Synopses & Reviews
This engaging book reveals Benjamin Franklinand#8217;s human sideand#151;his tastes and habits, his enthusiasms, and his devotion to democracy and the people of the United States. Three hundred years after his birth, we may remember Franklinand#8217;s famous
Autobiography, or his status as framer of the Declaration of Independence and the peace with Great Britain, or his experiments in electricity, or perhaps his sage advice on diligence and thrift. But historian Edmund S. Morgan invites us to meet the man himself, a sociable, good-natured, and extraordinaryand#160; human being with boundless curiosity about the natural world and a vision of what America could be.
Drawing on lifelong research in the vast Franklin archives, Morgan assembles both famous and lesser-known writings that offer insights into this founding fatherand#8217;s thinking. The book is organized around four major themes, each with an introduction. The first section includes journal excerpts and letters revealing Franklinand#8217;s personal tastes and habits. The second is devoted to Franklinand#8217;s inexhaustible intellectual energy and his scientific discoveries. The third and fourth chronicle his devotion to serving the people who became the United States both before and after the Revolution and to advancing his democratic vision of their future. Franklinand#8217;s humanity and genius have never seemed more real than in the pages of this appealing anthology.
Review
"A fine collection, greatly enhanced by Morgan's sprightly and readable introductions."and#8212;Gordon S. Wood, Brown University
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Review
"Edmund Morgan, the most distinguished of Benjamin Franklin's scholars and fans, has put together a glorious compendium of his writings that reminds us how delightful and witty he was. You will be mesmerizedand#8212;and find out what that word really means!"and#8212;Walter Isaacson, author of Benjamin Franklin: An American Life
Review
and#8220;What James Boswell did for Samuel Johnson, Edmund Morgan has now done for Benjamin Franklin, here allowing us into a conversation that brings the great man to life in all his Protean splendor.and#8221;and#8212;Joseph J. Ellis, author of
Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generationandnbsp;
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Review
and#8220;Of all the truly great American historians, Edmund S. Morgan comes closest to capturing the spirit of Benjamin Franklin's prose in his own work: enlightening, plain, witty, democratic, cosmopolitan, and crafty in the best sense of the word.andnbsp; Here he arranges an expert's tour through Franklin's writings, offering readers a continual Christmas.and#8221;and#8212;Sean Wilentz, author of
The Rise of American Democracy: Jefferson to Lincolnandnbsp;
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Synopsis
This engaging book reveals Benjamin Franklin's human side--his tastes and habits, his enthusiasms, and his devotion to democracy and the people of the United States.This engaging book reveals Benjamin Franklin's human side--his tastes and habits, his enthusiasms, and his devotion to democracy and the people of the United States.
About the Author
Edmund S. Morgan is Sterling Professor of History Emeritus, Yale University, the author of a best-selling biography of Franklin, and the recipient of many awards for his previous books, including the Bancroft Prize, the Francis Parkman Prize, the Albert J. Beveridge Award, and the Colonial Dames of America Annual Book Award. He is a longtime member of the administrative board of The Papers of Benjamin Franklin.and#160;and#160;