Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow The personal life of Alexander Hamilton, an illegitimate, largely self-taught orphan from the Caribbean who rose to become George Washington's aide-de-camp and the first Treasury Secretary of the United States, is captured in a definitive biography by the National Book Award-winning author of The House of Morgan.

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 by Lin-Manuel Miranda The Tony Award-winning composer-lyricist-star takes readers behind the scenes of his groundbreaking hit musical, which is filled with romance, drama, violence, patriotism and adventure and details the many dramatic episodes in Alexander Hamilton's life.

The Federalist papers by James Madison Presents the essays that were written to persuade New Yorkers to accept the Constitution in 1787. (Hamilton wrote the other 51.)

Hip hop matters : politics, pop culture, and the struggle for the soul of a movement by S. Craig Watkins The author explores the evolution of hip hop and the backlash against it, from Detroit Mayer Kwame Killpatrick, the nation's first hip hop mayor, to the reception of the music on college campuses, where debates over its misogyny thrive.

Black Broadway : African Americans on the great white way by Stewart F. Lane The African-American actors and actresses whose names have shone brightly on Broadway marquees earned their place in history not only through hard work, perseverance, and talent, but also because of the legacy left by those who came before them. Like the doors of many professions, those of the theater world were shut to minorities for decades. While the Civil War may have freed the slaves, it was not until the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s that the playing field began to level. In this remarkable book, theater producer and historian Stewart F. Lane uses words and pictures to capture this tumultuous century and to highlight the rocky road that black actors have travelled to reach recognition on the Great White Way.

Lafayette in the somewhat United States by Sarah Vowell A portrait of the popular French Revolutionary War hero, the Marquis de Lafayette, discusses his nonpartisan influence on a fledgling United States, his relationships with the Founding Fathers and his contributions during the contentious 1824 presidential election. By the best-selling author of Assassination Vacation.

The heartbreak of Aaron Burr : a tale of homicide, intrigue and a father's worst fear by H. W. Brands In a new look at political outcast Aaron Burr, the author bases his text around the vice president's correspondence with his daughter, shedding new light on his life, his belief in equal rights and the fateful day he shot Alexander Hamilton dead during a duel.

The Hemingses of Monticello : an American family by Annette Gordon-Reed Traces the history of the Hemings family from its origins in early eighteenth-century Virginia to its dispersal after Jefferson's death in 1826, in an account that describes their family ties to the third president against a backdrop of Revolutionary America and the French Revolution.

Founding mothers : the women who raised our nation by Cokie Roberts An inspirational but personal look into the trials and tribulations of historical women who helped shape our nation into what it has become exhibits the many facets of their lives and how they supported some of the founders of our country, profiling such key figures as Abigail Adams, Eliza Pinkney, Dolley Payne Madison, Deborah Read Franklin, and Catherine Littlefield Greene.

Our musicals, ourselves : a social history of the American musical theater by John Bush Jones A retired professor of theater arts from Brandeis University serves up the first social history of American musical theater, covering the broad sweep of plays, from "Showboat" to "Urinetown," discussing the impact of this brand of theater on culture and society.

Washington : a life by Ron Chernow The National Book Award-winning author of The House of Morgan offers a comprehensive account of the life of George Washington, disposing of the stereotype of a stolid, unemotional man and instead bringing to vivid life a dashing, passionate man of fiery opinions and many moods who fiercely guarded his private life.

Never caught : the Washingtons' relentless pursuit of their runaway slave, Ona Judge by Erica Armstrong Dunbar A revelatory account of the actions taken by the first president to retain his slaves in spite of Northern laws profiles one of the slaves, Ona Judge, describing the intense manhunt that ensued when she ran away.

Stamped from the beginning : the definitive history of racist ideas in America by Ibram X Kendi A comprehensive history of anti-black racism focuses on the lives of five major players in American history and highlights the debates that took place between assimilationists and segregationists and between racists and anti-racists.