oliviadani's review
2.0
2.5… some parts were really good. But overall it was kind of a drag and way too slow
clt677's review
4.0
The author did a really good job of placing the reader in 1799/1800 New York City. He very clearly did his research. I would say this is a decent stab at turning a real life event into a book that reads like an actual story, rather than a dry retelling of facts. I found the title somewhat misleading as Burr and Hamilton aren't actually the focal point of this story. Levi Weeks really takes most of center stage. However I can't be mad about that as I never would have picked up a book tilted Duel with Devil: The True Story of Levi Weeks. It was a pretty quick read and I would recommend this for anyone who enjoys reading about history.
judyward's review
4.0
How do you not love a book about a case in 1800 Manhattan where Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr worked together as co-counsel for the defense of a young Quaker carpenter accused of murdering a young woman and throwing her body into a well? Especially in light of the events that occurred four years later when the Vice-President of the United States engaged in a duel with the first Secretary of the Treasury of the United States. This is a well-written account of a murder, an arrest, and a trial that was a sensation in New York City at the beginning of the 19th Century.
rlse's review
2.0
More of a two and a half for me. The focus of this book is never quite where you'd expect. It opens with people speculating where yellow fever comes from (21st century hindsight: it's the mosquitos). Then it moves to the victim and the defendant, and crime. Hamilton and Burr are much later on (after a regaling of New York's mourning for George Washington's death). Then, once the trial concludes, there's still a whole section now on Hamilton and Burr, but now with little tie in to the trial. It feels a little pastiched. However, if you like history and true crime, the narrative style is engaging and will draw you in to the courtroom drama.
roguemultiverse's review
5.0
This historical book reads almost like a novel. There are 47 pages of end notes and 10 pages of sources that show how well-researched this book is, but because of how it's presented, thus, the text isn't clunky. In addition to learning about the murder and Hamilton and Burr as lawyers, there were a lot of interesting details about the time period.
cleheny's review
3.0
I enjoyed this history of an early American murder trial (1800), and, apparently, the first--or one of the first--trials where the stenographic record was reproduced in full. Collins tells the story well and does a nice job bringing out some of the personalities. I also appreciated the history lesson regarding Burr's business interest in the Manhattan Water Co., his machinations to create the Manhattan Bank (today, Chase-Manhattan Bank), and his own personal life at the time. Similarly, there was some interesting discussion about Alexander Hamilton's and his professional and political life during this period.
But the subtitle--The True Story of How Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr Teamed Up to Take on America's First Sensational Murder Mystery--is a bit misleading, in that very little of the book is about that. Sure, Collins gives plausible reasons for both prominent lawyers to take on a carpenter's murder case (Burr had business ties to the defendant's brother, and Hamilton owed the brother a lot of money), but there's little light shed on how these political rivals actually worked together.
Collins' structure, which worked pretty well, focused first on the NYC political and economic scene at the turn of the century, then the people and events that set up the mystery, then the prosecution's investigation of the case, and, finally, the trial itself. Collins notes that, during at least one of the three months between discovery of the body and the trial, Burr and Hamilton were in Albany, serving in the state legislature, while the prosecution developed its case. There is no discussion of how they developed their defense. Instead, Collins saves their research for trial. This adds to the suspense, but tells us nothing of how they worked together. The description of the trial, too, is lacking. Collins doesn't explain how trials were conducted, but, based on his description, it appears that there were at least some critical differences from today's practice (for example, it appears that opposing counsel could interrupt the other lawyer's direct examination of a witness in order to ask questions as if on cross). How did Burr and Hamilton (along with their third co-counsel, Livingston) divide up the work?
I'm glad I read it, but Collins' true interest is in the murder mystery, and his conclusion as to what really happened over 200 years ago. I feel that featuring Burr and Hamilton in the subtitle was more about getting more customers to purchase it than an accurate representation of the focus of the book.
But the subtitle--The True Story of How Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr Teamed Up to Take on America's First Sensational Murder Mystery--is a bit misleading, in that very little of the book is about that. Sure, Collins gives plausible reasons for both prominent lawyers to take on a carpenter's murder case (Burr had business ties to the defendant's brother, and Hamilton owed the brother a lot of money), but there's little light shed on how these political rivals actually worked together.
Collins' structure, which worked pretty well, focused first on the NYC political and economic scene at the turn of the century, then the people and events that set up the mystery, then the prosecution's investigation of the case, and, finally, the trial itself. Collins notes that, during at least one of the three months between discovery of the body and the trial, Burr and Hamilton were in Albany, serving in the state legislature, while the prosecution developed its case. There is no discussion of how they developed their defense. Instead, Collins saves their research for trial. This adds to the suspense, but tells us nothing of how they worked together. The description of the trial, too, is lacking. Collins doesn't explain how trials were conducted, but, based on his description, it appears that there were at least some critical differences from today's practice (for example, it appears that opposing counsel could interrupt the other lawyer's direct examination of a witness in order to ask questions as if on cross). How did Burr and Hamilton (along with their third co-counsel, Livingston) divide up the work?
I'm glad I read it, but Collins' true interest is in the murder mystery, and his conclusion as to what really happened over 200 years ago. I feel that featuring Burr and Hamilton in the subtitle was more about getting more customers to purchase it than an accurate representation of the focus of the book.
slferg's review
4.0
An interesting book. The enmity between Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr is explored in this story of a murder case where they are joined by Brockholst Livingston to defend Levi Weeks. Levi has been accused by murdering Elma Sands, the cousin of the woman who ran the boarding house where he lived. She left the house and was never seen again until her body was discovered in a well on property owned by a company set up by Aaron Burr. The trial is the first that was published verbatim, with questions to and answers by the witnesses.
The lives of Livingston, Burr and Hamilton are examined at this time in history after the war and after George Washington's death. Burr and Hamilton are both prominent lawyers, along with Livingston and find themselves in all manner of configurations on cases. Sometimes they appear against each other, sometimes for the same client, sometimes different clients on the same side of a case.
The book opens with the annual yellow fever epidemic (the reason for the well is to try to get good water in the city). The story gives a look at the everyday life of people at that time - and the growth of the city. It also takes a good look at human nature and the way of mobs.
The story of the trail is very interesting and there is some extra material at the end which reveals the real killer (although Elma's family maintains it was Levi). It also tells of what happened to those involved in the trial after it was over. About the quarrel between Hamilton and Burr that resulted in the duel and the affect that duel had upon the culture of duelling. Also, Levi became a prominent architect in Natchez, where he wandered to because he couldn't stand to stay in New York anymore.
Really a good book with a detailed story full of interesting tidbits.
(I also loved Sixpence House by the same author that I read several years ago).
The lives of Livingston, Burr and Hamilton are examined at this time in history after the war and after George Washington's death. Burr and Hamilton are both prominent lawyers, along with Livingston and find themselves in all manner of configurations on cases. Sometimes they appear against each other, sometimes for the same client, sometimes different clients on the same side of a case.
The book opens with the annual yellow fever epidemic (the reason for the well is to try to get good water in the city). The story gives a look at the everyday life of people at that time - and the growth of the city. It also takes a good look at human nature and the way of mobs.
The story of the trail is very interesting and there is some extra material at the end which reveals the real killer (although Elma's family maintains it was Levi). It also tells of what happened to those involved in the trial after it was over. About the quarrel between Hamilton and Burr that resulted in the duel and the affect that duel had upon the culture of duelling. Also, Levi became a prominent architect in Natchez, where he wandered to because he couldn't stand to stay in New York anymore.
Really a good book with a detailed story full of interesting tidbits.
(I also loved Sixpence House by the same author that I read several years ago).
readbyred's review
4.0
If you’re a fan of true crime, history, or both, this is absolutely worth a read.
It does take a little bit to get to the actual murder and then a bit more after that for Hamilton and Burr to come in, but all the build up feels necessary to establish the culture at the time and why this trial was such a big deal.
It does take a little bit to get to the actual murder and then a bit more after that for Hamilton and Burr to come in, but all the build up feels necessary to establish the culture at the time and why this trial was such a big deal.