10 books about Benjamin Franklin

A biography of America's first Renaissance man discusses Benjamin Franklin's diverse roles as a scientist, businessman, philosopher, writer, inventor, diplomat, politician, wit, and Founding Father.

A mention of flatulence might conjure up images of bratty high school boys or lowbrow comics. But one of the most eloquent—and least expected—commentators on the subject is Benjamin Franklin. The writings in Fart Proudly reveal the rogue who lived peaceably within the philosopher and statesman. Included are "The Letter to a Royal Academy"; "On Choosing a Mistress"; "Rules on Making Oneself Disagreeable"; and other jibes. Franklin's irrepressible wit found an outlet in perpetrating hoaxes, attacking marriage and other sacred cows, and skewering the English Parliament. Reminding us of the humorous, irreverent side of this American icon, these essays endure as both hilarious satire and a timely reminder of the importance of a free press.

"Larson's elegantly written dual biography reveals that the partnership of Franklin and Washington was indispensable to the success of the Revolution." --Gordon S. Wood From the Pulitzer Prize-winning historian comes a masterful, first-of-its-kind dual biography of Benjamin Franklin and George Washington, illuminating their partnership's enduring importance. NATIONAL BESTSELLER * One of Washington Post's "10 Books to Read in February" * One of USA Today's "Must-Read Books" of Winter 2020 * One of Publishers Weekly's "Top Ten" Spring 2020 Memoirs/Biographies Theirs was a three-decade-long bond that, more than any other pairing, would forge the United States. Vastly different men, Benjamin Franklin--an abolitionist freethinker from the urban north--and George Washington--a slaveholding general from the agrarian south--were the indispensable authors of American independence and the two key partners in the attempt to craft a more perfect union at the Constitutional Convention, held in Franklin's Philadelphia and presided over by Washington. And yet their teamwork has been little remarked upon in the centuries since. Illuminating Franklin and Washington's relationship with striking new detail and energy, Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Edward J. Larson shows that theirs was truly an intimate working friendship that amplified the talents of each for collective advancement of the American project. During the French and Indian War, Franklin supplied the wagons for General Edward Braddock's ill-fated assault on Fort Duquesne, and Washington buried the general's body under the dirt road traveled by those retreating wagons. After long supporting British rule, both became key early proponents of independence. Rekindled during the Second Continental Congress in 1775, their friendship gained historical significance during the American Revolution, when Franklin led America's diplomatic mission in Europe (securing money and an alliance with France) and Washington commanded the Continental Army. Victory required both of these efforts to succeed, and success, in turn, required their mutual coordination and cooperation. In the 1780s, the two sought to strengthen the union, leading to the framing and ratification of the Constitution, the founding document that bears their stamp. Franklin and Washington--the two most revered figures in the early republic--staked their lives and fortunes on the American experiment in liberty and were committed to its preservation. Today the United States is the world's great superpower, and yet we also wrestle with the government Franklin and Washington created more than two centuries ago--the power of the executive branch, the principle of checks and balances, the electoral college--as well as the wounds of their compromise over slavery. Now, as the founding institutions appear under new stress, it is time to understand their origins through the fresh lens of Larson's Franklin & Washington, a major addition to the literature of the founding era.

From 1771 to his death in 1790, Benjamin Franklin was in the process of writing what he referred to as his Memoirs. Portions of the unfinished work were published posthumously as Memoirs of the Private Life of Benjamin Franklin, first in French in 1791, and then in English in 1793. Today the complete unfinished manuscript is known as The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, and is considered one of the most famous and influential examples of autobiography ever written. In the heart of the work, Franklin wrote of his "bold and arduous Project of arriving at Perfection" when he was a young man. He prepared a list of thirteen virtues he wished to perfect in himself, and created a chart in which to keep track of his shortcomings. Among Franklin's list of virtues were personal traits (frugality, moderation, tranquility) and social traits (sincerity, justice, humility). Franklin strayed from the virtuous path on many occasions, and discovered perfection was an impossible thing to achieve, but felt a better man for the effort. Applewood Books now offers Benjamin Franklin's Book of Virtues as Franklin intended it - a beautiful little hardcover, complete with the list of thirteen virtues and a chart to monitor one's own progress.

Presents a portrait of Benjamin Franklin as a scientist, inventor, diplomat, writer, business strategist, and statesman while tracing his life as one of America's Founding Fathers.

Benjamin Franklin was born with independence and leadership. He took over a printing press and helped the colonies defeat the most powerful military force in Europe during the American Revolution. Benjamin helped America gain independence, he was one of the most important and versatile of Americas Founding Fathers. His scientific discoveries added to his world fame, and we still use his brilliant inventions today like the bifocal and the lightning rod.

Benjamin Franklin was born in Boston, Massachusetts on January 17, 1706. He was the youngest son in a family of seventeen children. Benjamin loved books and reading, and he wrote poetry as a young boy. When he was twelve, he began working in his older brother's print shop. In 1728, Benjamin set up his own print shop in Philadelphia and published a newspaper called The Pennsylvania Gazette. Once a year, he also printed Poor Richard's Almanack. Benjamin was a writer, scientist, inventor, and statesman. He invented the Franklin stove and the lightning rod. He helped to write the Declaration of Independence. He spent many years in England and France, working on behalf of the United States government. He is considered one of our greatest Americans.