Alexander Hamilton is arguably the most important figure in American history who never attained the presidency. He was the principal designer of the federal government and the leading catalyst for the two-party system. He was the aide-de-camp for George Washington, a battlefield hero, a member of the Constitutional Convention, the leading author of The Federalist Papers and first treasury secretary. The core book, Alexander Hamilton, is written by Ron Chernow and provides a comprehensive portrait of Hamilton’s life and record of contributions. Hamilton figured prominently in almost every major political episode of the late-eighteenth-century America. There are very few issues of the current day that can be fully understood without an understanding of the structures and ideas put in place by Hamilton.