Benjamin Franklin: Inventing America

Oxford Portraits

by Edwin S. Gaustad

Writer, inventor, diplomat, businessman, musician, scientist, humorist, and civic leader are only a few of the hats Franklin wore. Edwin S. Gaustad presents a balanced account of Franklin's life, emphasizing Franklin's character and personality and quoting extensively from Franklin's own writings.
Oxford Portraits are informative and insightful biographies of people whose lives shaped their times and continue to influence ours. Based on the most recent scholarship, they draw heavily on primary sources, including writings by and about their subjects. Each book is illustrated with a wealth of photographs, documents, memorabilia, framing the personality and achievements of its subject against the backdrop of history.

144 pages, Hardcover

First published September 16, 2004

About the author

A leading scholar of American religious history, Edwin Scott Gaustad was Professor of History at the University of California, Riverside. He earned his B.A. in history from Baylor University (1947), and his M.A. (1948) and Ph.D. (1951) in History of Religions from Brown University.

Reviews

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Genre: Biography, middle reader
This biography was a bit dry and at times hard to get through. I think this is typical of most biographies. Readers will learn all about what Ben Franklin did in his lifetime, but they may struggle a bit getting through. There are some illustrations, but not enough in my opinion.