The Life of Benjamin Franklin, Volume 1: Journalist, 1706-1730 [Hardcover]

J. A. Leo Lemay (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 12, 2005 | Series: Life of Benjamin Franklin (Book 1)

Named "one of the best books of 2006" by The New York Sun

Described by Carl Van Doren as "a harmonious human multitude," Benjamin Franklin was the most famous American of his time, of perhaps any time. His life and careers were so varied and successful that he remains, even today, the epitome of the self-made man. Born into a humble tradesman's family, this adaptable genius rose to become an architect of the world's first democracy, a leading light in Enlightenment science, and a major creator of what has come to be known as the American character. Journalist, musician, politician, scientist, humorist, inventor, civic leader, printer, writer, publisher, businessman, founding father, and philosopher, Franklin is a touchstone for America's egalitarianism.

The first volume traces young Franklin's life to his marriage in 1730. It traces the New England religious, political, and cultural contexts, exploring previously unknown influences on his philosophy and writing, and attributing new writings to him. After his move to Philadelphia, made famous in his Autobiography, Franklin became the Water American in London in 1725, where he was welcomed into that city's circle of freethinkers. Upon his return to the colonies, the sociable Franklin created a group of young friends, the Junto, devoted to self-improvement and philanthropy. He also started his own press and began to edit and publish the Pennsylvania Gazette, which became the most popular American paper of its day and the first to consistently feature American news.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Veteran Franklin scholar Lemay offers a highly detailed examination of the life of one of the most fascinating of America's founders. In volume one we meet a precociously clever Franklin, who first experimented with a kite around age 12 and at the ripe old age of 16 wrote his polemical Silence Dogood essays, which established his place in the American literary firmament. Lemay usefully situates Franklin in 18th-century mores, but too often loses sight of the forest for the trees. An entire chapter is devoted to Franklin's brother James, who undoubtedly had a huge influence on his sibling, but the chapter isn't tightly connected to Ben. In volume two Lemay recreates Franklin's personal life: the birth of his illegitimate son, William (Franklin scholars have speculated endlessly about the identity of William's mother; Lemay guesses she was the wife of one of Franklin's friends); Franklin's marriage to Deborah Read, whom he praised as a "plain country" woman, and "the Joy of my Life," and the death of Franklin's father, Josiah. Franklin's civic side also emerges. Lemay describes his affiliation with the Freemasons and argues (in contrast to some earlier biographers) that Franklin was actively interested in political squabbles in Pennsylvania throughout the 1740s. The liveliest chapter focuses on Franklin's role in the establishment of Philadelphia's Library Company; the great library was, in some ways, Franklin's church, a "manifestation of Franklin's belief in democracy and egalitarianism." Frustratingly, Lemay breaks up chapters into countless short subsections, disrupting the narrative flow. Scholars will find these volumes informative, but general readers will do better with livelier, more compact books by Walter Isaacson, Edmund Morgan or Gordon Wood. (Oct.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

The first volume in what will be a seven-volume biography of Franklin on the 300th anniversary of his birth. Volume 1 recounts his early years, from his birth to his marriage in 1730. Much of the information in the early chapters is based on Franklin's "autobiography" and on various anecdotes recorded in his letters and conversations. Lemay first describes Franklin's life from 1706 to 1723 and his employment as a printer. The author offers a detailed account of his brother, James, "the first newspaperman." Lemay tells how Franklin, at the age of 16, wrote the first American essay series and "proved that he had become the peer of Boston's best authors." Lemay then recounts Franklin's years between 17 and 24, examining the religious, political, and cultural influences that helped shape his philosophy and writing. Lemay's first volume brings Franklin, the man, to life and define his place in America's early history. George Cohen
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 568 pages
• Publisher: University of Pennsylvania Press (October 12, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812238540
• ISBN-13: 978-0812238549
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.5 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,190,504 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.