The Franklin Affair [Large Print] [Hardcover]

Jim Lehrer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 23, 2005

A New York Times Bestselling Author

R Taylor arrives in Philadelphia for the funeral of his longtime friend, American Revolution historian Dr. Wally Rush, to find that his mentor has bequeathed him one final secret - and it's a bombshell. Rich with revelations, rife with the darkest depths of deceit and mystery, and enlightened by the unparalleled insights of America's first patriots, The Franklin Affair is a tense, constantly surprising novel.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In his 15th novel, PBS news anchor Lehrer turns to the high-stakes world of founding fathers biography for a tale of academic intrigue. His hero is Benjamin Franklin scholar "R" Taylor, who sits on a committee investigating plagiarism charges against another historian, who has in turn threatened to expose the committee members' own lapses in attribution. Exacerbating R's conflicted feelings is the questionable authorship of his beloved mentor's magnum opus. To top it off, he has received a cache of 18th-century documents that seem to incriminate Franklin in the murder of his illegitimate son's mother. The scholarly sleuthing procedural offers cover for Lehrer's temperate satire of academic rivalries, as he takes a stab at how historical imagination works (it requires long conversations with the shade of the founding father one is profiling) and examines the question of what constitutes plagiarism. Lehrer could have probed most of these issues in an extended Newshour segment and panel discussion. Instead, he has fictionalized them in sober prose ("R had come to believe that dramatic performances built around important historical moments were very effective ways to connect young people to history") salted with overripe dialogue ("I swear on Wally's costumed remains, R, that I will not go quietly") that History Book-of-the-Month Club members may find an interesting change of pace. (May)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

Review

"Investigations into plagiarism form the basis of this lively and engaging story of professional historians and the fast-paced world of best-seller publishing . . ."
-- Library Journal (Library Journal )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 328 pages
• Publisher: Thorndike Press; 1 edition (September 23, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786278633
• ISBN-13: 978-0786278633
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.8 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,499,214 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Highly Intriguing Book, June 15, 2005

By 

Wilkie Collins (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Franklin Affair: A Novel (Hardcover)

First of all, let me declare myself to be a Jim Lehrer fan. His novel White Widow forever carves a place for him in American literature. Lehrer adds to an impressive list of books with this latest mystery. As usual, his premise is very intriguing and he manages to deliver an enormous amount of Franklin scholarship in a clear and breezy style. Not only does Lehrer furnish us with a first rate mystery regarding the secret life of Ben Franklin, he also addresses the more profound question: What is historical truth and how can we ever really know it? in an entertaining and deceptively sly book.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars An Interesting Premise, March 6, 2006

By 

Gary Turner (Powder Springs, Georgia USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Franklin Affair: A Novel (Hardcover)

Jim Lehrer has written an entertaining little novel around a group of Ben Franklin scholars. It begins with the death of the oldest member, Wally Rush. Upon his death, R. Taylor, his protege and fellow Franklinite receives a letter from him, allegedly from the late 1700's accusing Ben of a crime. As Taylor conducts a low key investigation, we find out more about R., Wally and the rest of the Franklin "crowd". Intriguing, but not a "real" mystery.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A pleasant afternoon, November 20, 2005

By 

Loves the View "Louise" (Hawaii) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Franklin Affair: A Novel (Hardcover)

A nice story for a Sunday afternoon, particulary if you're the type to enjoy Colonial Williamsburg or Phila. streetscapes. Very nice if you have some first or second hand knowledge of professional historians.

I could not help but think of Rebecca Lee as an Ann Coulter with black hair, and kept envisioning Jim Lehrer, like affable Wally morphing slowly into Ben Franklin with age. I will read another Lehrer novel for sure.