Other editions of book The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin

The memoirs of a brilliant and beloved Founding Father Printer, author, scientist, inventor, statesman, revolutionary—arguably no American life has been more remarkable than Benjamin Franklin’s.Penned between 1771 and 1790 and published after his death, the unfinished Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin is one of the most acclaimed and widely read personal histories ever written. From his youth as a printer’s assistant working for his brother’s Boston newspaper through his own publishing, writing, and military careers, his scientific experiments and worldwide travels, his grand triumphs and heartbreaking tragedies, Franklin tells his story with aplomb, bringing to life the flesh-and-blood man behind the American icon.This ebook has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices.

"""The first book to belong permanently to literature. It created a man."" Few men could compare to Benjamin Franklin. Virtually self-taught, he excelled as an athlete, a man of letters, a printer, a scientist, a wit, an inventor, an editor, and a writer, and he was probably the most successful diplomat in American history. David Hume hailed him as the first great philosopher and great man of letters in the New World.Written initially to guide his son, Franklin's autobiography is a lively, spellbinding account of his unique and eventful life. Stylistically his best work, it has become a classic in world literature, one to inspire and delight readers everywhere."

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin is the traditional name for the unfinished record of his own life written by Benjamin Franklin from 1771 to 1790; however, Franklin himself appears to have called the work his Memoirs. Although it had a tortuous publication history after Franklin's death, this work has become one of the most famous and influential examples of autobiography ever written.

One of the Founding Fathers of the United States of America, Benjamin Franklin was a true Renaissance Man: writer, publisher, scientist, inventor, diplomat and politician. In his long life of eighty-four years, he offered advice on attaining wealth, organized public institutions, contributed to the birth of a nation, and negotiated with foreign powers to ensure its survival. Through the words of the elder statesman himself, The Autobiography and Other Writings presents a remarkable insight into the man and his accomplishments and additional writings from Benjamin Franklin’s wife and son provide a more intimate portrait of the husband and father who found himself a legend in his own time.

* Beautifully illustrated with delightful illustrations from early editions, Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin is the unfinished record of his own life written by Benjamin Franklin from 1771 to 1790. The work has become one of the most famous and influential examples of an autobiography ever written.* Just as accessible and enjoyable for today's readers as it would have been when first published, the book is one of the great works of American literature and continues to be widely read throughout the world.* This meticulous edition from Heritage Illustrated Publishing is a faithful reproduction of the original text and is enhanced with images carefully selected by our team of professional editors.

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin is the traditional name for the unfinished record of his own life written by Benjamin Franklin from 1771 to 1790; however, Franklin himself appears to have called the work his Memoirs. Although it had a tortuous publication history after Franklin's death, this work has become one of the most famous and influential examples of an autobiography ever written.(Excerpt from Wikipedia)

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin is the traditional name for the unfinished record of his own life written by Benjamin Franklin from 1771 to 1790; however, Franklin himself appears to have called the work his Memoirs. Although it had a tortuous publication history after Franklin's death, this work has become one of the most famous and influential examples of an autobiography ever written. Franklin's account of his life is divided into four parts, reflecting the different periods at which he wrote them. There are actual breaks in the narrative between the first three parts, but Part Three's narrative continues into Part Four without an authorial break.This account stands as a classic among autobiographies, a compelling and easy read about a man who, from lowly beginnings in Boston, rose to become a hugely-respected public servant, writer, scientist and inventor and who went on to play a key role in the American Revolution and the founding of the United States. Franklin’s autobiography, published after his death, is an unfinished collection of memoirs written over four different periods of his life. It starts in the form of a letter to his son, William, and describes aspects of his childhood in Boston in the early 1700s and his move to Philadelphia where he set up a successful printing business. The many contributions he made to public causes grew out of a strong sense of civic duty, and a stringent work ethic that formed part of his “plan for attaining moral perfection”, which is detailed in the second period. The last two sections cover his impressive political and scientific work and give the reader an insight into the developing tensions between the American colonies and the British crown. A polymath of immense standing, Benjamin Franklin stands out as one of the most highly esteemed figures of the nineteenth century.Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin is a record of the life of one of the most impressive people in the American history. Franklin's autobiography, although unfinished, represents one of the most famous and influential examples of an autobiography ever written. His book is the record of an unusual life told in his own unexcelled conversational style. The Autobiography is Franklin's longest work, and yet it is only a fragment of it. The account of Franklin's life is divided in a manner that reflects the different periods in which he wrote them. The first part, written as a letter to his son, William Franklin, was not intended for publication; the composition is more informal and the narrative more personal than in the second part, from 1730 onward, which was written with a view to publication. Contents: Ancestry and Early Life in Boston Beginning Life as a Printer Arrival in Philadelphia First Visit to Boston Early Friends in Philadelphia First Visit to London Beginning Business in Philadelphia Business Success and First Public Service Plan for Attaining Moral Perfection Poor Richard's Almanac and Other Activities Interest in Public Affairs Defense of the Province Public Services and Duties Albany Plan of Union Quarrels with the Proprietary Governors Braddock's Expedition Franklin's Defense of the Frontier Scientific Experiments Agent of Pennsylvania in London Electrical Kite The Way to Wealth The Whistle A Letter to Samuel MatherAbout the AuthorBenjamin Franklin was a writer, inventor, political theorist, diplomat, and Founding Father of the United States. He wrote under the pen name of Poor Richard from 1732 to 1757.

* Beautifully illustrated with delightful illustrations from early editions, Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin is the unfinished record of his own life written by Benjamin Franklin from 1771 to 1790. The work has become one of the most famous and influential examples of an autobiography ever written.* Just as accessible and enjoyable for today's readers as it would have been when first published, the book is one of the great works of American literature and continues to be widely read throughout the world.* This meticulous digital edition from Heritage Illustrated Publishing is a faithful reproduction of the original text and is enhanced with images carefully selected by our team of professional editors.

WE Americans devour eagerly any piece of writing that purports to tell us the secret of success in life; yet how often we are disappointed to find nothing but commonplace statements, or receipts that we know by heart but never follow. Most of the life stories of our famous and successful men fail to inspire because they lack the human element that makes the record real and brings the story within our grasp. While we are searching far and near for some Aladdin's Lamp to give coveted fortune, there is ready at our hand if we will only reach out and take it, like the charm in Milton's Comus,"Unknown, and like esteemed, and the dull swain Treads on it daily with his clouted shoon;"the interesting, human, and vividly told story of one of the wisest and most useful lives in our own history, and perhaps in any history. In Franklin's Autobiography is offered not so much a ready-made formula for success, as the companionship of a real flesh and blood man of extraordinary mind and quality, whose daily walk and conversation will help us to meet our own difficulties, much as does the example of a wise and strong friend. While we are fascinated by the story, we absorb the human experience through which a strong and helpful character is building.The thing that makes Franklin's Autobiography different from every other life story of a great and successful man is just this human aspect of the account. Franklin told the story of his life, as he himself says, for the benefit of his posterity. He wanted to help them by the relation of his own rise from obscurity and poverty to eminence and wealth. He is not unmindful of the importance of his public services and their recognition, yet his accounts of these achievements are given only as a part of the story, and the vanity displayed is incidental and in keeping with the honesty of the recital. There is nothing of the impossible in the method and practice of Franklin as he sets them forth. The youth who reads the fascinating story is astonished to find that Franklin in his early years struggled with the same everyday passions and difficulties that he himself experiences, and he loses the sense of discouragement that comes from a realization of his own shortcomings and inability to attain.There are other reasons why the Autobiography should be an intimate friend of American young people. Here they may establish a close relationship with one of the foremost Americans as well as one of the wisest men of his age.