Download or read book The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin written by Benjamin Franklin and published by Xist Publishing. This book was released on 2015-03-15 with total page 205 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin is one of America's most famous memoirs. In this text, Ben Franklin shares his life story and details his attempts to build a life of good habits and virtues. His plan for self-improvement was one of the first "self help" books and his role as a founder of the United States is given a personal perspective. Xist Publishing is a digital-first publisher. Xist Publishing creates books for the touchscreen generation and is dedicated to helping everyone develop a lifetime love of reading, no matter what form it takes

Download or read book The First American written by H. W. Brands and published by Anchor. This book was released on 2010-05-26 with total page 785 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: PULITZER PRIZE FINALIST • Benjamin Franklin, perhaps the pivotal figure in colonial and revolutionary America, comes vividly to life in this “thorough biography of ... America’s first Renaissance man” (The Washington Post) by the two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist, bestselling historian, and author of Our First Civil War. "The authoritative Franklin biography for our time.” —Joseph J. Ellis, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning Founding Brothers Wit, diplomat, scientist, philosopher, businessman, inventor, and bon vivant, Benjamin Franklin's "life is one every American should know well, and it has not been told better than by Mr. Brands" (The Dallas Morning News). From penniless runaway to highly successful printer, from ardently loyal subject of Britain to architect of an alliance with France that ensured America’s independence, Franklin went from obscurity to become one of the world’s most admired figures, whose circle included the likes of Voltaire, Hume, Burke, and Kant. Drawing on previously unpublished letters and a host of other sources, acclaimed historian H. W. Brands has written a thoroughly engaging biography of the eighteenth-century genius. A much needed reminder of Franklin’s greatness and humanity, The First American is a work of meticulous scholarship that provides a magnificent tour of a legendary historical figure, a vital era in American life, and the countless arenas in which the protean Franklin left his legacy. Look for H.W. Brands's other biographies: ANDREW JACKSON, THE MAN WHO SAVED THE UNION (Ulysses S. Grant), TRAITOR TO HIS CLASS (Franklin Roosevelt) and REAGAN.

Download or read book The Papers of Benjamin Franklin written by Benjamin Franklin and published by . This book was released on 1995 with total page 712 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Sponsored by the American Philosophical Society and Yale University, this edition of 'The Papers Of Benjamin Franklin' contains everything that Franklin wrote that can be found, and for the first time, in full or abstract, all letters addressed to him, the whole arranged in chronological order.

Download or read book The First Scientific American written by Joyce Chaplin and published by Basic Books. This book was released on 2007-08-02 with total page 434 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Famous, fascinating Benjamin Franklin -- he would be neither without his accomplishments in science. Joyce Chaplin's authoritative biography considers all of Franklin's work in the sciences, showing how, during the rise and fall of the first British empire, science became central to public culture and therefore to Franklin's success. Having demonstrated in his earliest experiments and observations that he could master nature, Franklin showed the world that he was uniquely suited to solve problems in every realm. In the famous adage, Franklin "snatched lightning from the sky and the scepter from the tyrants" -- in that order. The famous kite and other experiments with electricity were only part of Franklin's accomplishments. He charted the Gulf Stream, made important observations on meteorology, and used the burgeoning science of "political arithmetic" to make unprecedented statements about America's power. Even as he stepped onto the world stage as an illustrious statesman and diplomat in the years leading up to the American Revolution, his fascination with nature was unrelenting. Franklin was the first American whose "genius" for science qualified him as a genius in political affairs. It is only through understanding Franklin's full engagement with the sciences that we can understand this great Founding Father and the world he shaped.

Download or read book The Society for Useful Knowledge written by Jonathan Lyons and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 2014-06-10 with total page 241 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A spellbinding, rich history of the American Enlightenment-think 1776 meets The Metaphysical Club.

Download or read book Runaway America written by David Waldstreicher and published by Hill and Wang. This book was released on 2005-08-10 with total page 338 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Scientist, abolitionist, revolutionary: that is the Benjamin Franklin we know and celebrate. To this description, the talented young historian David Waldstreicher shows we must add runaway, slave master, and empire builder. But Runaway America does much more than revise our image of a beloved founding father. Finding slavery at the center of Franklin's life, Waldstreicher proves it was likewise central to the Revolution, America's founding, and the very notion of freedom we associate with both. Franklin was the sole Founding Father who was once owned by someone else and was among the few to derive his fortune from slavery. As an indentured servant, Franklin fled his master before his term was complete; as a struggling printer, he built a financial empire selling newspapers that not only advertised the goods of a slave economy (not to mention slaves) but also ran the notices that led to the recapture of runaway servants. Perhaps Waldstreicher's greatest achievement is in showing that this was not an ironic outcome but a calculated one. America's freedom, no less than Franklin's, demanded that others forgo liberty. Through the life of Franklin, Runaway America provides an original explanation to the paradox of American slavery and freedom.

Download or read book Benjamin Franklin in London written by George Goodwin and published by Yale University Press. This book was released on 2016-01-01 with total page 396 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An account of Franklin's British years.

Download or read book Ben Franklin America s Original Entrepreneur written by Blaine McCormick and published by Entrepreneur Press. This book was released on 2005-10-15 with total page 300 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: You are holding the only modern adaptation of Benjamin Franklin’s 18th century autobiography. It is at its heart one of the greatest business stories ever told. The most versatile Founding Father was a husband, a father, a writer, an inventor, a statesman, a fundraiser and a military leader. But in his mind, he was first and foremost a businessman. Franklin’s captivating adventures include his almost single-handed responsibility for establishing the first media empire, the first public library, the first fire brigade, the University of Pennsylvania, the first book club and the first franchise--all of which are detailed within these pages with Franklin’s characteristic mix of humility and pride. Franklin chronicles his own story, from his early days growing up in colonial Boston to his retirement from printing and growing involvement in national politics. It was during these years that he honed his management and leadership skills, acquired a fervent distaste for tyranny of all types, embraced a strong set of morals, and developed an uncompromising work ethic. From the moment he fled his tyrannical master and set himself up as a printer in Philadelphia, all who came into contact with Franklin recognized his destiny. His wisdom transcends the ages--and his life lessons are insights are as compelling today as ever.

Download or read book A Great Improvisation written by Stacy Schiff and published by Henry Holt and Company. This book was released on 2006-01-10 with total page 530 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Soon to be a streaming series ● In this dazzling work of history, a Pulitzer Prize-winning author follows Benjamin Franklin to France for the crowning achievement of his career In December of 1776 a small boat delivered an old man to France." So begins an enthralling narrative account of how Benjamin Franklin--seventy years old, without any diplomatic training, and possessed of the most rudimentary French--convinced France, an absolute monarchy, to underwrite America's experiment in democracy. When Franklin stepped onto French soil, he well understood he was embarking on the greatest gamble of his career. By virtue of fame, charisma, and ingenuity, Franklin outmaneuvered British spies, French informers, and hostile colleagues; engineered the Franco-American alliance of 1778; and helped to negotiate the peace of 1783. The eight-year French mission stands not only as Franklin's most vital service to his country but as the most revealing of the man. In A Great Improvisation, Stacy Schiff draws from new and little-known sources to illuminate the least-explored part of Franklin's life. Here is an unfamiliar, unforgettable chapter of the Revolution, a rousing tale of American infighting, and the treacherous backroom dealings at Versailles that would propel George Washington from near decimation at Valley Forge to victory at Yorktown. From these pages emerge a particularly human and yet fiercely determined Founding Father, as well as a profound sense of how fragile, improvisational, and international was our country's bid for independence.

Download or read book Stealing God s Thunder written by Philip Dray and published by Random House Trade Paperbacks. This book was released on 2005-12-27 with total page 306 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “Dray captures the genius and ingenuity of Franklin’s scientific thinking and then does something even more fascinating: He shows how science shaped his diplomacy, politics, and Enlightenment philosophy.” –Walter Isaacson, author of Benjamin Franklin: An American Life Today we think of Benjamin Franklin as a founder of American independence who also dabbled in science. But in Franklin’s day, the era of Enlightenment, long before he was an eminent statesman, he was famous for his revolutionary scientific work. Pulitzer Prize finalist Philip Dray uses the evolution of Franklin’s scientific curiosity and empirical thinking as a metaphor for America’s struggle to establish its fundamental values. He recounts how Franklin unlocked one of the greatest natural mysteries of his day, the seemingly unknowable powers of lightning and electricity. Rich in historical detail and based on numerous primary sources, Stealing God’s Thunder is a fascinating original look at one of our most beloved and complex founding fathers.

Download or read book Benjamin Franklin written by Edmund Sears Morgan and published by Yale University Press. This book was released on 2003-01-01 with total page 356 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Draws on Franklin's extensive writings to provide a portrait of the statesman, inventor, and Founding Father.

Download or read book Benjamin Franklin Unmasked written by Jerry Weinberger and published by American Political Thought. This book was released on 2005 with total page 360 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Taking the Autobiography as the key to Franklin's thought, Weinberger argues that previous assessments have not yet probed to the bottom of Ben's famous irony and elusiveness. While others take the self-portrait as an elder statesman's relaxed and playful retrospection, Weinberger unveils it as the window to Franklin's deepest reflections on God, virtue, justice, equality, natural rights, love, the good life, the modern technological project, and the place and limits of reason in politics and human experience. Along the way, Weinberger explores Franklin's ribald humor, usually ignored or toned down by historians and critics, and shows it to be charming - and philosophic.".

Download or read book Benjamin Franklin written by Pamela Hill Nettleton and published by Capstone. This book was released on 2004 with total page 25 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Give readers a fresh look into the fascinating lives of six famous Americans. This Series is aligned with the Standard, "The History of the United States' Democratic Principles and Values, and the Peoples from Many Cultures Who Contributed to Its Cultural, Economic, and Political Heritage," as required by the National Council for History.

Download or read book The Making of a Patriot written by Sheila L. Skemp and published by Critical Historical Encounters. This book was released on 2013 with total page 201 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In The Making of a Patriot, renowned Franklin historian Sheila Skemp presents a insightful, lively narrative that goes beyond the traditional Franklin biography--and behind the common myths--to demonstrate how Franklin's ultimate decision to support the colonists was by no means a foregone conclusion.

Download or read book Benjamin Franklin Autobiography Poor Richard and Later Writings LOA 37b written by Benjamin Franklin and published by . This book was released on 1997 with total page 840 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Collects Benjamin Franklin's best-known writings, both personal and public, arranged by period and place, and includes scholarly notes.

Download or read book Benjamin Franklin and the Politics of Improvement written by Alan Craig Houston and published by Yale University Press. This book was released on 2008-11-18 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This fascinating book explores Benjamin Franklin’s social and political thought. Although Franklin is often considered “the first American,” his intellectual world was cosmopolitan. An active participant in eighteenth-century Atlantic debates over the modern commercial republic, Franklin combined abstract analyses with practical proposals. Houston treats Franklin as shrewd, creative, and engaged—a lively thinker who joined both learned controversies and political conflicts at home and abroad. Drawing on meticulous archival research, Houston examines such tantalizing themes as trade and commerce, voluntary associations and civic militias, population growth and immigration policy, political union and electoral institutions, freedom and slavery. In each case, he shows how Franklin urged the improvement of self and society. Engagingly written and richly illustrated, this book provides a compelling portrait of Franklin, a fresh perspective on American identity, and a vital account of what it means to be practical.

Download or read book Benjamin Franklin Swimmer written by Sarah B. Pomeroy and published by . This book was released on 2021 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "This is the first book that focuses on Benjamin Franklin as a swimmer. Franklin thought swimming a valuable activity and swam whenever he could wherever he was. We can see Franklin's personality emerge through the lens of swimming, which offered him entrée into London society as a young man. The book includes excerpts from the journal of Benjamin Franklin Bache, Franklin's grandson"--