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A Little Revenge: Benjamin Franklin and His Son
Reveals the stormy and vengeful relationship between Ben Franklin and his illegitimate only son, William, who served as royal governor of New Jersey, and presents a new dimension to this great American figure
558 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1984
84 people are currently reading
507 people want to read
About the author
Willard Sterne Randall
44 books71 followersWillard Sterne Randall is an American historian and author who specializes in biographies related to the American colonial period and the American Revolution. He teaches American history at Champlain College in Burlington, Vermont.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
March 7, 2020
The more I read about Benjamin Franklin, the less I admire the man. While his ingenuity and brilliance on many subjects is well-established, personally the man left a lot to be desired. Willard Sterne Randall tackles the complicated, enigmatic, awkward, cold, and ultimately disastrous relationship that Franklin had with his only son, William. As an added bonus, Randall treats us to dueling perspectives on the American Revolution and the long war that it created.
Benjamin was such a contrast: someone who contributed so much to the world in general, and the American colonies, Philadelphia, and then the fledgling nation of America in particular, while simultaneously being penny-pinching, cheap, calculating, undercutting, deceitful, and downright callous to his family. This was a man who preached a lot of homilies and moral absolutes, but routinely did not practice them himself. His son William for example, was born in what was then considered to be illegitimacy (out of wedlock). The origins of just who his mother was never were discovered. Benjamin later took a common-law wife, Deborah, whom he largely treated like garbage. Especially later on, she seemed to act more as a servant or maid than a spouse. In the early 1770s, when it was clear through letters that her health was rapidly failing, Franklin – despite not having any good reason to do so (and even if he had possessed one, it would still not be an adequate excuse) – refused to leave London to attend to her prior to her death. Think about that for a minute: a husband knows that his wife of several decades is seriously ill, she repeatedly has begged him to return home, he has the means and ability to do so, yet he ignores her pleas and chooses not to. What does that say about him as a person?
Thus given his coldness and selfishness, it is no surprise that relations with William, while close at times, ultimately fail. Benjamin seemed more interested in keeping a ledger of William's debts to him than being a loving parent. They did collaborate, most notably during the French and Indian War of the 1750s and then on questionable land speculations later on. But these endeavors were more of mutual convenience than genuine familial feelings.
But William was no saint either, and had his own share of faults. He was given to living a life of high society, trying to surround himself with upper-class British aristocrats and focus on becoming wealthy. Indeed, his constant desire to turns lands into profit plagued him until his dying day. He was just as stubborn as Benjamin was, which mightily contributed to their very public falling out over the Revolution. Each man was convinced that his view was the only legitimate one and that to think otherwise was foolish. With neither willing to compromise or attempt to understand the other, an irreparable breach was all but inevitable.
Randall chronicles the demise of their relationship, all the while putting it into context with the events of the Revolution. He neatly shows how the events in the Franklins' lives were directly related to external pressures, but also to actions that each of them took as well. Benjamin was one of the biggest names amongst the colonies, with much admiration from many quarters, while William by that point had been the long-time appointed Royal Governor of New Jersey. William remained blindly loyal to King George and the mother country, while Benjamin did everything he possibly could to hurt Great Britain and help America gain independence.
Randall doesn't play favorites here: both men have more than enough unsavory characteristics to make each one unlikeable. But it is hard not to feel some sympathy for William when he is imprisoned in a foul-smelling room in Connecticut for several months, kept in isolation, given no furniture, allowed no exercise, has no access to any toilet facilities (not even the primitive outhouses of the time), and is allowed not a single personal article other than the filthy clothes that he was wearing when placed in the room. While both Franklins are methodically covered, William does seem closer to the center than Benjamin. Perhaps that is because, of the two of them, Benjamin obviously is the much more famous and thus has been written about exponentially more. Randall manages to seamlessly interweave the Revolution with the disintegration of the relationship between these two men, and the result is an excellent account of the severe personal consequences that a revolution can have on all involved.
Grade: A
Benjamin was such a contrast: someone who contributed so much to the world in general, and the American colonies, Philadelphia, and then the fledgling nation of America in particular, while simultaneously being penny-pinching, cheap, calculating, undercutting, deceitful, and downright callous to his family. This was a man who preached a lot of homilies and moral absolutes, but routinely did not practice them himself. His son William for example, was born in what was then considered to be illegitimacy (out of wedlock). The origins of just who his mother was never were discovered. Benjamin later took a common-law wife, Deborah, whom he largely treated like garbage. Especially later on, she seemed to act more as a servant or maid than a spouse. In the early 1770s, when it was clear through letters that her health was rapidly failing, Franklin – despite not having any good reason to do so (and even if he had possessed one, it would still not be an adequate excuse) – refused to leave London to attend to her prior to her death. Think about that for a minute: a husband knows that his wife of several decades is seriously ill, she repeatedly has begged him to return home, he has the means and ability to do so, yet he ignores her pleas and chooses not to. What does that say about him as a person?
Thus given his coldness and selfishness, it is no surprise that relations with William, while close at times, ultimately fail. Benjamin seemed more interested in keeping a ledger of William's debts to him than being a loving parent. They did collaborate, most notably during the French and Indian War of the 1750s and then on questionable land speculations later on. But these endeavors were more of mutual convenience than genuine familial feelings.
But William was no saint either, and had his own share of faults. He was given to living a life of high society, trying to surround himself with upper-class British aristocrats and focus on becoming wealthy. Indeed, his constant desire to turns lands into profit plagued him until his dying day. He was just as stubborn as Benjamin was, which mightily contributed to their very public falling out over the Revolution. Each man was convinced that his view was the only legitimate one and that to think otherwise was foolish. With neither willing to compromise or attempt to understand the other, an irreparable breach was all but inevitable.
Randall chronicles the demise of their relationship, all the while putting it into context with the events of the Revolution. He neatly shows how the events in the Franklins' lives were directly related to external pressures, but also to actions that each of them took as well. Benjamin was one of the biggest names amongst the colonies, with much admiration from many quarters, while William by that point had been the long-time appointed Royal Governor of New Jersey. William remained blindly loyal to King George and the mother country, while Benjamin did everything he possibly could to hurt Great Britain and help America gain independence.
Randall doesn't play favorites here: both men have more than enough unsavory characteristics to make each one unlikeable. But it is hard not to feel some sympathy for William when he is imprisoned in a foul-smelling room in Connecticut for several months, kept in isolation, given no furniture, allowed no exercise, has no access to any toilet facilities (not even the primitive outhouses of the time), and is allowed not a single personal article other than the filthy clothes that he was wearing when placed in the room. While both Franklins are methodically covered, William does seem closer to the center than Benjamin. Perhaps that is because, of the two of them, Benjamin obviously is the much more famous and thus has been written about exponentially more. Randall manages to seamlessly interweave the Revolution with the disintegration of the relationship between these two men, and the result is an excellent account of the severe personal consequences that a revolution can have on all involved.
Grade: A
May 30, 2017
I am so glad I read this book. I don't think I even knew that Benjamin Franklin had a son, let alone an estranged one. I have also never read anything about the Revolutionary War from the British point of view. Michael Franklin was educated in England as a lawyer. He was appointed by the King of England to be the territorial governor of New Jersey. He served in this position until he was removed by the rebel congress during the war. He was a loyal supporter of the King of England and tried his best to get the two factions to come to an agreement. His father, on the other hand, was one of the prime movers in the revolutionary movement. This did not make for family harmony. Michael spent almost two years as a prisoner of war and ended up losing everything, including his wife who died while he was in prison.
The only problem that I had with this book was the detail. Mr. Randall had a lot of knowledge. His research was evident, his bibliography was extensive! But it seemed like he wanted to tell us EVERYTHING he knew! I was often bogged down in the details. 563 pages of detail! So, while I learned a lot and appreciate the knowledge, it was just too much!
The only problem that I had with this book was the detail. Mr. Randall had a lot of knowledge. His research was evident, his bibliography was extensive! But it seemed like he wanted to tell us EVERYTHING he knew! I was often bogged down in the details. 563 pages of detail! So, while I learned a lot and appreciate the knowledge, it was just too much!
July 13, 2017
I was supremely disappointed by A Little Revenge, Willard Sterne Randall's comic strip portrait of Benjamin Franklin and his illegitimate son William, who remained colonial Governor of New Jersey while Benjamin became a leader in the fight for independence. The central story is fascinating, with Randall showing how the Franklins fall out over politics, then Benjamin uses his influence to keep his son imprisoned and forfeit of property - a remarkable amount of pettiness from any man, let alone someone lauded as a national hero. Yet the book stumbles in almost every conceivable way, from the pedestrian prose and descent into oft-tedious detail, to the author's speculative analyses of personal motivations to his obnoxious Anglo-Tory bias (which might be forgivable if he didn't couch the Revolution in cockeyed terms of noble, chivalric Britons fighting barbaric, half-mad colonists who - gasp! - shot Redcoat officers!). What's left is an interesting tale deserving of a much better book and far more discerning historian.
December 3, 2014
"A Little Revenge" is the polar opposite of a hagiography. Randall's carefully researched biography on the relationship between Benjamin Franklin and his illegitimate son William serves to pull yet another founding father from his exalted pedestal and examine him in the cold light of his own actions.
William was the product of one of the many Parisian affairs of Benjamin's youth; in order to make the best of things, Benjamin provided for the impoverished young woman and saw that the boy received an education. On meeting him midway through his childhood, he took a liking to the bright young man and accelerated his efforts to transform an embarrassing reality into a respectable young gentleman: William was educated at affordable yet challenging schools and eventually passed the English equvalent of the bar, becoming a respected attorney in England and then America.
His early education in England left him with an affinity and loyalty for the country which stood in direct opposition to his father's American patriotism, and the book focuses on the schism that developed in the gathering years of the American revolution. William rose to the position of Colonial Governor of New Jersey under King George while his father was the patriarch of the revolutionary movement. We all know which side won, and Randall's writing is very sympathetic to the hardships faced by Loyalists who were eventually forced to emigrate back to England in order to avoid persecution or murder by their former neighbors or even their own families. William was among this number.
While the elder Franklin was indisputably a venerable statesman and diplomat, he conducted his personal life in a way that few will find palatable. He ignored his common-law wife in favor of another family he lived with in Paris, neglected his daughter, was indifferent to his son until he saw personal gain in raising him to respectability, and put political gain before family to the point where his son nearly died in Tory prison while Benjamin reveled in the luxury of Paris.
If colonial and revolutionary America interest you, this is an eye-opening read on the complexities of one of its key characters. Certainly no one is perfect, but one might be hard-pressed to find a founding father more flawed than Benjamin Franklin.
William was the product of one of the many Parisian affairs of Benjamin's youth; in order to make the best of things, Benjamin provided for the impoverished young woman and saw that the boy received an education. On meeting him midway through his childhood, he took a liking to the bright young man and accelerated his efforts to transform an embarrassing reality into a respectable young gentleman: William was educated at affordable yet challenging schools and eventually passed the English equvalent of the bar, becoming a respected attorney in England and then America.
His early education in England left him with an affinity and loyalty for the country which stood in direct opposition to his father's American patriotism, and the book focuses on the schism that developed in the gathering years of the American revolution. William rose to the position of Colonial Governor of New Jersey under King George while his father was the patriarch of the revolutionary movement. We all know which side won, and Randall's writing is very sympathetic to the hardships faced by Loyalists who were eventually forced to emigrate back to England in order to avoid persecution or murder by their former neighbors or even their own families. William was among this number.
While the elder Franklin was indisputably a venerable statesman and diplomat, he conducted his personal life in a way that few will find palatable. He ignored his common-law wife in favor of another family he lived with in Paris, neglected his daughter, was indifferent to his son until he saw personal gain in raising him to respectability, and put political gain before family to the point where his son nearly died in Tory prison while Benjamin reveled in the luxury of Paris.
If colonial and revolutionary America interest you, this is an eye-opening read on the complexities of one of its key characters. Certainly no one is perfect, but one might be hard-pressed to find a founding father more flawed than Benjamin Franklin.
August 12, 2016
I have read several biographies of Benjamin Franklin, but none of them comes close to describing the failed relationship he had with his illegitimate son in detail. William was a product of his upbringing, and Benjamin Franklin comes off really bad in this book. Benjamin was a brilliant man, but was a HORRIBLE father, spouse and friend. I think I would have disliked him intensely had I lived back then. I do dislike him intensely for his treatment of his family. The man had no conscience.
This book gives William more of a voice, but it also gives voice to the conflicting sides of the Revolutionary War, both patriots and loyalists, and the consequences to the lives of both sides. The patriots were not all principled and good. The royalists were not all villainous, bad people. I learned a lot of context for the war in addition to details of the two men.
I also appreciated the details. It did not seem like a textbook to me.
This book gives William more of a voice, but it also gives voice to the conflicting sides of the Revolutionary War, both patriots and loyalists, and the consequences to the lives of both sides. The patriots were not all principled and good. The royalists were not all villainous, bad people. I learned a lot of context for the war in addition to details of the two men.
I also appreciated the details. It did not seem like a textbook to me.
September 4, 2015
A disciplined study
Randall clearly did not hold back any effort to present an irrefutable account of American Revolution through the lives of two most prominent leaders. He details scenes rarely discussed, some raising eyebrows. I only wish he had given as much attention to an easier narrative style. My calling this book a disciplined study refers to the push to complete the reading as much as the effort spent writing it. The avid historians will appreciate the facts brought out, but it is not for the casual reader.
Randall clearly did not hold back any effort to present an irrefutable account of American Revolution through the lives of two most prominent leaders. He details scenes rarely discussed, some raising eyebrows. I only wish he had given as much attention to an easier narrative style. My calling this book a disciplined study refers to the push to complete the reading as much as the effort spent writing it. The avid historians will appreciate the facts brought out, but it is not for the casual reader.
February 12, 2017
This was a fascinating book about the history of Ben Franklin and his son that was not very honest and was not a fan of the cause of the American people. He supported the Tory thinking while Ben supported the cause of the American people. It was too bad that Ben even started giving his son favors and such because it led to so much strife between them. William became the governor of his state and his famous father was left on his own. It was great.
August 26, 2015
Reads too much like a textbook.
November 24, 2016
SOOOOOOOOOOOO boring!!!! What a dull dull book. So hard to remain in any way interested in what should have been a fascinating subject. Totally DIre.
December 12, 2017
Simply one of the most enlightening books I've ever read about our founding father Ben Franklin and his son William. This one stays on my history bookshelf.
The revolution was , in fact, our first vicious Civil war. The divisions between 'patriots' and 'loyalists' were extreme and more widespread than our history books lead us to believe. The author treats Franklin's son, William, with great empathy and understanding-though he was considered a trenchant loyalist. I recommend this book to any serious student of American History.
The revolution was , in fact, our first vicious Civil war. The divisions between 'patriots' and 'loyalists' were extreme and more widespread than our history books lead us to believe. The author treats Franklin's son, William, with great empathy and understanding-though he was considered a trenchant loyalist. I recommend this book to any serious student of American History.
November 25, 2017
A very interesting book
This was a great read. I found the relationship between Franklin and his son fascinating, Franklin's behavior toward his son and wife reminded me of my father in law, narcissism ran rampant in that mind. His cruelty to the both of them is appalling.
This was a great read. I found the relationship between Franklin and his son fascinating, Franklin's behavior toward his son and wife reminded me of my father in law, narcissism ran rampant in that mind. His cruelty to the both of them is appalling.
December 9, 2023
An interesting and well written account of one of the most famous founding fathers and his impressive, albeit unknown son. This book changed how I think of Benjamin Franklin--and not for the better. Willard Sterne Randall is an excellent researcher and writer.
February 21, 2018
Long but interesting .
This book is very detailed - there is so much to know about Benjamin Franklin and the settling of America than many of us know.
This book is very detailed - there is so much to know about Benjamin Franklin and the settling of America than many of us know.
November 2, 2016
This is an enthralling book for anyone that enjoys the details of history. Although I had read books about Benjamin Franklin and the events of his life and knew that he and his son were estranged during the Revoluntionary War due to opposite positions, I never came across the whys and wherefors of that relationship. Randall does not idolize Ben Franklin in this book. Ben is not a sympathetic character. He comes across as rather narsisstic and self-indulgent. Even his position on the Revolutionary War seems to stem from the personal affronts he suffered in England from the King's agents and members of parliment that he believed thought highly of him. One wonders if this had not happened, would Ben Franklin have thought more as his son did and continue his loyalty to the King? The book is one with a different perspective--one that should be taken into consideration when determining Ben Franklin's place in history.
May 14, 2014
I had read Ben's autobiography and Edmund Morgan's book on Ben before this one, and had a totally different picture of Franklin in my mind than the one presented here, which seems the more carefully drawn out one. A rather long study, I found myself turning pages in interest initially, but like other readers getting a little anxious to finish the book about half way through. I made the effort to finish it, and I'm glad that I did so. I gained tremendous insights about the times from this book which will prove invaluable in my future historical readings of the period. Randall is a top notch historian in my book!
August 16, 2016
Alhough very interesting and well researched, the author seems to lack a certain storytelling ability that this book needs. While at times the reader can make progress, often the reader is quickly bogged down.
This book, while highly critical of Benjamin Franklin and in my opinion probably warranted for his narcissist ways and questionable morals, does an excellent job telling of William's ouster as NJ Governor and his struggle to remain in office on the verge of the 2nd Continental Congress declaring independence. Found the daily life, religious, and political struggles of Loyalists especially interesting.
This book, while highly critical of Benjamin Franklin and in my opinion probably warranted for his narcissist ways and questionable morals, does an excellent job telling of William's ouster as NJ Governor and his struggle to remain in office on the verge of the 2nd Continental Congress declaring independence. Found the daily life, religious, and political struggles of Loyalists especially interesting.
August 11, 2015
Definitely gave me a different perspective on Benjamin Franklin. While he was a great patriot, he wasn't a very nice person. His treatment of his family was abysmal.
Great insight into what it was like to be a Loyalist during the Revolution. Those who ended up on the losing side suffered some terrible hardships.
Great insight into what it was like to be a Loyalist during the Revolution. Those who ended up on the losing side suffered some terrible hardships.
January 25, 2017
Other reviews claim this was written more like a textbook, and I have to agree. However, I found the information refreshing to read in that I believe it was a more accurate picture of the times and the actions of the individuals of the time period. If you don't mind a slow read, I think you'll enjoy this story of part of our American History.
April 19, 2016
All sorts of history I've never known. A bit too detailed to be really spellbinding; well researched. A very good look at Franklin's son who only makes it into the textbooks b/c he was a Tory - and this books shows you just how loyal of a Tory he was!
December 18, 2016
Loved this book. I didn't know that Benjamin Franklin had a son, and that son was a Loyalist. This book shares the history of the American Revolution in the context of the time. there were two sides in america. it was our first Civil was.
June 3, 2011
Possibly the most engaging biography I've read. Even if you don't normally enjoy American history, this is a fantastic story.
September 2, 2016
Loved the story of Ben Franklin's son William, who was governor of NJ when the American Revolution started. Learned a great deal about Pennsylvanian politics before the American Revolution.
January 7, 2017
While it was interesting to look at Ben Franklin in from a different perspective, I felt that it was a bit too negative in describing his actions and motives for them.
July 9, 2014
Very interesting account of the father - son relationship.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews