Benjamin Franklin, also known as Ben Franklin was an American printer and publisher, author, inventor and scientist, and diplomat and is also remembered for the wit, wisdom, and elegance of his writing. Here is the list of 5 Best Books on Benjamin Franklin.
Benjamin Franklin
By Edmund S. Morgan (2002)
Benjamin Franklin is perhaps the most remarkable figure in American history: the greatest statesman of his age, he played a pivotal role in the formation of the American republic. He was also a pioneering scientist, a best-selling author, the country’s first postmaster general, a printer, a bon vivant, a diplomat, a ladies’ man, and a moralist – and the most prominent celebrity of the 18th century. Franklin was, however, a man of vast contradictions, as Edmund Morgan demonstrates in this biography. A reluctant revolutionary, Franklin had desperately wished to preserve the British Empire, and he mourned the break even as he led the fight for American independence. Despite his passion for science, Franklin viewed his groundbreaking experiments as secondary to his civic duties. And although he helped to draft both the Declaration of Independence and the American Constitution, he had personally hoped that the new American government would take a different shape. Seeking to unravel the enigma of Franklin’s character, Morgan shows that he was the rare individual who consistently placed the public interest before his own desires.
Mon Cher Papa
By Claude-Anne Lopez (1966)
This engaging account of Benjamin Franklin’s years in Paris & his numerous friendships & romantic conquests there draws on letters written to & from Franklin. Widely praised when it was first published more in 1966, the book provides intriguing insights into 18th-century France & the life & character of America’s first ambassador. It offers a broad & characteristic picture of Franklin s friendships with aristocrats & bourgeoisie, with scientists, philosophers, artists, & everyday people, & it provides essential psychological, social, & biographical background for an understanding of the astounding accomplishments in Franklin s years in France. Chronology of Franklin s dealings with France: 1767-1790.
Stealing God’s Thunder
by Philip Dray (2005)
Stealing God’s Thunder is a concise, richly detailed biography of Benjamin Franklin viewed through the lens of his scientific inquiry and its ramifications for American democracy. Today we think of Benjamin Franklin as a founder of American independence who also dabbled in science. But in Franklin’s day it was otherwise. Long before he was an eminent statesman, he was famous for his revolutionary scientific work, especially his experiments with lightning and electricity.
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. Set against the backdrop of the Enlightenment and America’s pursuit of political equality for all, Stealing God’s Thunder recounts how Franklin unlocked one of the greatest natural mysteries of his day, the seemingly unknowable powers of electricity and lightning. Rich in historic 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.
Benjamin Franklin and His Enemies
Robert Middlekauff (1996)
This study of Benjamin Franklin aims to examine his darker side, revealing his anger, his hostile relationships and great disappointments. It details his adversaries in politics and the sorrow that his son brought him by remaining loyal to Britain.
Young Benjamin Franklin: The Birth of Ingenuity
By Nick Bunker (2018)
In this new account of Franklin’s early life, Pulitzer finalist Nick Bunker portrays him as a complex, driven young man who elbows his way to success.
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 forty-one, when he made his first electrical discoveries, Bunker goes behind the legend to reveal the sources of his passion for knowledge. Always trying to balance virtue against ambition, Franklin emerges as a brilliant but flawed human being, made from the conflicts of an age of slavery as well as reason. With archival material from both sides of the Atlantic, we see Franklin in Boston, London, and Philadelphia as he develops his formula for greatness. A tale of science, politics, war, and religion, this is also a story about Franklin’s forebears: the talented family of English craftsmen who produced America’s favorite genius.
So these were the list of 5 Best Books on Benjamin Franklin.
Happy Reading !!