Ron Chernow

Ronald Chernow (; born March 3, 1949) is an American writer, journalist, and biographer. He has written bestselling historical non-fiction biographies.

Chernow won the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for Biography and the 2011 American History Book Prize for his 2010 book Washington: A Life. He is also the recipient of the National Book Award for Nonfiction for his 1990 book The House of Morgan: An American Banking Dynasty and the Rise of Modern Finance. His biographies of Alexander Hamilton (2004) and of John D. Rockefeller (1998) were both nominated for National Book Critics Circle Awards. His biography of Hamilton inspired the popular Hamilton musical, which Chernow worked on as a historical consultant. For another book, The Warburgs: The Twentieth-Century Odyssey of a Remarkable Jewish Family, he was awarded the 1993 George S. Eccles Prize for Excellence in Economic Writing. As a freelance journalist, Chernow has written over sixty articles for various national publications.

Early life and education Chernow was born on March 3, 1949, in Brooklyn, New York. His father, Israel, was the owner of a discount store and creator of a stock brokerage firm; his mother, Ruth, was a bookkeeper. He is brother to Bart Chernow and uncle to Shandee Chernow. He is of Jewish descent. Chernow was voted "Most Likely to Succeed", and was class president and valedictorian when he graduated in 1966 from Forest Hills High School in Queens in New York City. Chernow graduated summa cum laude from Yale University in 1970 and Pembroke College at Cambridge University with degrees in English literature. He began but did not finish a PhD program. He says that in politics he is a "disgruntled Democrat" and gives his religion as "Jewish, though more in the breach than the observance."

Chernow married Valerie Stearn in 1979; she died in January 2006. Valerie S. Chernow was an assistant professor of languages and social sciences at the New York City College of Technology.

Career

Chernow began his career as a freelance journalist. He wrote more than 60 articles for various national newspapers and magazines from 1973 to 1982. In the mid-1980s, he put his writing pursuits aside when he began serving as the director of financial policy studies with the Twentieth Century Fund in New York City. In 1986, he left the organization and refocused his efforts on writing. In addition to writing nonfiction books and biographies, Chernow contributes articles to The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. He has also commented on business, politics, and finance on national radio and television shows, and appeared as an expert in documentary films.

Business and finance The House of Morgan In 1990, Chernow published his first book, The House of Morgan: An American Banking Dynasty and the Rise of Modern Finance, which traces four generations of the J.P. Morgan financial empire. The reviewer for The New York Times Book Review said, "As a portrait of finance, politics and the world of avarice and ambition on Wall Street, the book has the movement and tension of an epic novel. It is, quite simply, a tour de force." The House of Morgan was honored with the National Book Award for Nonfiction. and a Notable Book by The New York Times.

The Death of the Banker In 1997, Chernow published a collection of essays entitled The Death of the Banker: The Decline and Fall of the Great Financial Dynasties and the Triumph of the Small Investor.

Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr.

In 1998, Chernow published the 774-page Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr., about the industrialist, philanthropist, and founder of the Standard Oil Company. The book reflected Chernow's continued interest in financial history, especially when shaped by compelling and influential individuals. The book remained on The New York Times Best Seller list for 16 weeks, while Time called it "one of the great American biographies". Both publications listed it among the year's ten best books.

American politics Alexander Hamilton In 2004, Chernow published Alexander Hamilton. The biography was nominated for a National Book Critics Circle Award and was named as the winner of the inaugural George Washington Book Prize for early American history. It remained on The New York Times Best Seller list for three months. In his review for The Journal of American History, Stephen B. Presser, who is professor of business law emeritus at Northwestern University, wrote:

The biography was adapted into a Tony award-winning musical, Hamilton, by Lin-Manuel Miranda, which opened on Broadway in August 2015. Chernow served as historical consultant to the production.

George Washington Chernow's 904-page Washington: A Life was released on October 5, 2010. It won the Pulitzer Prize for Biography and the American History Book Prize. Professor Gordon S. Wood, renowned scholar of the Founding era, wrote:

Ulysses S. Grant In 2011, Chernow signed a deal to write a comprehensive biography on Ulysses S. Grant. Chernow explained his transition from writing about George Washington to Grant: "Makes some sense as progression. Towering general of Revolution to towering general of Civil War. Both two-term presidents, though with very different results." Grant was released on October 10, 2017, and the biography strongly argues against the conventional wisdom that Grant was an "adequate president, a dull companion and a roaring drunk." The book received overwhelmingly positive reviews and was named by The New York Times as one of the 10 Best Books of 2017.

Literary biography Mark Twain In 2025, Chernow wrote a full-length biography of Mark Twain released by Penguin Press.

Dedication to biographical research Chernow is dedicated to deep, comprehensive research in preparing his biographies. "Ron often uses the phrase 'Never underestimate the laziness of your predecessors'," according to Chernow's friend Roger Lowenstein.

Board memberships In 1990, Chernow became a member of the PEN American Center. In 2006, he was named as the president of the board of trustees, succeeding novelist Salman Rushdie.

Honors and awards Ron Chernow has received honorary degrees from Long Island University, Marymount Manhattan College, Hamilton College, Washington College, and Skidmore College. 2015: National Humanities Medal 2016: Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site Advancing American Democracy (winner) 2017: Gold Medal Honoree from the National Institute of Social Sciences 2017: The Lincoln Forum's Richard Nelson Current Award of Achievement 2018: American Academy of Arts and Letters Gold Medal in Biography 2019: Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement 2025: National Constitution Center's Liberty Medal for Alexander Hamilton

Published works Books

Articles

Filmography 1996: Biography, "J. Pierpont Morgan: Emperor of Wall Street" (documentary), as himself 2000: The American Experience, "The Rockefellers: Part 1" (documentary), as advisor 2000: The American Experience, "The Rockefellers: Part 2" (documentary), as advisor 2007: The American Experience, "Alexander Hamilton" (documentary), as advisor 2010: Tavis Smiley, "October 12, 2010 episode" (talk show), as guest 2010: Rediscovering Alexander Hamilton (documentary), as himself/historian 2020: Grant, as writer