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Benjamin Franklin: An American Life
- Narrated by: Nelson Runger
- Length: 24 hrs and 40 mins
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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.
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Featured Article: 45+ Wise, Wry, and Surprisingly Timely Benjamin Franklin Quotes
One of the Founding Fathers of the United States, Benjamin Franklin was a man of many talents. He was a brilliant scientist, inventor, writer, diplomat, and humorist who left his mark on the world through his creative drive, intellectual prowess, and unique sense of humor. He lived an extraordinary life that continues to have an impact. Read on for Ben Franklin’s epochal quotes from his autobiography, correspondences, and Poor Richard’s Almanac.
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With his usual storytelling flair and unparalleled research, Tom Fleming offers a compelling, intimate look at the founders—George Washington, Ben Franklin, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, and James Madison—and the women who played essential roles in their lives.
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Interesting, but unbalanced, angle
- By Devon on 07-03-14
By: Thomas Fleming
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Jefferson
- Architect of American Liberty
- By: John B. Boles
- Narrated by: Michael Johnson
- Length: 24 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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From an eminent scholar of the American South, the first full-scale biography of Thomas Jefferson since 1970. Not since Merrill Peterson's Thomas Jefferson and the New Nation has a scholar attempted to write a comprehensive biography of the most complex Founding Father. In Jefferson, John B. Boles plumbs every facet of Thomas Jefferson's life, all while situating him amid the sweeping upheaval of his times. We meet Jefferson the politician and political thinker - as well as Jefferson the architect, scientist, bibliophile, paleontologist, musician, and gourmet.
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Makes Jefferson Human
- By MichaelBuffalo on 06-23-20
By: John B. Boles
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Twilight at Monticello
- The Final Years of Thomas Jefferson
- By: Alan Pell Crawford
- Narrated by: James Boles
- Length: 11 hrs and 12 mins
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Much has been written about Thomas Jefferson, with good reason: His life was a great American drama, one of the greatest, played out in compelling acts. He was the architect of our democracy, a visionary chief executive who expanded this nation's physical boundaries to unimagined lengths.
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After Leaving Office
- By Roy on 09-23-10
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All the Great Prizes
- The Life of John Hay, from Lincoln to Roosevelt
- By: John Taliaferro
- Narrated by: Joe Barrett
- Length: 22 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
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If Henry James or Edith Wharton had written a novel describing the accomplished and glamorous life and times of John Hay, it would have been thought implausible - a novelist’s fancy. Nevertheless, John Taliaferro’s brilliant biography captures the extraordinary life of Hay, one of the most amazing figures in American history, and restores him to his rightful place. John Hay was both witness and author of many of the most significant chapters in American history - from the birth of the Republican Party, the Civil War, and the Spanish-American War, to the prelude to the First World War.
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Almost a Five Star
- By Lulu on 12-22-14
By: John Taliaferro
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Thomas Paine
- Enlightenment, Revolution, and the Birth of Modern Nations
- By: Craig Nelson
- Narrated by: Paul Hecht
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John Adams told Thomas Jefferson that “history is to ascribe the American Revolution to Thomas Paine.” Thomas Edison called him “the equal of Washington in making American liberty possible.” He was a founder of both the United States and the French Revolution. He invented the phrase, “The United States of America.” He rose from abject poverty in working-class England to the highest levels of the era’s intellectual elite. And yet, by the end of his life, Thomas Paine was almost universally reviled.
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This man should be a household name!
- By Darlene Davis on 11-21-11
By: Craig Nelson
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Friends Divided
- John Adams and Thomas Jefferson
- By: Gordon S. Wood
- Narrated by: James Lurie
- Length: 17 hrs and 50 mins
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Thomas Jefferson and John Adams could scarcely have come from more different worlds or been more different in temperament. Jefferson, the optimist with enough faith in the innate goodness of his fellow man to be democracy's champion, was an aristocratic Southern slave owner while Adams, the overachiever from New England's rising middling classes, painfully aware he was no aristocrat, was a skeptic about popular rule and a defender of a more elitist view of government.
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A Great Read
- By Jean on 12-22-17
By: Gordon S. Wood
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Young Benjamin Franklin
- The Birth of Ingenuity
- By: Nick Bunker
- Narrated by: Dan Woren
- Length: 17 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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From his early career as a printer and journalist to his scientific work and his role as a founder of a new republic, Benjamin Franklin has always seemed the inevitable embodiment of American ingenuity. But in his youth, he had to make his way through a harsh colonial world, where he fought many battles with his rivals, but also with his wayward emotions. Taking Franklin to the age of 41, when he made his first electrical discoveries, Bunker goes behind the legend to reveal the sources of his passion for knowledge.
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Good Book but LOTS of Names
- By Tim on 10-31-19
By: Nick Bunker
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William Wilberforce
- A Hero for Humanity
- By: Kevin Belmonte
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 10 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
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William Wilberforce: A Hero for Humanity is the definitive biography of the English statesman who overcame incredible odds to bring about the end of slavery and slave trade. Called 'the wittiest man in England' by philosopher and novelist Madame de Stael, praised by Abraham Lincoln, and renowned for his oratorical genius, Wilberforce worked tirelessly to accomplish his goal. Whether you are an avid student of history, a pupil of prominent leaders of the past, or simply someone who reads for pleasure, you will love award-winning biographer Kevin Belmonte's vivid account....
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A Genuine Hero
- By mathmac on 09-30-17
By: Kevin Belmonte
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A Perfect Union
- Dolley Madison and the Creation of the American Nation
- By: Catherine Allgor
- Narrated by: Anne Twomey
- Length: 15 hrs and 58 mins
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An extraordinary American comes to life in this vivid, incisive portrait of the early days of the republic—and the birth of modern politics hen the roar of the Revolution had finally died down, a new generation of American politicians was summoned to the Potomac to assemble the nation's newly minted capital. Into that unsteady atmosphere which would soon enough erupt into another conflict with Britain in 1812, Dolley Madison arrived, alongside her husband James.
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A great first lady!
- By Anna Walker on 04-04-11
By: Catherine Allgor
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Not Really Sketches
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Ulysses S. Grant's life has typically been misunderstood. All too often he is caricatured as a chronic loser and an inept businessman or as the triumphant but brutal Union general of the Civil War. But these stereotypes don't come close to capturing him, as Chernow reveals in his masterful biography, the first to provide a complete understanding of the general and president whose fortunes rose and fell with dizzying speed and frequency.
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Excellent Book (BUT WHERE IS THE PDF FILES)????
- By Amazon Customer on 10-25-17
By: Ron Chernow
What listeners say about Benjamin Franklin: An American Life
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Gerardo A Dada
- 08-26-13
Rich, captivating peek at the life of a Great Man
I got this book after reading two other biographies from Walter Isaacson: Jobs and Einstein. Both were fantastic, this one joins the list.
I enjoyed this audiobook thoroughly - it provides a wonderful combination of history, personal details about Benjamin Franklin and his personality, and valuable things we can learn from his life.
For an audiobook this long, like with the other biographies, it is amazing how interesting they are. I listen to audiobooks while driving, and I caught myself wishing my commute was just a little longer to listen to a bit more.
Highly recommended
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- Jeff Hanson
- 01-12-16
Great book!
Great book, it goes in depth into his somewhat complex character. Franklin is truly one founding father that doesn't get the credit due.
This book goes beyond the facade we all know & revealing his true character.
What I didn't like was the references to other authors material. I also found the narrator a bit slow in his reading. It was an easy fix though. I speed the book up to 1.5x in Audible and it read much like normal reading with out the stereotypical New England accent or assumed slownes.
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2 people found this helpful
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- tdg
- 07-23-13
Insightful, well worth the read (listen)
Walter Isaacson weaves an engaging almost fanciful story of the life of an American icon.
As Isaacson points out, each generation recasts Franklin in its own image. After reading this I came away impressed with how diverse and talented Ben Franklin was. From writer to inventor, Franklin was the very image of genius. We all know of his electricity experiments and his role in the founding of the United States, but Walter Isaacson introduces us to a whole new 3D image of the famous printer. Who knew of Franklin's involvement in the invention of refrigeration, for example, or of his observations of a seminal moment in the development of flight?
This book convincingly sweeps aside the sensational popular idea of Franklin as a womanizer, while at the same time, painting a picture of a man who quite probably was a bigamist. His complex family life comprises much of the book as surely it did Franklin's life. We explore William Franklin's possible maternal connections as well as the complicated and tortured relationship Benjamin had with his son.
Some of the finest moments for me came when we glimpse his interactions with the other founding fathers, specifically, John and Abigail Adams. Through his own words and those of his contemporaries, we come to know a man who is at once wise, naive, grandfatherly, lecherous, pious, lewd, humorous, serious, friendly, and cantankerous.
In addition to the engaging content, Nelson Runger's read is superb. He is a pleasure to listen to and he makes the time fly by. I completely enjoyed this book both for its content and the performance.
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- David
- 11-20-15
Great Book about a Great Man
Where does Benjamin Franklin: An American Life rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
It's up there. Though because it's so long, I'll probably look into the Bio to re-read instead. The virtues of this man will live on forever.
Who was your favorite character and why?
Ben Franklin of course
Have you listened to any of Nelson Runger’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
I liked his performance. I don't know what the other reviews are talking about with his bad impersonations and "butter lips". He did a splendid job being a story teller and for a history/bio book,his cheesy impersonations keep it fun and indicate it's a direct quote.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
Ha! 24+ hour marathon? I still have to squeeze in ear time for the wife.. so not for me in 1 sitting :)
Any additional comments?
Fantastic book. Only complaints are about instances of sudden jumps in topics without much warning. In history books that's to be expected but when covering grand topics, it's a little tough when it branches off into another persons tale with little build up. This book might be a little long for some so at minimum get the raw bio of Ben Franklin instead. His practical virtues should be red and studied by all.
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- Heather Davison
- 08-26-19
great
bang for your buck! Very informative educational interesting insight to an amazing man's life. you will not be disappointed if you enjoy history and a of many virtues.
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- Alicia Castro
- 11-25-19
A well-rounded look at a well-rounded man
An excellent biography from start to finish, “Benjamin Franklin: An American Life” begins by touching on his childhood as best as it can considering the lack of material to work with. After that, Walter Isaacson takes the reader through a more detailed account of Franklin's early entrepreneurial life, his many inventions, and into his later statesmen days. I loved the author's well-balanced storytelling for achievements, personal and professional details, and philosophical/political ideology. The importance of his work as a diplomat, an enchanting and emotional time in Franklin's life well dramatized by the author, really impressed me. This biography provides a nice, concise, well-rounded look at a well-rounded man.
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- None
- 06-21-19
Another winning biography by Isaacson
Upon finishing this audiobook, you feel like you actually knew Mr. Franklin. Listen twice and you’re a certified BF historian.
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- Myron D. Griffin
- 03-02-19
The more I read about BF the less I liked him.
I struggled to finish this book due to the callousness BF showed to his family
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- AMH3
- 12-03-19
Audiobook perfection; Literary and Historical paragon
Very few books, even fewer biographies, contain the rigorously sourced and maturely digested discussion that Isaacson our together. It is itself a monument.
Runger's performance is classic and fits so nobly and approachably with the book, that it is a perfect match.
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- Bo Peep
- 03-08-19
Excellent story and naration .
One of my favorite founding fathers. This book does him justice for all his accomplishments in American history.
The narrator is superb through the whole story. I don’t know why all the bad reviews on his performance. I am glad I decided to purchase the audio even though I’ve already read the book.
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