I recently finished listening to Benjamin Franklin: An American Life by Walter Isaacson, and, although I don't have time to discuss it right now, I didn't want to forget about it, so I have included its cover and promise to come back here soon to review it.
Another mention - Isaacson just published a biography of Steve Jobs, recently deceased founder of Apple. Funny: Franklin and Jobs were alike in some ways. Maybe I need to read the Jobs book. Isaacson squarely blames Franklin for the permanent rift with his son William, and squarely casts Franklin as a hearteless if not philandering cad, abandoning Deborah and always choosing to stay in Europe (even when totally unnecessary) rather than return home to his wife and family.
Compare with Jeff Shaara's assessment of Franklin in Rise to Rebellion (2001) where Shaara puts most of the blame on William for the irreconcilability of their relationship, and pretty much white-washes Franklin's abandonment of Deborah.Shaara's book does not appear to carry the weight of research exhibited by other serious works on the pre-Revolutionary era and personalities; also, it is hard to accept Shaara's view in light of other recent work on Franklin.
The week before starting on Isaacson's book, I had just finished listening to The life and times of Benjamin Franklin, a Modern Scholar lecture series by Prof. H. W. Brands. Professor Brands paints a picture of Franklin as the most famous person in the world even before the American Revolution, due mostly to his scientific explorations with electricity, but also due to his almanac and popular style of writing about his scientific endeavors. Brands, although not as harshly as Isaacson, also describes Franklin's seeming disinterest in his wife Deborah and other family members; neither offers that Franklin's extended absences from home were seen as sacrifices on his part. If you are interested in the life of Benjamin Franklin, even the dark side of this American "saint," then read Isaacson.
Another mention - Isaacson just published a biography of Steve Jobs, recently deceased founder of Apple. Funny: Franklin and Jobs were alike in some ways. Maybe I need to read the Jobs book. Isaacson squarely blames Franklin for the permanent rift with his son William, and squarely casts Franklin as a hearteless if not philandering cad, abandoning Deborah and always choosing to stay in Europe (even when totally unnecessary) rather than return home to his wife and family.
Compare with Jeff Shaara's assessment of Franklin in Rise to Rebellion (2001) where Shaara puts most of the blame on William for the irreconcilability of their relationship, and pretty much white-washes Franklin's abandonment of Deborah.Shaara's book does not appear to carry the weight of research exhibited by other serious works on the pre-Revolutionary era and personalities; also, it is hard to accept Shaara's view in light of other recent work on Franklin.
The week before starting on Isaacson's book, I had just finished listening to The life and times of Benjamin Franklin, a Modern Scholar lecture series by Prof. H. W. Brands. Professor Brands paints a picture of Franklin as the most famous person in the world even before the American Revolution, due mostly to his scientific explorations with electricity, but also due to his almanac and popular style of writing about his scientific endeavors. Brands, although not as harshly as Isaacson, also describes Franklin's seeming disinterest in his wife Deborah and other family members; neither offers that Franklin's extended absences from home were seen as sacrifices on his part. If you are interested in the life of Benjamin Franklin, even the dark side of this American "saint," then read Isaacson.