Book Review: Benjamin Franklin: An American Life by Isaacson

Overview of the Book and Its Author

Walter Isaacson's Benjamin Franklin: An American Life was published by Simon and Schuster in 2003 and runs to 608 pages. The book is intended to discuss Benjamin Franklin's life from a perspective quite different from that of traditional biographies of the Founding Father. Its main subject is Franklin himself, as the book addresses a broad range of aspects about his life, his effect on society, and how other people perceived him. Isaacson largely wanted to change readers' understanding of Franklin by presenting him as a flesh-and-blood figure rather than as a statue representing a former influential individual in American history.

While the book focuses primarily on Benjamin Franklin's personality, it can also be valuable as a history book. It contains information on a wide range of topics, and Isaacson's focus on presenting Franklin's image across time helps readers gain a proper understanding of the social trends that characterized recent centuries.

Walter Isaacson is an American biographer and scholar who conducted extensive research on Franklin in an effort to provide readers with an account that is both complex and truthful. As one reviewer put it, "It's a lively, readable and affecting book. Isaacson admires his subject deeply, and makes us admire him, too" (Parini). Isaacson's background as a biographer enabled him to produce an intriguing account of Franklin and assisted him in drawing on a wide range of sources to construct a succinct and engaging text.

Isaacson's Purpose and Perspective

Isaacson wanted his readers to gain a more complex understanding of Franklin and to acknowledge the great role he played in shaping American history and thought. The writer concentrated on exploring how people perceived Franklin throughout history — how some tended to admire him while others regarded him with hostility — and he provides a thorough account of public opinion toward the Founding Father across different eras.

That said, even acknowledging Isaacson's stated desire to present Franklin as he truly was, it is difficult to ignore the writer's tendency to glorify his subject. A fully balanced account is hard to claim here, given that the writer takes advantage of nearly every opportunity to emphasize that Franklin was perhaps one of the greatest individuals in the history of mankind. As one critic observes, "Isaacson, president of the Aspen Institute and author of a biography of Henry Kissinger, sees Franklin as the perfect exemplar of American middle-class virtues" (Finn). This admiring stance, while understandable, colors the biography throughout.

Audience and Accessibility

It would be wrong to characterize the book as light coffee-table reading, but it would be equally wrong to suggest that it is accessible only to scholars. As Joseph Ellis notes, "It is a thoroughly researched, crisply written, convincingly argued chronicle that is also studded with little nuggets of fresh information" (Ellis). Even so, the book's relatively uncritical tone and Isaacson's success in crafting an entertaining narrative make it accessible to a wide general audience.

The book can practically be used as a history textbook, given the wealth of information it contains. Isaacson managed to produce a text that is both informative and engaging, meaning it is likely to captivate a broad readership and encourage readers to deepen their understanding of Franklin.

Conclusion and Overall Assessment

The book is very successful in reaching its stated goal. Isaacson primarily set out to change people's understanding of Benjamin Franklin, and he largely achieves this. Even though the writer glorifies his subject at times, he does not hesitate to acknowledge that Franklin was human and, like most people, was not immune to less flattering experiences. Isaacson's main purpose was to convey that Franklin was a deeply complex individual — one who was determined to test himself across a wide range of endeavors and who embraced both failure and triumph as part of his pursuit of a meaningful life.

Overall, Benjamin Franklin: An American Life succeeds as both a compelling biography and a useful historical resource. Readers seeking a thorough, readable account of one of America's most consequential figures will find Isaacson's work rewarding, even as they remain alert to the author's evident admiration for his subject.

Works Cited

Ellis, J. J. "The Many-Minded Man." The New York Times, 6 July 2003, www.nytimes.com/2003/07/06/books/the-many-minded-man.html.

Finn, R. "Benjamin Franklin: An American Life." BookReporter, www.bookreporter.com/reviews/benjamin-franklin-an-american-life.

Isaacson, W. Benjamin Franklin: An American Life. Simon and Schuster, 2003.

Parini, J. "America's Founding Yuppie." The Guardian, 10 July 2004, www.theguardian.com/books/2004/jul/10/featuresreviews.guardianreview10.