The First American: The Life and Times of Benjamin Franklin
Author(s):
H.W. Brands
Label: Anchor
Publisher(s):
Anchor
Studio: Anchor
Manufacturer: Anchor
Binding: Paperback
List Price: $17.00
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1776
Editorial Reviews
Product Description
He was the foremost American of his day, yet today he is little more than a mythic caricature in the public imagination. Benjamin Franklin, perhaps the pivotal figure in colonial and revolutionary America, comes vividly to life in this masterly biography.
Wit, diplomat, scientist, philosopher, businessman, inventor, and bon vivant, Benjamin Franklin was in every respect America?s first Renaissance man. From penniless runaway to highly successful printer, from ardently loyal subject of Britain to architect of an alliance with France that ensured America?s independence, Franklin went from obscurity to become one of the world?s most admired figures, whose circle included the likes of Voltaire, Hume, Burke, and Kant. Drawing on previously unpublished letters and a host of other sources, acclaimed historian H. W. Brands has written a thoroughly engaging biography of the eighteenth-century genius. A much needed reminder of Franklin?s greatness and humanity, The First American is a work of meticulous scholarship that provides a magnificent tour of a legendary historical figure, a vital era in American life, and the countless arenas in which the protean Franklin left his legacy.
Amazon.com Review
Benjamin Franklin may have been the most remarkable American ever to live: a printer, scientist, inventor, politician, diplomat, and--finally--an icon. His life was so sweeping that this comprehensive biography by H.W. Brands at times reads like a history of the United States during the 18th century. Franklin was at the center of America's transition from British colony to new nation, and was a kind of Founding Grandfather to the Founding Fathers; he was a full generation older than George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and Patrick Henry, and they all viewed him with deep respect. "Of those patriots who made independence possible, none mattered more than Franklin, and only Washington mattered as much," writes Brands (author of a well-received Teddy Roosevelt biography, T.R.: The Last Romantic). Franklin was a complex character who sometimes came up a bit short in the personal virtue department, once commenting, "That hard-to-be-governed passion of youth had hurried me frequently into intrigues with low women that fell in my way." When he married, another woman was already pregnant with his child--a son he took into his home and had his wife raise.
Franklin is best remembered for other things, of course. His still-famous Poor Richard's Almanac helped him secure enough financial freedom as a printer to retire and devote himself to the study of electricity (which began, amusingly, with experiments on chickens). His mind never rested: He invented bifocals, the armonica (a musical instrument made primarily of glass), and, in old age, a mechanical arm that allowed him to reach books stored on high shelves. He served American interests as a diplomat in Europe; without him, France might not have intervened in the American Revolution. He helped draft the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. He possessed a sense of humor, too. In 1776, when John Hancock urged the colonies to "hang together," Franklin is said to have commented, "We must indeed all hang together, or most assuredly we shall all hang separately." Franklin's accomplishments were so numerous and varied that they threaten to read like a laundry list. Yet Brands pours them into an engrossing narrative, and they leap to life on these pages as the grand story of an exceptional man. The First American is an altogether excellent biography. --John J. Miller
Customer Reviews
Benjamin "Renaissance Man" Franklin
H.W. Brands does a fantastic job of portraying Benjamin Franklin as the Renaissance Man that he was. From the first page, you meet someone who understands the world, people, and his own place in it. Brands does not skimp on material, going back to the setting before Franklin's birth all the way to his last day. Every page is worth the time as this biography is both readable, interesting, and packed with relevant contextual information. No matter your nationality, you'll find Franklin a character not only of great sensibility but humility and kindness as well. These are rare traits in people who found countries, supervise revolutions, and leave a legacy of inventions. Nonetheless, Brands shows us that Franklin was the rarest of people.
Highly Recommended
The reading of this biography of Benjamin Franklin is well worth the investment. It is important to understand where we have come from and the life of Franklin is as much about the United States as it is about the life of one man. It is very well written. My only criticism is that its snippets of John Adams seem unbalanced against David McCullough's John Adams. I believe that although Adams was very critical and suspicious of Franklin early on, he did come to greatly respect him in the end. If this was my only exposure to Adams, I would not value him as a founding father as I do. Having said that, I still give this book 5 stars.
Biography worthy of Franklin.
This is perhaps the best biography I have ever read for the following reasons:
The author has the wit, ironic tone, and command of the language that is worthy of Ben Franklin the writer.
The prose is beautiful and is seamlessly interwoven with quotes from letters, articles, contemporary commentaries, and Ben's own memoirs.
This book reads like a novel, tells a great story about a brilliant, admired, and patriotic man who lived an incredible life. He was a true renaissance man whom Brands has captured in all his many facets.
Wonderful Book!
Hands down, one of the best books I've ever read. This book is wonderfully detailed without getting lost in the minutia. It was the first book I read on this era and has compelled me to read everything I can get my hands on about the founding fathers.
"full potential of the human spirit"
This, without doubt, must be considered as one of the finest and most thorough work done with regards to paying full tribute to the biography of Benjamin Franklin. You may learn many things you didn't know about this remarkable man as well as being refreshed on the things you had partially forgotten since history classes of your school days. He was to be considered a Founding Father of our Country, but his influence began long before the seeds of Revolution began to form, and his bright and steady, surefooted approach to diplomacy without submission or compromise of principals was nothing short of the genius we knew he possessed.
His humble beginnings, which he was never ashamed of, did not hamper him, but rather enriched his understanding of the human condition in his continual search for truth, justice, science extraordinaire; and a philantropic desire to further higher education for youthful successors. Feet of clay, he undoubtedly had, as do we all; but they were lovable feet from start to finish. We have heard it all before about this most famous of our first citizens, but it is well to begin again to pay tribute to him, especially in this age of uncertainty, bizarre political events, the lack of leadership.
Perhaps the most amazing element about Franklin was the apparent lack of ego. He did not do things for personal gain but rather for the overall good of the people, a goal he genuinely seemed to embrace above all else. His sense of humor was also unique for such a man; his penchant for penning controversial ideas under the guise of pen names was nothing short of genius in itself. It was a safety valve attached to a desire to effect change - you tentatively "test the mood" before admitting authorship. Waiting a decade for public opinion to soften is often soon enough if the ideas are sound enough to claim later as your own! Let the seed be sown, to rise not during the winter chill, but later, afterward - when the spring sun warms the soil and brings it to life under more suitable conditions.
Moreover, not only were his covertly penned arguments gems of far-reaching vision, but this most excellent, prudent strategy was developed at the age of.....of....16!
We need him to come again to the service of this country, which will always be his; but I fear there was only one of him made. Thankfully, we were able to have such a man in the right place at the right time, especially at the end of his career, when he was such heartwarming support for our Revolutionists as they "committed with their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor".
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