Benjamin Franklin

An American Life

By: Walter Isaacson

Narrated by: Boyd Gaines

Length: 7 hrs and 13 mins

Publisher's summary

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 twenty-first century.

©2003 Walter Isaacson (P)2003 Simon & Schuster Inc. All rights reserved. AUDIOWORKS is an imprint of Simon & Schuster Audio Division, Simon & Schuster, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Benjamin Franklin catalogs the extraordinary range of its subject's accomplishments, which remain unrivaled in their variety and utility." (The New York Times)
"Isaacson has crafted a wonderfully written biography, and his treatment of Franklin's youth and rise to prominence is insightful and imaginative" (The Washington Post)
"The abridgment is seamless, the text runs the gamut...from brilliant to ordinary."(AudioFile)
"Blessed with one of the most polished and easy-to-absorb voices in the audio business, reader Boyd Gaines does an outstanding job with Walter Isaacson's excellent biography of perhaps the most appealing of the Founding Fathers..." (USA Today)

Wow!

I had no idea what a fascinating man Ben Franklin was. Do yourself a favor and download this fabulous book. You won't be bored for a moment and you will learn so much about Ben, early America and the founding of our country.

I really enjoyed it!

I've always been interested in the life of Franklin and thought this was a great general biography. I learned a lot listening to it. The reader was very easy and enjoyable to listen to.

Exiting Story

I was more than pleased with this purchase. I am still stunned by the energy this man had. A true idol, even for nowadays. The only drawback on the audiobook was the mediocre reading, this needs more "spice". Highly recommended for anyone who loves colorfull biographies.

Good story

Love La More. He is my favorite western writer. I grew up reading his books when I was a kid and he opened up a entirely new world to me through knowledge of history and how he blends that into a story.

It's a good book,however, I found it to be very similar to the Proving Trail. I liked them both, but thought the Proving Trail was much better. What these two books do speak to, is the importance of a mentor figure, or someone who can provide a positive influence/guidance in one's life, and La More is masterful at getting that point across.

Wish I Got the Full Version!

This is beautifully read, very informative about Ben Franklin's story and key points, but not in depth as I would have liked. I think it's a fantastic overview and I have such a respect for Ben Franklin now, and I'm left wanting more! I literally didn't pick the full version because it was 24 hours long (yikes) but then hearing how quickly this book moved through such interesting parts of his journey I wished I was listening for 24 hours haha Thanks though, I'm very intrigued to learn more about him now :)

Walterson is the best biographer…

…but this is certainly not his best work. Go find Steve Jobs/ Da Vinci/ Einstein before this one if you want a good biography.

Loved It

Easy to listen to. It seemed a little short to listen to compared to other biographies, but I didn't feel like any information was missing. Betty fun to listen to.

Interesting info - enjoyable listening

I am disappointed that others didn't value this as highly as I did. After listening to the Adams biography, the counterpoint offered in Franklin, allows the reader to understand both points of view. It is providential that Franklin was around whenever the topic or future of the United States was discussed. I truly enjoyed the listening and would recommend it to all who have read "John Adams" or "Founding Brothers."

Painful

Ben Franklin is a very interesting man but the reading pace of this book put me to sleep several times. I give it three stars only because I think the content merited it, although it was hard to tell. The author's Conclusions at the end offered a nice analysis of Ben's life and how he has been percieved since his death but getting to that point was painful.

slightly disappointed

Franklin's fascinating life is portrayed well and in depth in this book. I found the reading to be flat, however, and it did not hold my attention well.