In the pantheon of American founders, Benjamin Franklin stands apart. He was not a general like Washington, a philosopher like Jefferson, or a firebrand like Adams. He was a printer, a postmaster, an inventor, a diplomat, and a wit. Capturing this sprawling, contradictory genius is no small task, but Pulitzer Prize finalist Walter Isaacson—famed for his biographies of Steve Jobs, Einstein, and Leonardo da Vinci—delivered a masterpiece in 2003: Benjamin Franklin: An American Life.
Walter Isaacson’s Benjamin Franklin: An American Life was published by Simon & Schuster in 2003. Under current U.S. copyright law (which extends for the life of the author plus 70 years), this book is not in the public domain. Isaacson is alive as of this writing, and the publisher retains exclusive rights. Benjamin Franklin: An American Life by Walter Isaacson
In the vast library of Founding Father biographies, few names shine as brightly—or as pragmatically—as Benjamin Franklin. And when it comes to capturing the wit, wisdom, and wild contradictions of the man on the $100 bill, few authors do it better than Walter Isaacson. Capturing this sprawling, contradictory genius is no small
Daily Reflection: Starting every morning with the question, "What good shall I do this day?" and ending with, "What good have I done today?". copyright law (which extends for the life of
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Isaacson’s work is praised for its accessibility and balance. He does not shy away from Franklin’s flaws—his strained relationship with his son William (a loyalist), his often cold treatment of his wife Deborah, and his complicated legacy regarding slavery (he owned slaves early in life but became an abolitionist president of the Pennsylvania Abolition Society).
