A Fatal Friendship Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr [Paperback]

A dramatic reinterpretation of the duel that shocked America.

For almost two centuries, historians have struggled to explain the extraordinary duel that killed Alexander Hamilton, our first Secretary of the Treasury, and ended Vice President Aaron Burr's political career. In A Fatal Friendship, the distinguished political scientist Arnold A. Rogow demonstrates for the first time that the roots of the fatal encounter lay not in Burr's (admittedly flawed) political or private conduct but rather in Hamilton's conflicted history and character.

With his detailed archival research, his close (and unprecedented) examination of the friendship between the two heroic figures, and his bold, imaginative writing, Rogow changes forever our understanding of honor, politics, and friendship in the early American Republic.

Carefully researched and soberly argued . . . a thoughtful and valuable statement about the vagaries of moral and historical understanding. Richard Bernstein, The New York Times

Rogow's fascinating book, which includes sensational sex and enough indecent innuendos and appalling allegations to rival those of our own age . . . contains page after page of poignant, hilarious and revealing quotations and meditations. Sarah Booth Conroy, The Washington Post

Arnold A. Rogow has taught at Stanford University, the University of Iowa, and the City University of New York. He is the author of many books, including James Forrestal: A Study of Personality, Politics, and Policy. He lives in New York City.