The Americanization of Benjamin Franklin (CD-Audio)

from Angelic55blonde

This is a pretty decent book but I just could not get into it, but that is not because of the writing. Gordon S. Wood is a good writer and historian but a bio of Benjamin Franklin is not my favorite read. This gives a fairly brief biography of Benjamin Franklin, which for me, was good, but if you...

from koalamom

Loyalist turned patriot Hardworking printer turned gentleman (who wasn't expected to work) Beloved of France - Despised by Americans But after his death his early work ethic, his working to better himself and that success inspired many a generation of young people - this was his legacy - though h...

from bookworm12

It's important to understand that this is not a biography of Franklin in the normal sense. It does tell the story of his life and his rise to political influence, but it's more about how his reputation and image was molded into something different over the years. Wood's goal was to remove the myt...

from stypulkoski

A nice, brief and readable volume on one of America's most important and enduring figures. Due to its brevity, one should preferably approach this book with some knowledge of Franklin's life; less than 25o pages of text isn't nearly enough to give Franklin's life the attention it deserves. The ma...

from NielsenGW

Wood's riveting portrayal of the life of Benjamin Franklin is as engaging as it is sad. Franklin, who grew from a humble printer's apprentice to the hero of France, was discarded by almost every American whose freedom he helped them win. The book glosses over some of the inventing he did and focu...