Benjamin Franklin: An American Life
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Benjamin Franklin: An American Life
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Narrated by:
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Nelson Runger
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By:
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Walter Isaacson
About this listen
Benjamin Franklin is the founding father who winks at us - an ambitious urban entrepreneur who rose up the social ladder, from leather-aproned shopkeeper to dining with kings.
In best-selling author Walter Isaacson's vivid and witty full-scale biography, we discover why Franklin turns to us from history's stage with eyes that twinkle from behind his new-fangled spectacles. In Benjamin Franklin, Isaacson shows how Franklin defines both his own time and ours.
The most interesting thing that Franklin invented, and continually reinvented, was himself. America's first great publicist, he was consciously trying to create a new American archetype. In the process, he carefully crafted his own persona, portrayed it in public, and polished it for posterity. His guiding principle was a "dislike of everything that tended to debase the spirit of the common people". Few of his fellow founders felt this comfort with democracy so fully, and none so intuitively.
In this colorful and intimate narrative, Isaacson provides the full sweep of Franklin's amazing life, from his days as a runaway printer to his triumphs as a statesman, scientist, and Founding Father. He chronicles Franklin's tumultuous relationship with his illegitimate son and grandson, his practical marriage, and his flirtations with the ladies of Paris. He also shows how Franklin helped to create the American character and why he has a particular resonance in the 21st century.
©2003 Walter Isaacson (P)2011 Simon & SchusterListeners also enjoyed...
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Anonymous User
- 19-01-19
Simply brilliant.
Franklin, who in the past sometimes been portrayed with caricature-like simplicity, is given the depth he deserves by Isaacson.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Anonymous User
- 18-02-24
Fascinating and beautifully written biography of a remarkable man
Exceptional depth of research underpinning a rich narrative of an extraordinary life. It gives great insight into life in America before independence, and the political landscape in Britain and France that led to it as well as the development of the US Constitution.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Amazon Customer
- 16-08-18
A Highly Recommend Read
This was my first interaction with a book about Benjamin Franklin that I found captured the great man's life and presented it in such a way that captures even the most casual readers interest in American history and of scientific research and his quick with made it even more enjoyable.
I would and have recommended this book to numerous people who don't know where to start in reading about him. Even though his own biography is quite the read I find this book quite engaging and evenly spaced.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Kindle Customer
- 17-07-20
Great Biography -
Subtle - nuanced and also well researched. This franklin biography does a good job of clearly bringing together some of the personality traits of Ben and separating the myth from the reality regarding him.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- P O DWYER
- 03-11-19
A magnificent and well researched biography
If you liked Steve Jobs biography (same author) you will like this one as well. Well researched biography of America's first and best Polymath relying on previous studies and original correspondence (good that Franklin was a prolific writer throughout his life). Traces the origins of Franklin family in England before he was born right through his death. At times it feels like the modern world (and not the 1700's) with varying forces and interests at work in negotiations between countries and underlying personal tensions.Sparingly uses and quotes other sources and only to make a point. Well narrated and good use of voice change especially capturing what Franklin would sound like.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Amazon Customer
- 25-06-24
Wonderful Book and Personality
I thoroughly enjoyed reading (or in this case listening) about Benjamin Franklin. It will certainly affect my daily life in a practical way, as he would’ve desired.
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- John-Paul M.
- 11-08-20
A must read!
A fantastic account of an extraordinary life - learnings and insights galore. Biographies such as this one should be compulsory reading in school. Highly recommended.
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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- Eddy Barrett
- 20-03-18
Good but sometimes a bit of a difficult listen
Interesting and in depth but I sometimes felt myself zoning out. I would have preferred a slightly more concise version but then again maybe that would be doing Franklin an injustice. Overall worth the time commitment but I preferred Isaacsons biography of Steve Jobs.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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- Timothy Alonso
- 28-12-16
An excellent account of Franklin's life
An excellent account of one of America's founding father's life.
An inspirational story of how much Franklin's pragmatic approach have achieved from his various inventions to his participation during the American revolution.
It was humbling to know how industrious the man was but couldn't help but be disappointed with how he treated his family, his wife especially.
This is a multi-layered account of a great man with curiosity ranging from many different subjects. It covered both positive and negative aspects of his life in a balanced and objective way.
This is definitely worth your time.
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- Kirstine
- 29-12-13
An inspiring story of a polymath
I knew that Franklin was important in the formulation of the American Constitution and that he played a part in the understanding of electricity, but had not realized how impressive were his other scientific investigations nor how influential he was in international negotiations over independence from Britain. His life from humble beginnings to world fame is an inspiring story of self-education and hard work coupled with an admirable tolerance to all religious creeds and a playful sense of humour. The book is an engaging listen as his far from perfect personal life and extraordinary public one are interwoven with the domestic concerns and important moments in history.
The reader has just the right amount of folksy charm to narrate this fascinating biography.
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13 people found this helpful