler did not believe the rumors of her husband’s infidelity. Why? Was she naïve? Were there other factors?
4. Whom did Alexander deceive more: his wife or himself?
5. If honor is key to Alexander’s motivations, what are the keys to Eliza’s character? How did they shape her actions?
6. How and why did Eliza come to accept her husband’s failings? Was she a feminist or a traditionalist?
7. Why did Alexander Hamilton cheat on his wife? Is there any evidence that Eliza’s behavior played some part in the distance that came between them?
8. Alexander Hamilton resigned as Secretary of the Treasury at the height of his powers? Why? Was that consistent or inconsistent with his character?
9. Is Alexander Hamilton tragic or triumphant in the novel? What about Eliza?
10. The Hamilton family was devastated by political partisanship. Are there parallels in our own time? What are the differences, and why?
11. What role does Ajax Manly play in the story? What does the reader learn about Alexander and Eliza through him?
12. Was Ajax Manly foolish for loving a slave? Is it believable that the first slave he loved was unwilling to run to freedom?
13. Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, John Laurens, the Marquis de Lafayette and Aaron Burr all endorsed abolition to some degree. George Washington freed his slaves upon his death. Why did others not challenge the institution, including Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and Eliza’s own family? Is it possible they did not think slavery was wrong?
14. What roles do Native Americans play in the book? Are they essential or peripheral to the story?
15. Parts of this story are well known, others less familiar. What surprised you? What techniques did the author use to create suspense about events like the final duel?
