K2 recommends....
THE FIRST AMERICAN: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, by H.W. Brands (a Pulitzer Prize finalist)
How well do you know Ben??? You might just be surprised…..
In truth, I was initially attracted to this book as a new Philadelphian, seeking a little more information about past events in my historic city. What I uncovered was an engaging, delightful biography that revealed a Ben Franklin I never knew!
Told where possible through letters, autobiographical pieces, and historical record, Ben’s thoughts and adventures unfold. Young Ben was quite a rascal, and his path to Philadelphia was by no means a simple one. In particular, I enjoyed Ben’s deft, recurring use of literary alter-egos (eg Silence Dogood, Alice Addertongue, Caelia Shortface, etc) as a means to sway public opinion, scold, or scandalize. Another manifestation of Ben’s wit (Polly Baker) proved to be an early advocate of women’s rights. Go Ben!!!
Of course, in the later “Founding Father” years, much of the information was not new to me, but I still I found it to be cleverly written and an excellent read. All said, I can strongly recommend this book.
THE FIRST AMERICAN: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, by H.W. Brands (a Pulitzer Prize finalist)
How well do you know Ben??? You might just be surprised…..
In truth, I was initially attracted to this book as a new Philadelphian, seeking a little more information about past events in my historic city. What I uncovered was an engaging, delightful biography that revealed a Ben Franklin I never knew!
Told where possible through letters, autobiographical pieces, and historical record, Ben’s thoughts and adventures unfold. Young Ben was quite a rascal, and his path to Philadelphia was by no means a simple one. In particular, I enjoyed Ben’s deft, recurring use of literary alter-egos (eg Silence Dogood, Alice Addertongue, Caelia Shortface, etc) as a means to sway public opinion, scold, or scandalize. Another manifestation of Ben’s wit (Polly Baker) proved to be an early advocate of women’s rights. Go Ben!!!
Of course, in the later “Founding Father” years, much of the information was not new to me, but I still I found it to be cleverly written and an excellent read. All said, I can strongly recommend this book.
I'm onto it! But the family will probably dread this, because when I read the McCullough biography of John Adams, I drove everyone crazy for weeks by quoting Adams stories for every occasion - I can hardly wait to expand my repertoire to include Franklin!
ReplyDeleteYes! Another convert! I will take the heat from Linda -- just blame me! Or, better yet, blame Anthony Afterwit.....
ReplyDeleteJust added this to my Amazon Wishlist!
ReplyDeleteHi K2! Jesse saw this on my Amazon Wishlist and gifted it to me....and I have now read about 125 pages - fascinating! I'll check in again when finished, but really enjoying it.
ReplyDeleteFinished this excellent read! Franklin was a truly amazing man. Four things struck me: First, that he was very easy-going - willing to compromise and to forgive to an exceptional degree. Second, he was interested in, and knowledgeable about, an astonishingly wide range of subjects. Third, he was an outstanding investigator, with a very sophisticated appreciation of what constituted a rigorous experiment. And finally, he was a very persuasive and forceful writer. Very enjoyable read!
ReplyDelete