Benjamin Franklin: An American Life
In this authoritative and engrossing full-scale biography, Walter Isaacson, bestselling author of Einstein and Steve Jobs, shows how the most fascinating of America's founders helped define our national character.
Benjamin Franklin is the founding father who winks at us, the one who seems made of flesh rather than marble. In a sweeping narrative that follows Franklin’s life from Boston to Philadelphia to London and Paris and back, Walter Isaacson chronicles the adventures of the runaway apprentice who became, over the course of his eighty-four-year life, America’s best writer, inventor, media baron, scientist, diplomat, and business strategist, as well as one of its most practical and ingenious political leaders. He explores the wit behind Poor Richard’s Almanac and the wisdom behind the Declaration of Independence, the new nation’s alliance with France, the treaty that ended the Revolution, and the compromises that created a near-perfect Constitution.
In this colorful and intimate narrative, Isaacson provides the full sweep of Franklin’s amazing life, showing how he helped to forge the American national identity and why he has a particular resonance in the twenty-first century.
Benjamin Franklin is the founding father who winks at us, the one who seems made of flesh rather than marble. In a sweeping narrative that follows Franklin’s life from Boston to Philadelphia to London and Paris and back, Walter Isaacson chronicles the adventures of the runaway apprentice who became, over the course of his eighty-four-year life, America’s best writer, inventor, media baron, scientist, diplomat, and business strategist, as well as one of its most practical and ingenious political leaders. He explores the wit behind Poor Richard’s Almanac and the wisdom behind the Declaration of Independence, the new nation’s alliance with France, the treaty that ended the Revolution, and the compromises that created a near-perfect Constitution.
In this colorful and intimate narrative, Isaacson provides the full sweep of Franklin’s amazing life, showing how he helped to forge the American national identity and why he has a particular resonance in the twenty-first century.
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Community Reviews
Either Franklin was the least likable guy I've read about since Woodrow Wilson or this biography was terrible. Isaacson repeatedly glanced over seemingly important parts of Franklin's life and the broader happenings in ways you know Robert Caro would not. And when not skipping interesting context and details, Isaacson focused salaciously on Franklin's love life (time with prostitutes, mistresses, and attempted lovers).
Franklin's treatment of his family was poor. He was also very public about his ethics, while both at business and at home he did not follow the ethics he espoused. It is perhaps too high a standard we hold him to, but he put himself into the public amidst all his hypocrisy. All this, within this book, seemed to outweigh his contributions to science and his efforts to secure American independence and instill tolerance, democracy, and good habits among the people.
Ultimately it seems both impressions were fair: the biography was not great and Franklin was pretty unlikeable.
Franklin's treatment of his family was poor. He was also very public about his ethics, while both at business and at home he did not follow the ethics he espoused. It is perhaps too high a standard we hold him to, but he put himself into the public amidst all his hypocrisy. All this, within this book, seemed to outweigh his contributions to science and his efforts to secure American independence and instill tolerance, democracy, and good habits among the people.
Ultimately it seems both impressions were fair: the biography was not great and Franklin was pretty unlikeable.
I learned a lot about Franklin in this book that I did not know. Especially regarding his early years and his work as a printer. I appreciate his tendency to focus on the practical and his belief that he can best serve God by serving his fellow man. He sounds like a highly practical person, but not a spiritual one or member of any church.
This book also looked at Franklin's personal relationship which seem to be a contradiction at times. Flirting with women in England and France and spending 15 of his last 17 years in Europe away from his wife who lived in Pennslyvania. I felt sorry for his wife Deborah at times in this book. It was also interesting that this man who preached tolerance so much had estranged relationships from so many men that he was once friends with including his own son William who he seemed to have a cold relationship with. Overall, I didn't like the Franklin very much that I read about in this book. It was very well researched and detailed.
This book also looked at Franklin's personal relationship which seem to be a contradiction at times. Flirting with women in England and France and spending 15 of his last 17 years in Europe away from his wife who lived in Pennslyvania. I felt sorry for his wife Deborah at times in this book. It was also interesting that this man who preached tolerance so much had estranged relationships from so many men that he was once friends with including his own son William who he seemed to have a cold relationship with. Overall, I didn't like the Franklin very much that I read about in this book. It was very well researched and detailed.
I come away from this book in awe of this citizen of Philadelphia. The contributions that Benjamin Franklin made to the world were far more than I could have imagined. What an amazing life he led, and how lucky we are that he was such a force in the drafting of the American political system. Wonderfully written.
I'm more interested in reading Franklin's Autobiography than I was in reading this. Unfortunately. It was still good to capture some of his contemporaries with the historical consolidation of his peers and the situation surrounding his life.
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