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Rating:  -
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.
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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.
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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.
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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".
Rating:  -
This book was an excellent review of Revolutionary War history and of a true founding father. The prolific references in this book to primary sources domonstrate what an inspired inventor and early American Benjamin Franklin was.
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