The Heartbreak of Aaron Burr

By: H. W. Brands

Narrated by: Chris Sorensen

One of the nation’s most respected historians and a two-time finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, H.W. Brands has the rare gift of investing historical narrative with unmatched verve and insight. The Heartbreak of Aaron Burr sheds light on the life of the third vice president of the United States, a man who is perhaps best known for killing Alexander Hamilton in a duel.

©2012 H.W. Brands (P)2012 Recorded Books

More narrow than I'd hoped

I appreciated access to this before they removed it 10/30 but it left out so much about his life including after he daughter died & his other children & relationships

Too much talk and not enough action

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

This book would appeal to someone who is primarily interested in the letters between Burr and his daughter.

Would you be willing to try another book from H. W. Brands? Why or why not?

Probably not. He relied too much on direct quotes.

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

It was a decent reading; the content was the main problem.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from The Heartbreak of Aaron Burr?

The second half of the book was much more engaging because it incorporated the content of letters into a cohesive narrative, rather than depending almost entirely on lengthy quotes from letters --- which characterized the first half of the book. So, I would edit the first half to match the second half.

Any additional comments?

Burr's story itself is quite compelling and was handled much better elsewhere.