Benjamin Franklin: A Life From Beginning to End

Founding Fathers of America - Hourly History #5

by Hourly History

Benjamin Franklin * * *Download for FREE on Kindle Unlimited + Free BONUS Inside!* * * Read On Your Computer, MAC, Smartphone, Kindle Reader, iPad, or Tablet. Founding Father Benjamin Franklin came from humble beginnings to take his place in the annals of history as one of the most celebrated Americans ever to stand on the world stage. The Boston apprentice who ran away because of his brother’s ill-treatment found his destiny in Philadelphia, where he became a printer, a scientist, an author, an inventor, a politician, and a citizen of the world. Inside you will read about... ✓ Born in Boston ✓ From Philadelphia to London ✓ Benjamin Franklin, the Citizen ✓ Benjamin Franklin, the Inventor ✓ Franklin and Colonial Politics ✓ Franklin the American ✓ The Conscience of America His inventions and his philosophies had the same ultimate goal—to make the world a better place—and Franklin achieved that goal. Europeans saw him as a symbol of what America represented; Franklin saw himself as the result of what America produced. Pragmatism ruled his life, and yet he believed passionately that it was the role of the government and the church to improve the world for all. He has been called the first American, but every American who followed owes something to this remarkable man who designed his own destiny.

Genres: Biography, History, Nonfiction, Ebooks, Historical, Politics, American Revolution

103 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 14, 2016

About the author

At Hourly History, we focus on publishing history books that are concise, straightforward and take no longer than one hour to read.

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Reviews

[Apollo Hesiod · Rating 5 out of 5]

The First American as he was called, represented this nation proudly....there is sooooo much more to this man than just his inventions....EXCELLENT BOOK!

[Roopkumar Balachandran · Rating 5 out of 5]

Twenty years back I have read his biogaraphy. This book recalled most to my memory. A concise and informative book on the life of Benjamin Franklin.

[Patricia S Winchel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great History in "Cliff Notes" Fashion

This was a nice, concise education on the life of Benjamin Franklin. I now know more than I did before about this great American. I have enjoyed several Hourly History short books. They give a lot of historical information in a book easily read in an hour. They are entertaining and educational.

[Julian Orozco, Jr. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Benjamin Franklin, The First American Citizen

I have read many books about Benjamin Franklin and I have got to say, this book is expertly written. All one needs to know about this great American is beautifully written and explained in this book.
We could sure use some more leaders and visionaries around today just like Benjamin Franklin.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short and sweet. Over all too soon.

[Otherwyrld · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good introduction to a fascinating man.

[Young Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

(Kindle Ed., locations 156-159)
...Franklin’s love of books and discourse craved the companionship of others of like interest, so in 1743, he founded the American Philosophical Society. This group was a forum for scientists to share their research and ideas, and it was around this time that Franklin began to pursue his interest in electricity.

Philosophy and science have never been inseparable just like Albert Einstein said.

(Kindle Ed., location 28)
“We are all born ignorant, but one must work hard to remain stupid.” —Benjamin Franklin

It was a great read. I’ve known Ben Franklin ever since I learned how to read and write in English language. The book is, however, neither one of the old American Independence War stuffs nor the same-boring stories of Founding Fathers written by those big names; the story is quite fresh to me with this book. I personally think all “true” Americans should read this stor’y to learn the man’s life rather than be stuck with the old ones found in many popular books and mov’ies.

(Kindle Ed., locations 15-18)
...in order to rise to a position of status, a man needed either his own august lineage or wealthy and influential patrons. For Benjamin Franklin, there was no exalted institute of education that provided him with learning; there was no vast store of wealth to bankroll him. He was, in fact, deliberately and enthusiastically..., a man who had pulled himself up by his own bootstraps and then figured out a way, metaphorically, to make a better bootstrap.

The social “instability” of the revolutionary era made his rise possible though. It isN’T supposed to be easy since a society cannot prosper without social stability in order.

(Kindle Ed., locations 28-37)
...The birth of Benjamin, on January 6, 1706, made the twelfth of the Franklin offspring born to Josiah, who earned his living by making soap and candles, and Abiah, his second wife, who would contribute ten children to the brood which would eventually number seventeen. Education for the Franklins was desirable, but money was tight, and Benjamin’s time in the South Grammar School when he was eight years old only lasted a few months because his father couldn’t afford the cost...formal education was a luxury that the family couldn’t afford. At the age of ten, it was time for young Benjamin to settle on a trade. His father let him watch the Boston tradesmen at their labors, but Benjamin wanted to be a sailor...The boy didn’t want to follow in his father’s footsteps making soap and candles, so for a short time, he was indentured as a cutler. Ultimately this didn’t interest him.

Quite a family...seriously why do we people today complain about our lives so much? We’ve been too exposed to and tamed by those stupid media shows that give us too much "vain" expectations.

Irony: The shows are how our modern democracy has been run to keep our social stability in order. The way our democracy has been run is act’ually destroying our democracy itself since the intellectual and conscience level of each voter is to be the level of our whole society.

(Kindle Ed., locations 397-400)
...He explained, “I never doubted . . . the existence of the Deity . . . that the most acceptable service of God was the doing good to man; that our souls are immortal; and that all crime will be punished, and virtue rewarded, either here or hereafter.” He believed not in doctrine but in ethics; it was with this philosophy that he strenuously supported religious tolerance...

It doesn't matter if you are a Christian, Buddhist, Muslim or whatever as long as you are a "good" Christian, Buddhist, Muslim and Human Being.

(Kindle Ed., locations 400-405)
...and he would remain, throughout his life, a powerful advocate for education, frugality, work, temperance, charity, and concern for the community. As he aged, he seemed to become more convinced that churches were a necessary tool if men and women were to be able to live ethical lives. John Adams observed that Franklin had a chameleon-like ability to reflect the religious views of others personally. "The Catholics thought him almost a Catholic. The Church of England claimed him as one of them. The Presbyterians thought him half a Presbyterian, and the Friends believed him a wet Quaker." Perhaps he so easily reminded others of their religions because he never veered far from the original gospel teachings of Jesus Christ...

(Kindle Ed., locations 410-411)
...He was a man of reason rather than ideology, who believed in the betterment of humanity through work, education, and faith.

(Kindle Ed., locations 228-230)
...Benjamin Franklin didn’t apply for patents for any of them. That decision was deliberate - he felt that inventors should be glad to benefit society with their creations and that those inventions should be shared with others.

In my standard he was an ideal Human Being, who could live a Human life without the law, but with Human conscience.

(Kindle Ed., locations 43-54)
...He ended up apprenticed to his half-brother James, a printer, and at the age of twelve, he was signed up for nine years of indenture. Despite his lack of formal learning, Benjamin was a bookish boy who enjoyed reading and liked to write poetry. As an apprentice to a printer, he could further his writing talents, something he did by spending hours creating an outline of the essays he had read in the popular magazine the Spectator, and then rewriting them in his own style, teaching himself how to communicate in a manner that reached his readers. He also wrote a ballad to commemorate the capture of the pirate Blackbeard, who had terrorized the Eastern coast. He had a lively writing style that would mature as he plied his craft, even though his brother displayed no great interest in expanding Benjamin’s literary horizons. In 1720, Franklin began to explore his own personal independence. He moved from the family home into a boarding home, and he stopped going to church so that he could use Sundays for more studying. His religious concepts changed; by the next year, he was a Deist. His personal life would change in other ways, too; Franklin, looking for ways to save money so that he could afford to buy books, decided to become a vegetarian.

Now what he did is the “real” study. He had clear desire to learn and know the deal’i-o, not to get a people’/ popul’ar job for more mon’ey like us today, and despite his lack of formal education, he always had many brilliant new business ideas and performed great team works.

That didn’t mean his life was an’y easy:
(Kindle Ed., locations 67-82)
While James was in prison, Benjamin published the newspaper under his own name, a taste of freedom that was hard to relinquish when James returned to the helm. The brothers argued, and there were times when James physically beat his apprentice. Finally, Benjamin quit, intending to find work with another of Boston’s printers. However, James had advised his printer colleagues not to hire Benjamin, leaving young Franklin little choice but to seek greener pastures. Apprenticeship was a business contract and running away was not permitted. Not only that but in the clearly defined social order of the times, there was no niche for a runaway, who represented a lawlessness that society did not tolerate. Young Benjamin was regarded as a fugitive from the law. At the age of 17, Franklin sailed to New York, but he was unable to find work as a printer, so he walked to New Jersey. From there, he took a boat to Philadelphia. He would return to Boston in 1724 at the age of 18 when he needed a loan from his father in order to start his own print shop, but his father would refuse him the loan. However, that was yet to come: Boston was his past, Philadelphia his future...When Benjamin Franklin arrived in Philadelphia, he did not make a grand entrance. His disheveled state showed the signs of his travels; his clothing was rumpled, his appearance less than refined. He used the little money that he had left to buy rolls to eat. As he walked down the street, a young woman named Deborah Read noticed him and thought that he looked peculiar - and she was probably right...

He, too, had his share of hard times, yet like most of the successful figures in hi-story he did not give up.

(Kindle Ed., locations -134)
...The only limit to a man’s success was his own ambition, and Benjamin Franklin did not suffer from that deficiency.

(Kindle Ed., locations 93-113)
His skills and ambition led him to leave that printer for a better position when he found employment with James Watts, who ran a larger print shop. Being an enterprising youth, he also earned money by providing swimming lessons in the Thames River and considered making swimming instruction his full-time occupation...Although his business venture did not turn out as planned, thanks to the failure of the royal governor to send a letter of credit, the young Franklin made good use of his time in Great Britain. The British had established a standard of culture and living that was much more formal than what Franklin was used to, but the attractions of London appealed to him. He continued to be an eager reader, but he also enjoyed attending the theater and spending time in the coffee shops...But during his absence, Deborah Read had found someone else and, encouraged by her mother, she had married John Rogers the year before. Franklin found employment as a bookkeeper and shopkeeper, selling imported clothing and hardware. By 1727, Franklin had already found a new job. He had also found a new romantic companion. The woman would become pregnant with a son, William. William’s mother was not identified, but Franklin acknowledged him, and he would grow up with his father. William would, as an adult, become the royal governor of New Jersey. In most circumstances, such a career would herald great things, but this position came when the colonies were separating from the mother country, leaving Franklin father and son on opposite sides of the division. It’s easy to think of the Civil War as the one which split families, but American independence would also create such fissures among families. Deborah Read’s 1725 marriage to John Rogers had not proceeded well. He had abandoned her, but because she didn’t know where he had gone, she wasn’t able to divorce him...

(Kindle Ed., locations 138-142)
Franklin and his business partner had opened their own printing shop in 1728 after James Meredith obtained a loan from his parents. They bought out a competing printer—Franklin’s former employer, Samuel Keimer—who had gone bankrupt, and turned his Pennsylvania Gazette into a successful enterprise. In 1730, the same year that Franklin married Deborah Read, the printing partners won a contract to print the official papers issued by the colony of Pennsylvania. As the business thrived, Franklin was able to buy out Meredith and run the print shop on his own.

Now it was the “turning point” of his life.

Like I said in my review for Leonardo da Vinci, those who are their own sponsors often gotta find a job different than the disciplines they enjoy doing. Yet somehow they get successful at the end because they know how to run things right with right purpose and right direction.

(Kindle Ed., locations 177-182)
So was making a profitable living. Franklin was a shrewd businessman; by 1747, the son of a poor candle-maker had amassed enough wealth to allow him to retire from printing so that he could pursue other business interests. He set up a partnership with his foreman; Franklin would receive half of the profits from the print shop for eighteen years. It’s unlikely that he realized how valuable his leisure time would prove, but with the time to concentrate on his discoveries and his studies, he would build a reputation that would cross the ocean and take his name and his achievements to the courts of Europe.

And he finally reached the point where he could afford the "productive" leisure time he so desperately needed to be one of the Founding Fathers of a new nation. He might not have realized it was that very leisure time which would lift him up to his final status we learn and remember today.

National defense and diplomacy: So it was his idea in 1754, the creation of the United States after all.

(Kindle Ed., locations 239-243)
...At this time, Franklin and most of his fellow colonials were firmly on the side of the British. The French and Indian War, which the British won, gave Britain control of the land east of the Mississippi River. But the war was costly. Franklin helped to persuade the Pennsylvania government to budget money for defense. His position in government alerted him that the British were not necessarily as dedicated to the well-being of their colonial citizens as he felt they should have been, and he began to wonder if the destinies of Americans and the British were truly in tandem...

(Kindle Ed., locations 260-264)
In 1754, Franklin was made the head of the delegation from Pennsylvania, which was heading to the Albany Congress. The impetus for the gathering came from England’s Board of Trade, in the hopes that the colonies would be able to defend themselves against the French as well as improve relations with the native tribes. Franklin’s suggestion was a Plan of Union. His plan was not adopted, but it would influence two later documents which would have significance as the colonies sought to create a central government: the Articles of Confederation and ultimately, the Constitution.

And here’s the final reason why he had to cross the line that he could not be able to cross ever again:
(Kindle Ed., locations 277-285)
...Franklin sent the letters to America with the instructions that they were to be kept confidential; against his advice, the letters were published in Massachusetts. Franklin was summoned by British government officials and publicly reprimanded. He risked being jailed for treason, but he continued to try to negotiate for peaceful relations between the British and the colonists, even though he was removed from his position as postmaster general...Franklin opted not to make the request of the British government. The time for royal governors had passed; what was in store was not thirteen colonies but one country, dedicated to principles which had been hewn out of an American philosophy which espoused hard work, freedom, faith in God, and resistance to tyranny.

(Kindle Ed., locations 114-126)
...In his autobiography, Franklin acknowledged that he bore some of the guilt for Deborah’s state: “I pitied poor Miss Read's unfortunate situation, who was generally dejected, seldom cheerful, and avoided company. I considered my giddiness and inconstancy when in London as in a great degree the cause of her unhappiness.” In 1730, because they could not exchange the traditional marriage vows due to Deborah’s previous marriage, Franklin and Read entered a common-law marriage; Franklin’s illegitimate son lived with them. In 1732, a son, Francis Folger Franklin, was born to the couple. He would die at the age of four from smallpox. Their daughter, Sarah Franklin, known as Sally, was born in 1743; she would marry, bear seven children, and would survive her long-lived father. Although Benjamin and William Franklin were estranged, Sally Franklin Bache and her father had a good relationship, and she was a support to him in his patriotic responsibilities, particularly during the American Revolution, when she and a group of women sewed 2,200 shirts for the soldiers of the Continental Army who had gone into winter quarters in 1780. She would also serve as a hostess for her father after the death of her mother in 1774...

(Kindle Ed., location 129)
“None of the inconveniences happened that we had apprehended; she proved a good and faithful helpmate, assisted me much by attending the shop; we throve together, and have ever mutually endeavored to make each other happy. —Benjamin Franklin

And why do we only learn the facts that he had many French girlfriends and an illegitimate son? As a matter of fact he was a good boyfriend, husband and father despite the circumstances.

(Kindle Ed., locations 303-305)
They knew of his scientific experiments, they appreciated his wit, and they loved the image that he presented of the rustic colonial who had proven that he was equal to any titled European. They also appreciated his affection for the ladies. Now a widower since his wife Deborah’s death the year before, Franklin greatly enjoyed the repartee of flirtation.

(Kindle Ed., locations 299-301)
...William Franklin had placed the boy in foster care but Franklin, taking custody, took his grandson, who like William, had been born out of wedlock, back to the United States with him and raised him in his home.

Above all, he was faithful and responsible to his principle of Human conscience till the end of his life.

There are some errors found to be edited.

Between the locations 165 and 177 there are some missing spaces starting new paragraphs, but they won’t annoy your reading.

(Kindle Ed., locations 187-189)
...His to-do list of inventions designed to satisfy his passion for efficiency and the concepts which he furthered represent the eager, fertile mind of a man who, despite his lack of formal education, had an unfettered mind.

...should be edited as follows:

His to-do list of inventions, designed to satisfy his passion for efficiency, further represented the eager and unfettered mind of Benjamin Franklin. It also showed the world the man's fertile mind despite his lack of formal education.

Maybe a mistake based on the present-day reality:
(Kindle Ed., locations 257-258)
...The results created a system of postal roads running from Maine to Florida, with regular mail service from the colonies to England...

It must have been from Maine to Georgia since Florida at the time was not a part of the 13 English Colonies, but a Spanish colony.

(Kindle Ed., 319-320)
Their efforts helped to turn the tide, and the British surrendered to George Washington’s Continental Army in October 1781...

Most Americans do not learn this fact: The British first surrendered to the French forces. The British didn't think they lost a civil war, but a war with French Empire, still the Champion of Europe back then.

Despite some errors the book is still a gem.

It closes with one of the best con-clos'/ -clus'ions I have read. Again, I recommend this book to every “true” American.

[Gail Baugniet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading about Benjamin Franklin's entire lifespan in this brief history gives the impression he led a charmed life, always learning and becoming more accomplished. Even when he found himself in dire straits, he continued to move forward while improving his standing among fellow countrymen, whichever country he chose to represent at the time. Always willing and eager to help others along the way, he surely was a role model for the ages.

[Dr.J.G. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well compiled.
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" ... The French and Indian War, which the British won, gave Britain control of the land east of the Mississippi River."

This author, too, follows the fraudulent nomenclature, of labeling natives of the continent - from Canada to Ushuaia - Indian, despite fully bring aware that they have no connection whatsoever with India and never did.

This is as racist as, say, China labeling all European race 'Japanese '.
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"It took more than a millennium before Europe’s centuries of learning and creativity produced the Renaissance, that golden era when human intellect shone a bright light that cast out the shadows of the Dark Ages. The pace was a little faster in the New World. ... "

Now author explores reasons thereof, admitting that Europe had a caste system without admitting that it was caste system, or that it was stifling to thought and talent precisely because it was not only rigid but built on very bad, primitive foundations, of physical power and landed properties to begin with, apart from titles bestowed by a royalty that was caste at the top of a pyramid social structure

But most of all, author refrains from mentioning the bull in the China shop - the church that stifled Europe actively, especially more so beginning with inquisition, imposing its own primacy and sole right to all but manual labour, disallowing freedom of thought.

" ... Less than two hundred years after the first English settlers set foot on the continent of North America, the United States had produced a Renaissance man, a man of humble beginnings who boldly left his mark in politics, science, education, philosophy, diplomacy, and innovation. That he was able to be so versatile is both a tribute to his natural intelligence and character, but also a testament to the inventiveness of his homeland. It’s true that all subsequent civilizations build upon what went before, but the legacy of Europe was so rigid that, in order to rise to a position of status, a man needed either his own august lineage or wealthy and influential patrons.
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[Thom Swennes · Rating 4 out of 5]

“We are all born ignorant, but one must work hard to remain stupid.”
Benjamin Franklin
Few men (or women) in American, or indeed world history, has been so respected and admired as Benjamin Franklin, impressing everyone, friend or foe, that ever had the privilege of making his acquaintance. His words of wisdom are simple and still hold true more than two centuries later. He is one of the few human beings that can be given the title of Renaissance Man. He has made his mark in politics, education, science, innovation, diplomacy, and philosophy. George Washington may rightfully hold the title Father of Our Country but Benjamin Franklin has the auspicious and propitious title of First American.
Benjamin Franklin was born on January 6, 1706, as 12th child in the Franklin brood. He wasn’t born into wealth or society but had to use work and his natural wit to navigate the road to ultimate success. He was the fundamental self-taught, self-made man that didn’t choose the easy road over the much more difficult right road. After less than two years of formal education, Franklin begins on his long road to success and maturity. At the age of twelve, he was apprenticed, for seven years, to his half-brother, James, in the printing trade. Franklin, under the pseudonym of Silent Dogood, first appeared in his half-brother’s newspaper, The New England Courant. This was the Dear Abby of the times. If the only limit to a man’s success is his own ambition, it is no wonder Franklin not only walked with but impressed kings.
I have read a fair number of the Hourly History publications and, without a doubt, this is the best. These high accolades aren’t particularly attributed to the writer but rather to the subject. Even today, Benjamin Franklin amazes and intrigues people in so many ways. His words of wisdom, first printed in his Poor Richard’s Almanack, in the Pennsylvania Gazette, which has form cornerstones in today’s society.

[Ed Barton · Rating 4 out of 5]

The First American

Under appreciated by the modern day student and citizen, there is much to learn and admire in Ben Franklin. Inventor, philosopher, politician, humorist, businessman, slave owner, abolitionist, Puritan and Deist, he represents the diversity of spirit, change and growth that is America. The only Founding Father to sign the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence and the Treaty of Paris as well as the French Alliance, he was perhaps the keystone of the movement for independence. H this well written book gives you a brief intro to the amazing man often referred to as The First American. A good read.

[Mary Pat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick bio of Franklin, livelier than expected

It took me about a half hour to read, and I actually learned something about Old Ben that I didn't know before, though I've read many bios & his autobiography.

Much livelier than a cribbed-from-Wikipedia text than I was expecting, but the copy/paste editing was noticeable at the end with items in the "Conclusion" that were obviously not cleaned up before publication. That said, a nice intro of Franklin to newbies and even some lesser-covered details of Franklin's life for people with more knowledge.

[E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful little biography

I have read several of these little hourly histories and I have enjoyed all of them. This is a very concise look at the life of a most remarkable man. It gives you a general understanding of how he shaped our world and how it shaped him. I found it very satisfying and at the same time it left me with a desire to know more about this amazing man. If you want a very quick but satisfying look at Benjamin Franklin, the man, and his accomplishments, then start here.

[Terri's Dangerous When Reading · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this short biography was quite good. I learned a lot about Benjamin Franklin, much more than I was taught in school. He was a writer, a printer, a diplomat, an inventor, a patriot, a father, a husband, and quite liberal for his time, considering his unusual common law marriage and his nurturing of both his legitimate and then later his grandson. In the end I feel I have a better picture of Benjamin Franklin and I am glad I read this book.

[Aliza · Rating 5 out of 5]

Informative, Highly Readable, Concise

I thoroughly enjoyed learning about Benjamin Franklin in this quick, easy to read book. I probably wouldn’t commit many hours to reading a long, wordy presentation of the material. This is a great format to learn about people and issues imports to everyone’s general knowledge.

[Leon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy read, decent content

It was a fairly easy read that provided a brief overview over Franklin's life. I recommend his own short (140 pages) autobiography for anyone who found his life inspiring as he outlines his through processes and motivations between his actions more thoroughly and eloquently.

[Shamsher Singh · Rating 5 out of 5]

A succinct history of a towering personality.

The author has successfully captured the vivid and profane life of the towering personality Sir Benjamin Franklin,"The First American" as they call him, and an insight into his life provides motivation for the new folks to achieve higher echelons of success and service.

[Upendra Awasthi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent!

Inspiring.
I am glad and proud that such people have brought the humanity where it is.
We need numerous such people world over to make mark on those around him, to make world still better home to humane mankind.
Fundamentalists and terrorists with communal intolerance and hatred with brutal violence need to learn from him.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Benjamin Franklin: A Life From Beginning to End

This is a very concise overview of Ben Franklin.

From what I know of the man, this book is accurate but succinct.

It gives you the successes and failings of a complex man and I’m interested now in deeper dives of that complexity.

[Linden Gibson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent distillation of a life. Great overview of Ben Franklin.

Excellent distillation of a life. Great overview of Ben Franklin. Hits all the high points. Quick read yet fully fascinating.

[Kat Richter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't read many bios, but have always admired what I knew of Franklin. This book was written in a simple, easy and enjoyable to read style, and did have several facts about him that I hadn't been previously aware of.

[Marco · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was expecting so much from this book but it doesn't cover his life in detail.

Ben Franklin was truly a gentlemen so much so that we see many invention and quotes misappropriated under his name which he never created or said.

[Glenn Lygrisse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well done


This book gives us an overview of the “first American”. He is someone who is also needed in our times. Today’s Americans would do well to study and emulate this individual and his life.

[Patricia A Michon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick look at Franklin's life

It was a good book but did not really go into detail about his life, inventions or his political career. I would have preferred a more in depth book since Franklin was such a huge figure at the start of our country.

[Cherye Elliott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ben

Better than Cliff Notes. Actually this book would be great foe elementary students to learn about Ben Franklin. Easy to read. Informative.

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

excellent

[Bruce · Rating 4 out of 5]

This brief biography of Benjamin Franklin was inspiring and makes me want to read more about him.

[Emma Dargue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good little overview of one of America's founding fathers.

[Abhishek Singh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfectly concise

Very well written. Would love to hear more about his inventions and his personal life.
Onto another hourly history series.

[Susan Count · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy conversational style and interesting details.