Benjamin Franklin: An American Life

By: Walter Isaacson

Narrated by: Nelson Runger

In this authoritative and engrossing full-scale biography, Walter Isaacson, bestselling author of Einstein and Steve Jobs, shows how the most fascinating of America's founders helped define our national character.

Benjamin Franklin is the founding father who winks at us, the one who seems made of flesh rather than marble. In a sweeping narrative that follows Franklin’s life from Boston to Philadelphia to London and Paris and back, Walter Isaacson chronicles the adventures of the runaway apprentice who became, over the course of his eighty-four-year life, America’s best writer, inventor, media baron, scientist, diplomat, and business strategist, as well as one of its most practical and ingenious political leaders. He explores the wit behind Poor Richard’s Almanac and the wisdom behind the Declaration of Independence, the new nation’s alliance with France, the treaty that ended the Revolution, and the compromises that created a near-perfect Constitution.

In this colorful and intimate narrative, Isaacson provides the full sweep of Franklin’s amazing life, showing how he helped to forge the American national identity and why he has a particular resonance in the twenty-first century.

Rich, captivating peek at the life of a Great Man

I got this book after reading two other biographies from Walter Isaacson: Jobs and Einstein. Both were fantastic, this one joins the list.

I enjoyed this audiobook thoroughly - it provides a wonderful combination of history, personal details about Benjamin Franklin and his personality, and valuable things we can learn from his life.

For an audiobook this long, like with the other biographies, it is amazing how interesting they are. I listen to audiobooks while driving, and I caught myself wishing my commute was just a little longer to listen to a bit more.

Highly recommended

Great book!

Great book, it goes in depth into his somewhat complex character. Franklin is truly one founding father that doesn't get the credit due.
This book goes beyond the facade we all know & revealing his true character.

What I didn't like was the references to other authors material. I also found the narrator a bit slow in his reading. It was an easy fix though. I speed the book up to 1.5x in Audible and it read much like normal reading with out the stereotypical New England accent or assumed slownes.

Insightful, well worth the read (listen)

Walter Isaacson weaves an engaging almost fanciful story of the life of an American icon.

As Isaacson points out, each generation recasts Franklin in its own image. After reading this I came away impressed with how diverse and talented Ben Franklin was. From writer to inventor, Franklin was the very image of genius. We all know of his electricity experiments and his role in the founding of the United States, but Walter Isaacson introduces us to a whole new 3D image of the famous printer. Who knew of Franklin's involvement in the invention of refrigeration, for example, or of his observations of a seminal moment in the development of flight?

This book convincingly sweeps aside the sensational popular idea of Franklin as a womanizer, while at the same time, painting a picture of a man who quite probably was a bigamist. His complex family life comprises much of the book as surely it did Franklin's life. We explore William Franklin's possible maternal connections as well as the complicated and tortured relationship Benjamin had with his son.

Some of the finest moments for me came when we glimpse his interactions with the other founding fathers, specifically, John and Abigail Adams. Through his own words and those of his contemporaries, we come to know a man who is at once wise, naive, grandfatherly, lecherous, pious, lewd, humorous, serious, friendly, and cantankerous.

In addition to the engaging content, Nelson Runger's read is superb. He is a pleasure to listen to and he makes the time fly by. I completely enjoyed this book both for its content and the performance.

Great Book about a Great Man

Where does Benjamin Franklin: An American Life rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

It's up there. Though because it's so long, I'll probably look into the Bio to re-read instead. The virtues of this man will live on forever.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Ben Franklin of course

Have you listened to any of Nelson Runger’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I liked his performance. I don't know what the other reviews are talking about with his bad impersonations and "butter lips". He did a splendid job being a story teller and for a history/bio book,his cheesy impersonations keep it fun and indicate it's a direct quote.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Ha! 24+ hour marathon? I still have to squeeze in ear time for the wife.. so not for me in 1 sitting :)

Any additional comments?

Fantastic book. Only complaints are about instances of sudden jumps in topics without much warning. In history books that's to be expected but when covering grand topics, it's a little tough when it branches off into another persons tale with little build up. This book might be a little long for some so at minimum get the raw bio of Ben Franklin instead. His practical virtues should be red and studied by all.

Audiobook perfection; Literary and Historical paragon

Very few books, even fewer biographies, contain the rigorously sourced and maturely digested discussion that Isaacson our together. It is itself a monument.

Runger's performance is classic and fits so nobly and approachably with the book, that it is a perfect match.