Benjamin Franklin

Rating:
Summary: An Excellent Biography
Review: Benjamin Franklin by Edmund S. Morgan is not only an excellent biography, but an insightful review of American history surrounding the Revolution-a history that I had mostly forgotten since my high school days. The book is particularly good in describing Franklin as the full-time statesman (post 1757). Certainly, no book could ever equal his autobiography in describing his "earlier" years.

The book succeeds in producing such a favorable impression of the character of Benjamin Franklin and the justness of the American Revolution that one wonders whether the book is highly skewed in those regards. In the end, I think not. Franklin was a most remarkable man, not only because he was both a scientist and a public servant, but he was highly virtuous as well.

I found the casual, almost colloquial, style of writing difficult to follow at times, particularly at the beginning of the book. Also, Prof. Morgan often repeats facts, sometimes separated only by a page or two. Although this habit was annoying at first, I came to appreciate its usefulness in reminding the reader of key pieces of information.

Rating:
Summary: Not the Greatest
Review: Benjamin Franklin is certainly worth a more in depth treatment than this slim volume.

For those just wanting an overview of his life without all the details, it might suffice. As for me, it left me wanting a lot more.

Rating:
Summary: Benjamin Franklin
Review: Benjamin Franklin written by Edmund S. Morgan is a very well-book about the man, the story, the character of one of the most unique personalities, Benjamin Franklin.

This is a unique book in that we get to read about Franklin and can actually see his eyes krinkle and sparkle and see him smile back at us like no other book has done before. I throughly enjoyed this book because of that. Oh yes, there are the details and the facts associated with Franklin in this book, but those are cold without the man behind them. Franklin lives in the book as the author painstakenly works the details and facts with Franklin's character, demeanor, and personality to make Franklin come alive.

This book has some of the supporting characters in it as they are added for spice and garnish, but the star is Franklin. Franklin is perhaps the most remarkable figure in American History, and most of know his varied rolls and jobs held for the government, also, his private passion of science. All of that is in this book as the most prominent celebrity of the eighteenth century. Franklin said, "that he was born too soon for he wished to see all the new inventions." All that I can say is maybe we were born too late to see Franklin.

In place to meeting Franklin face to face, there are excellent ways to meet Franklin through his writings. As Franklin wrote nearly every day and his letters were cherished by the people that recieved them and he saved the letters that were written to him. Giving us a well rounded picture of the man.

This book gives us the best stort biograghy about an interestly intriguing man tht I've ever read. Benjamin Franklin by Edmund S. Morgan is the difinative... Benjamin Franklin.

Rating:
Summary: Unconstrained by linear logic, a difficult book to follow
Review: Benjamin Franklin's life is one of the most fascinating in American life--he was a diplomat, legislator, printer and scientist. In this admittedly short biography in an admittedly crowded field (there have been a handful of similar books published in recent years), Edmund Morgan attempts to give us an impression of the character of the man.

He starts with his athleticism, moves on to his views of religion and morals, and so on. Those who are unfamiliar with the factual details of Franklins life will be confused by the sudden appearance of details: Referring to his wife, Morgan writes: "He spent the last ten years of her life away from her in London." This comes as a shock as we haven't yet been told he spent so much time in the mother country.

Morgan readily admits that the work is based largely on a recent compilation of Franklin documents on disk ("...and not much else")and doesn't offer original research.

In sum, this becomes a difficult book to read and cannot be recommended except perhaps as an adjunct to Franklin-devotees who've already finished reading several more orthodox biographies.

Rating:
Summary: The Practical and Productive Visionary
Review: Each year, I re-read Franklin's Autobiography because I remain fascinated by the interaction of his ever-curious mind with the political, economic, and social events of the years during which he lived. I have also read other biographies of Franklin, as well as of Washington, Jefferson, and Adams; also, accounts of their era, notably Ellis' Founding Brothers, Ferling's Setting the World Ablaze, and Bailyn's To Begin the World Anew. In my opinion, Morgan provides in this volume the single best source of information to answer questions such as these: "Which of Franklin's experiences as a child and young man had the greatest influence on his development? How to explain his insatiable curiosity? What was he like as a husband and father? Why was he so reluctant to draw public attention to himself? Given the times, was he a legitimate scientist or merely a clever tinkerer? What were his unique contributions to the creation, establishment, and development of a new nation? Why was he so popular in Europe, especially in France? As his death drew near, what was Franklin's own estimate of his achievements?" Morgan offers answers to these and other questions.

It is indicative of Morgan's erudition as well as his writing skills his narrative seems as if it were an eyewitness account such as James Boswell's of Samuel Johnson. There are hundreds of anecdotes included, many of them previously unfamiliar to most readers. Morgan also makes generous but appropriate use of Franklin's own written works as well as of sources contemporary with him. In the final chapter, however, Morgan quotes one of Franklin's best-known maxims, "let all men know thee, but no man know thee thoroughly." Franklin's actions always spoke much louder than his words. Indeed, he was renowned for his silence in the Pennsylvania Assembly, in the Continental Congress, in the Constitutional Convention, and throughout countless meetings with government officials in England and France.

Lest we misunderstand what motivated this pattern of silence, Morgan observes that Franklin "knew how to value himself and what he did without mistaking himself for something more than one man among many. His special brand of self-respect required him to honor his fellow men and women no less than himself." I was intrigued by Morgan's account of what seems to be an essential contradiction in Franklin: his self-confidence and his humility. Franklin was guided by a spirit which can never be confined to any one religious denomination. He recognized strengths and weaknesses in himself as well as in others, "in a spirit that another wise man in another century called 'the spirit which is not too sure it is right.' It is a spirit which weakens the weak but strengthens the strong. It gave Franklin the strength to do what he incredibly did, as a scientist, statesman, and man." In this context, I am reminded of Voltaire's advice that we should cherish those who seek the truth but beware of those who find it.

Although we will never know Franklin "thoroughly," Morgan has helped us to know him well.

Rating:
Summary: One of the Most Interesting Men in American History
Review: Edmund S. Morgan is without a doubt one of American's greatest living historians. He is very worthy of the title, as is made evident in the pages of Benjamin Franklin. Morgan manages to give a very insightful look at one of the most interesting Founding Fathers in a book half the size of most Franklin biographies. As Gordon S. Wood wrote on the back cover of the book, "This is the best short biography of Franklin ever written". You would be hard pressed to disagree with him.

You take certain themes from this well written book. One is a total admiration of the man. This is a very subject positive story, as it should be. Franklin was extremely smart, not some storied tinkerer in lightning. Franklin's experiments were recognized world wide as serious steps in scientific achievement. He could speak several languages and was a veracious reader and writer. He also had a wonderful sense of civic duty. It seemed that wherever he went, Franklin strove to improve his surroundings, for himself and his neighbors. Libraries and fire departments all owe some of their origin to Franklin.

The man was also extremely charming. On his many trips around the world, he cultivated an almost cult like following. He was such a friendly fellow that people from all around the globe did anything to get an audience or share a meal with him. Franklin's infidelities are hinted at, but they are not sorid or outrageous. Most of them are unproven anyway.

Only trailing Washington, Franklin should be given the most credit for the independence of the 13 colonies and then the formation of the United States. Franklin managed to squeeze millions and millions of dollars from the already cash strapped French, with later on proved disastrous for Louis XVI. This money and aid was a necessity in winning the war. Also very interesting is how much Franklin loved England. Up until the very end, Franklin was desperate to keep the two countries together in some form of union. Only after the amazingly arrogant actions of the English government did he see that the only answer was independence.

Great writing, wonderful research, and a fascinating subject. What else could you want?

Rating:
Summary: A good short bio of Franklin
Review: Finally, after two years of allowing it to gather dust on my bookshelf, I read Edmund Morgan's short bio of Franklin. I'm glad I did. This is a very engaging book. Yes, it's light on details, but it captures the highlights of Franklin's life and, more so, Franklin's character. The book mostly focuses on Franklin's public life as a diplomat and leader, and (for my taste) not enough on his scientific and social pursuits. Nonetheless, it's well written and a good first stop for anyone who is interested in learning about this particular founding father.

Rating:
Summary: The Man of the Thirteen Virtues
Review: For the past 50 years, scholars have been collecting every surviving scrap of things written by BF, enough to fill 46 printed volumes. Morgan wrote this book from the computer disc holding these writings - yes, this book is extracted completely from his writings. Being a historian, Morgan wrote a book heavy in history, saturated with the most factual (at least from Franklin's viewpoint) concise summary of BF to be found.

A more recent book by Gordon Wood is also excellent, and is more of a character study, whereas this book is more detail oriented. I recommend both these fine books, as complementary works about a man who possessed unbelievable talents.

While making a fortune for himself in the printing business, BF did for Philadelphia what the government didn't. He organized the development of a fire department, fire insurance, the first American library, a college (now University of Pennsylvania), a military defense against the French and Indians, and numerous other civic endeavors. This was "the ideal outlet for the usefulness he craved in initiating one association after the other, to meet people's need as they arose."

Meanwhile, his insatiable curiosity and experimentation led him to become a world class scientist. He was possibly the first American self-improvement book author, publishing "Poor Richard's Almanac" every year for many, many years.

He retired from active business at the age of 42 but he was in such demand as a public servant that he never really retired until death. He represented Pennsylvania and subsequently other colonies in England until the possibility of compromise was gone. During the war he was sent to France where he secured financial and military aid, a diplomatic feat of vital importance. For the war effort, he was second in significance only to Washington, and had a lot more fun doing it than George did, as Morgan will tell you.

By far the oldest of the founding fathers, he was 69 when he participated in the writing of the Declaration of Independence, and 80 at the time of the Constitutional Convention.

Whether this is a first introduction (other than knowing his name) or a renewal of friendship, do yourself a favor and get to know this remarkable man better. I highly recommend this very excellent book, and am now reading BF's autobiography, which, along with Poor Richard's Almanac, contributed immensely to BF's legacy.

Rating:
Summary: America's True "Unsung" Hero
Review: Franklin was indeed an amazing man---his brilliance encompassed so many areas and crossed a variety of disciplines. Morgan's book does a terrific job of enlightening the reader about the personality behind this historical figure--his idiosyncrasies, his peccadilloes.
Our country might never have won the battle at Yorktown if not for the French---and we probably would not have gained their alliance if not for Franklin's tact, diplomacy and wit.
I read McCullough's excellent book on John Adams---and concluded that Adams was the most 'unsung' hero of the American Revolution. I would now have to give that title to Franklin.

Rating:
Summary: Franklin the statesman ¿ not the man
Review: Franklin's portrait on the cover is an apt summary of the book's contents: the man is rendered as a tight-lipped, observant, yet not very engaging personage with a certain flatness, even dullness about him.

While Morgan illuminates the traits of Franklin the statesman very ably, concisely and detachedly, Franklin the man he treats cursorily, even hurriedly, leaving many parts of it in blurry shade. As Kant said, all men are made of crooked timber. Yet some stand tall and arresting despite, or even because of their crookedness. Morgan shows himself unwilling or unable to penetrate Franklin's foibles, and thus his soul - and the reader is left to struggle for longer sections with the dryness of the political narrative. Edmund S. Morgan is a historian, not a biographer. Also, the book is not the result of original research. It is a rendition, for a more general public, of Morgan's outstanding scholarship of the period. In the end, it tells.

Morgan's one-sided and glib rendering of Franklin's relationship to other statesmen like Hay or Adams proves the point. He takes Franklin's judgements of the others at face value. He should know better. If Adams was 'vain', Franklin was 'lazy'. Suspicions, follies, hates, mutual accusations of untrustworthiness, or downright craziness are part and parcel of life, be it inside the family or lofty negotiations. In battle our best passions and our worst instincts and vanities are inextricably intertwined, and to miss the contradictions is to miss life's tragedies and comedies - the stuff of a great and ironic yarn.

Morgan finally makes much of the fact that Franklin's own opinions might have differed from those he espoused in public. He is suppressing the time dimension in a chaotic and hence contingent evolutionary process. At the outset Franklin certainly had preferences - his own views. Even with hindsight he may have held the same preferences. But for better or worse, decisions were taken, and options were foreclosed. As a pragmatic man Franklin would have wasted no time or emotions regretting 'the road not taken'. Like Galileo or Popper Franklin knew that in life the only truths are what we disprove, the rest remain conjectures or possibilities. This had made Franklin a great scientist. What made Franklin a great statesman was that he was prepared to apply this lesson to politics.