Benjamin Franklin (Nota Bene) - Tapa blanda

"While several previous biographies provide fuller accounts of Franklin's life, none rivals Morgan's study for its grasp of Franklin's character, its affinity not just for his ideas, but for the way his mind worked." Joseph J. Ellis, London Review of Books "Superb... The best short biography of Franklin ever written. A concise and beautifully written portrait of an American hero." Gordon Wood, New York Review of Books "Entrancing... lucid and entertaining." Charles M. Carberry, USA Today "In this engaging and readable book, Edmund Morgan does more than recount the colourful and gripping story of Franklin's long, action- and idea-filled life; he also skillfully dissects the man's personality and mind, his social self and political beliefs." Susan Dunn, New York Times Book Review "A luminous biography." Louis P. Masur, Chicago Tribune Book Review "It is difficult, perhaps impossible, to find fault with this book." Carol Berkin, New England Quartely

"The best short biography of Franklin ever written."-Gordon S. Wood 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 bestselling 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 eighteenth century. Franklin was, however, a man of vast contradictions, as Edmund Morgan demonstrates in this brilliant 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. Unraveling the enigma of Franklin's character, Morgan shows that he was the rare individual who consistently placed the public interest before his own desires. Written by one of our greatest historians, Benjamin Franklin offers a provocative portrait of America's most extraordinary patriot.