Benjamin Franklin: An American Life

By: Walter Isaacson

Narrated by: Nelson Runger

Length: 24 hrs and 40 mins

Publisher's summary

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 & Schuster

Critic reviews

"The most readable full-length Franklin biography available." ( The Washington Post Book World)

"Energetic, entertaining, and worldly." ( The New Yorker)

"In its common sense, clarity and accessibility, it is a fitting reflection of Franklin's sly pragmatism.... This may be the book that most powerfully drives a new pendulum swing of the Franklin reputation." ( The New York Times Book Review)

My review of Franklin.

A complete story. G good description of one of the important figures in The United States history.

I genuinely Enjoyed it.

Would you consider the audio edition of Benjamin Franklin: An American Life to be better than the print version?

Don't know. I do know that I really enjoyed the story and would certainly recommend it. I didn't have no idea the complexity of his life. I appreciate him even more now.

What did you like best about this story?

The variety of info. It wasn't just about this guy who impacted lives with inventions, electricity and politics. It was about family, friends and virtues.

What does Nelson Runger bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Through voice inflection, I understood what I should pay closer attention to.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Nothing specifically but I was saddened when I realized his namesake ended and nobody carried his name.

Any additional comments?

Excellent book.. I'll likely listen to it a second time,

Terribly Read

I hated every second of having to listen to Nelson Runger. I could not finish this book because I found his voice so annoying. For one of the most important characters in history, Runger's voice lacked the gravitas and was seemingly always in the middle of a joke that never landed.

I'm sure other people didn't mind it, but I certainly did and will likely never buy another book with him reading. Tragic, because I like Isaacson's work.

What an awesome book - and an amazing person

A fantastic book, that will greatly expand your understanding and appreciation for an under-appreciated American, inventor and scholar.

Great biography of Ben Franklin

The writter went far beyond the basic conceptions most people have of Franklin. He brought forth the complexity of his accomplishments and his mindset. The narrator was engaging and natural. It is a very worthwhile & enjoyable book if you want to learn about Ben Franklin in depth.

Narration ruins the great content.

I really wanted to love this book. What a fascinating story of a man I only knew of as one of the "Founding Fathers". By all means, the content of the book, and the flow were really good. Learned a lot about how his father left England on his own to start a new in America with almost nothing to his name. Who does that? His son was then born in America to grow into a historic figure, spanning so many aspects of life, science, social structure, etc.

Fascinating that he was the only one to sign the Declaration of Independence, Treaty Alliance with France, Treaty of Peace with England, and then the US Constitution.

Now, for the bad. As other reviews have mentioned, I've gone through 20+ audible books. This was the first one that made me almost delete the book from my library. Between the breathing, the slurping, and general mouth noises, it really took away from the story. How this gets past editing is beyond me. Not a fan of Benjamin Franklin's voice either, sounded too cartoonish to me.

What an amazing founding father

His life was fascinating. His skill in designing the nation we have and his ability to understand what is needed in implementing the start of this nation are all essential to who we are today. I totally enjoyed this biography of on of the most important individuals who helped create this democratic nation.

Must read for anyone curious about the USA

I struggled to put my phone down listening to it. This one will remain in the top ten for book recommendations for me.

Enjoyable and informative read/listen!

Enjoyable and informative read/listen! I discovered many things about Franklin in an enjoyable way. Great job.

Solid biography- disappointing narration

This is a very well done overview of both Franklin‘s life and some backstory around the American revolution and thinking during that time period.
I found the narrator’s “voice of Franklin” annoying to the extent that by the end of the book I was having a hard time liking Franklin because of the voice. It’s a long book, so you may want to listen to a sample to see what you’re in for.