Ocean State Libraries

Benjamin Franklin is the founding father who winks at us -- an ambitious urban entrepreneur who rose up the social ladder, from leather-aproned shopkeeper to dining with kings. In bestselling author Walter Isaacson's vivid and witty full-scale biography, we discover why Franklin turns to us from history's stage with eyes that twinkle from behind his new-fangled spectacles. In Benjamin Franklin, Isaacson shows how Franklin defines both his own time...

“I cannot remember ever reading a work of history and biography that is quite so fluent, so perfectly composed and balanced . . .” —The New York Sun

“Exceptionally rich perspective on one of the most accomplished, complex, and unpredictable Americans of his own time or any other.” —The Washington Post Book World

From the most respected chronicler of the early days of the Republic—and...

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...

"Benjamin Franklin was known as a statesman and scientist, but what about before that? Find out what happened when Franklin was younger, and what he did that made him famous later on"--

This nontraditional tribute to Benjamin Franklin--all in almanac format--is brimming with humorous cartoons, instructive adages, and a wealth of information about a Founding Father who was as amusing as he was amazing. Benjamin Franklin devised armonicas and bifocals, helped bring us the Constitution and signed the Declaration of Independence, and even experimented with electricity and invented the Franklin stove. He amassed enough noteworthy accomplishments...

Capturing the essence of this exceptional individual through his original writings and hands-on activities from his era, this resource tells the rich story of one of America’s most celebrated Founding Fathers. Beginning with his time as a young printer, this engaging narrative details how Benjamin Franklin became a celebrity with the publication of Poor Richard: An Almanack and how he founded the colonies’ first lending...

Originally written as a guide for his son, Benjamin Franklin discusses his life, accomplishments, and ideas.

Presents a biography of the multi-talented and accomplished founding father.