A review by slferg
Duel with the Devil: The True Story of How Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr Teamed Up to Take on America's First Sensational Murder Mystery by Paul Collins
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).