Pulitzer Prize Biography Winner
Benjamin Franklin
by Carl Van Doren
Summary
Van Doren presents a full length portrait of Benjamin Franklin as printer, scientist, diplomat, and founding statesman. The biography draws on a wealth of Franklin's own writing to capture his wit, curiosity, and practical genius across a remarkably varied life. It remains a touchstone account that restored Franklin's complexity beyond the familiar image of the kite and the key.
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Historical Context & Significance
Carl Van Doren was a leading literary critic and editor whose Franklin biography is still cited among the definitive lives of the founder.