Offers a behind-the-scenes view of Hamilton the musical, detailing the many dramatic episodes in Alexander Hamilton's life.

the revolution : being the complete libretto of the Broadway musical, with a true account of its creation, and concise remarks on hip-hop, the power of stories, and the new America

Hamilton

Beatrix Haase

I have followed Hamilton for a long time. This book was everything that I wanted. If you are a Hamilton fan then I think that this book is great for you. It really is truly amazing.

xoxo,
Bebe

Cindy McKee

Infinite stars for this!! A great look at the craft of Broadway shows, behind the scenes of songwriting, and wonderful chapters to introduce everyone involved! Obsession with this Musical will not abated! Love Lin!!

tina

“history is entirely created by the person who tells the story.”  

I’ve been obsessing over Hamilton for almost two years now yet I still have tears streaming down my face whenever I listen to Stay Alive (reprise), It’s Quiet Uptown, and Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story. I can still feel my heart break for Angelica when she sings Satisfied. I still cry over Washington’s dramatic farewell in One Last Time. I still sympathize with Burr when he tells himself to Wait for It. I can still feel the seeping tension between Hamilton and Burr in Your Obedient Servant. And I still feel the excitement when the piano kicks in in the first song, and Alexander Hamilton introduces himself, knowing that I’m in for an emotionally wild ride. To put it simply, this musical still leaves me in a state of emotional mess whenever I listen to it.

  “sometimes the right person tells the right story at the right moment, and through a combination of luck and design, a creative expression gains new force.”  

Reading this book gave me a whole new perspective to the musical. It’s about the backstory of Hamilton and how it began— from being Lin’s idea to becoming a phenomenal and critically acclaimed musical. It was really interesting to see how it all started, how the casts came to be, how they revised/redone some parts to make it better, even delving into insights on the costume and choreography and the production of the music. Seven years of preparation really paid off all their hard work. It’s no doubt that Hamilton really made a groundbreaking impact not just on theater, but on all of us. That’s why I highly, highly recommend reading this book if you love Hamilton (and I suggest listening to the songs as well when you get to the lyrics page for a full experience!). 

  “American history can be told and retold, claimed and reclaimed, even by people who don't look like George Washington and Betsy Ross.”  

I might never be in the room where it happens, but at least I have this.

Isabella

Didi Chanoch

This is entirely binary and super simple: If you love Hamilton, and care at all about seeing behind the scenes (often literally) you will love this book. Period. The end.

Kaylie Dominguez 

this taught me a lot about how the placement of commas in 1700s french letters can be the equivalent to sexting. very educational.

Emi Gilmore 

5/5 stars 

I received this book as a gift from my aunt, because she know's that I adore the musical Hamilton, and while I'm in my "I really want to read, but nothing sounds good" reading funk, I picked this up because it's something way, way different then what I usually read. And I knew I enjoy it from the first word, and I was right. 

It was so fascinating to read about the birth of the musical, and the trials and events that help influence the musical. I found myself staring at the pictures throughout for way too long, and all of Lin-Manuel Miranda's annotations during the song lyrics was my favorite part. 

If you enjoy Hamilton like I do (or even if you don't), pick up this book, because not only is this book interesting, it's absolutely gorgeous.

Robin M Cabana

This is a book every HamilFan needs! It is filled with gorgeous photos of from the show and all the lyrics, with notations from Lin-Manuel Miranda. It's fascinating to read about how LMM found inspiration from hip hop, Broadway, history and pop culture to create Hamilton. (He even credits Leslie Knope from Parks and Rec!) The book also chronicles the creation of the musical and all the players involved. It's a coffee table book that's worth reading from cover to cover and will make you love Hamilton even more!

Hannah Derzanovich

I'm only marking this as Finished instead of Currently Reading because I know I'll be actively coming back to this book over and over again for the next six months at least. I've only had it for twelve hours and I've cried twice over some of the content.

Mallory Foutch

Such a beautifully written look into the overall creation of this incredible Broadway production. This will satisfy any fan's want to know just how deep the intricacy of the show's lyrics are and also gives you exposure to the many other creative geniuses who have played a role in creating Hamilton. The photos alone are a reason to buy and flip through the pages.

This was waaaaaaay too real I need like 10 years to recuperate.

Isabella Brouwer

I'm just extremely obsessed with Hamilton to be honest.

Khloe Grotting

(*4.5 ) I thought this book was SO good!! I’m obsessed with the Broadway Hamilton and this book gave me so much insight into how they created it!

Katie

Yoomi

I'm a huge fan of the music and the man and I haven't even seen the show yet. This book made me a fanatic.

Jeni Enjaian

Absolutely amazing. Fantastic. Thrilling. Captivating. Amazing. Oh wait, I already said that.

I came to the Hamilton fandom late in the game. Although aware of the musical's enormous popularity, I had not sought out the soundtrack to give it a listen and see what the hype was all about. I let my personal tastes in music deprive myself of the incredible gem that is Hamilton.

Once I discovered that I could listen to the soundtrack for "free" through my Amazon Prime membership, I could not stop. Literally. I have lost count of how many times I listened to the soundtrack. I have practically the entire lyrics memorized. (The only ones that still befuddle my tongue are the lyrical gems in some of the fast raps, especially Lafayette's.)

I love history. I love music. Ergo, the foregone conclusion that I am obsessed with Hamilton.

After all this preamble, I finally get to a review of my read of this magnificent libretto. Clearly, I love the book. I love the behind the scenes nature of the text between the complete lyrics. I love Lin's notes in the margins of those said lyric pages. The photographs astounded me, making me long for a TARDIS and a lot of money so that I could go back in time and attend a performance with the original performers. 

I highly recommend this book, not only for devout Hamiltonians but also for just about everyone.

Sameer Vasta

It is almost too easy to compare Hamilton, the smash hit Broadway musical, to RENT, the musical that took over Broadway in 1996 and stayed there for 12 years. They are both genre-defying, feeling new and contemporary while still paying homage, in a very considered way, to the great legacy of musicals that came before. The comparison feels too lazy; yet, is apt.

Twenty years ago, RENT showed Broadway patrons that musicals could be edgy, contemporary, and reflect current musical trends while still maintaining a connection to the past. The show was a viral phenomenon in an era when the web was still nascent and vitality was created by other kinds of media. Hamilton occupies that same space today, and rightfully so: Lin-Manuel Miranda's ode to Alexander Hamilton is one of the most innovative and pervasive pieces of popular culture today, so much so that it's often easy to forget that much of its inspiration is still deeply rooted in the legacy and culture of Broadway.

Jonathan Larson died before RENT debuted at the Nederlander Theatre, and with his death went many of the stories, anecdotes, and inspirations behind the musical. Thankfully, Lin-Manuel Miranda is healthy and very much alive, and is able to share the story and process of creating Hamilton with all of us through his videos, tweets, and interviews. Hamilton: The Revolution is a compendium of those anecdotes and inspirations that will help people understand the making of Hamilton, long after Mr. Miranda is no longer sharing the story himself.

Hamilton: The Revolution is really three books in one: the first is an annotated libretto that captures Mr. Miranda's often-silly but always-insightful thoughts on the content of the musical itself. He references his hip-hop and Broadway inspirations, Harry Potter, and his family, among other pieces of popular and historical culture. Mr. Miranda's anecdotes are poignant, sentimental, and funny.

The second is an incredible piece of long-form journalism by Jeremy McCarter, detailing every part of the creation of the show, from its inception of an idea to the first show on the Broadway stage. His wonderful prose includes profiles of actors, producers, and muses, interviews with critics and tastemakers, and a keen understanding of Hamilton's place in contemporary, and historical, culture. Without any offence to the genius of Mr. Miranda, Mr. McCarter's reporting here is the clear standout part of Hamilton: The Revolution.

The third book hidden in the large tome is a collection of stunning photographs, many of them occupying full two-page spreads, from the musical production. As someone who has not yet had the chance to see the show on Broadway, these photos are a delight, beautifully encapsulating the images behind the songs that I hear on the cast recording.

The annotated libretto, long-form reporting, and photographs are all intertwined together in Hamilton: The Revolution, making the book a delight to read again and again—I have read it cover to cover at least three times by now—especially while listening to the cast recording in the background. This is a book that I am not only proud to keep on my coffee table, but that has also made my enjoyment of Hamilton's music that much more intense.

I only wish Jonathan Larson could have done something similar, so many years ago. His music shall fill that absence, instead.

(Originally published on inthemargins.ca)

Marisa Eikenberry

If you're a fan of the musical and like knowing more about the symbolism of why lines were written the way they are, how the story was tweaked a bit from the history, and how the musical came to be then I would highly recommend picking up this book.

This is more than just footnotes next to song lyrics. This is photos of the cast during performances, historical figures, and even Lin's very own notebooks of lyric drafts. It's a peek behind the curtain not only to the musical itself, but also the way Lin thinks. Who he draws inspiration from (and also what he draws inspiration from). You find yourself appreciating lyrics even more once you recognize the references of how they came to be. 

You also may find yourself moved to happiness (and even tears) while reading about the journey that the company went through as this musical came to be. Not going to lie, when I found out how "It's Quiet Uptown" was written, I bawled. The song carries such a deeper meaning for me now that I understand what Lin was thinking when he wrote it. And also how the song was used to help heal during a broken-hearted time.

I have loved this musical from the very first time I heard the cast album, but that love is deeper and stronger after reading this book.

5 Stars.

Erin 

I'm eventually going to write a full-on, likely several thousand word review on this book, but I'll just start here by saying I loved this so, so much. Hamilton means a lot to me, and I bought this book almost as soon as it was released - yet for some reason, I didn't read it until now, after the Hamilfilm was released. I didn't even know I was waiting for it, but the time just seemed right. There's just something so special about being able to read the writer's notes on all the detail and references put into the show, and then to be able to see those details in the actors' performances. Musicals are so special and I wish more of them had books like these.

Isabella Stocka

this book is great! people who saw the show get a closer look into the making and development of the show. people, like me, who just hear about it and can't see the show because we are not anywhere near NYV-where-it-happens, can get all the infos through the book to understand the 'audio book' of songs better.
and god, the photos....the photographer is a genius!

Hamilton the revolution : being the complete libretto of the Broadway musical, with a true account of its creation, and concise remarks on hip-hop, the power of stories, and the new America

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