Benjamin Franklin: An American LifeSimon and Schuster, 31.07.2003 - 608 Seiten In this authoritative and engrossing full-scale biography, Walter Isaacson, bestselling author of Einstein and Steve Jobs, shows how the most fascinating of America's founders helped define our national character. Benjamin Franklin is the founding father who winks at us, the one who seems made of flesh rather than marble. In a sweeping narrative that follows Franklin’s life from Boston to Philadelphia to London and Paris and back, Walter Isaacson chronicles the adventures of the runaway apprentice who became, over the course of his eighty-four-year life, America’s best writer, inventor, media baron, scientist, diplomat, and business strategist, as well as one of its most practical and ingenious political leaders. He explores the wit behind Poor Richard’s Almanac and the wisdom behind the Declaration of Independence, the new nation’s alliance with France, the treaty that ended the Revolution, and the compromises that created a near-perfect Constitution. In this colorful and intimate narrative, Isaacson provides the full sweep of Franklin’s amazing life, showing how he helped to forge the American national identity and why he has a particular resonance in the twenty-first century. |
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Seite 1
... young man, then seen through the eyes of his older self, and then through the memories later recounted by his wife. It's all topped off with the old man's deft little affirmation—“as I certainly did”—in which his self-deprecation barely ...
... young man, then seen through the eyes of his older self, and then through the memories later recounted by his wife. It's all topped off with the old man's deft little affirmation—“as I certainly did”—in which his self-deprecation barely ...
Seite 2
... young printer in Philadelphia, he carted rolls of paper through the streets to give the appearance of being industrious. As an old diplomat in France, he wore a fur cap to portray the role of backwoods sage. In between, he created an ...
... young printer in Philadelphia, he carted rolls of paper through the streets to give the appearance of being industrious. As an old diplomat in France, he wore a fur cap to portray the role of backwoods sage. In between, he created an ...
Seite 7
... young man, he built from scratch a clock that worked throughout his life. Like his father and grandfather, he became a blacksmith, but in small English villages the smith took on a variety of tasks. According to a nephew, he “also ...
... young man, he built from scratch a clock that worked throughout his life. Like his father and grandfather, he became a blacksmith, but in small English villages the smith took on a variety of tasks. According to a nephew, he “also ...
Seite 13
... family of John Folger, including his 18-year-old son Peter, sailed for Boston in 1635, when the town was a mere five years old. On the voyage over, Peter met a young servant girl Pilgrim's Progress: Boston, 1706–1723 13.
... family of John Folger, including his 18-year-old son Peter, sailed for Boston in 1635, when the town was a mere five years old. On the voyage over, Peter met a young servant girl Pilgrim's Progress: Boston, 1706–1723 13.
Seite 14
An American Life Walter Isaacson. On the voyage over, Peter met a young servant girl named Mary Morrill, who was indentured to one of the Puritan ministers aboard. After their arrival, Peter was able to buy her freedom for £20 and take ...
An American Life Walter Isaacson. On the voyage over, Peter met a young servant girl named Mary Morrill, who was indentured to one of the Puritan ministers aboard. After their arrival, Peter was able to buy her freedom for £20 and take ...
Inhalt
1 | |
5 | |
36 | |
52 | |
Philadelphia 17311748 | 102 |
Philadelphia 17441751 | 129 |
Philadelphia 17491756 | 146 |
London 17571762 | 175 |
Paris 17781785 | 382 |
Philadelphia 17851790 | 436 |
Chapter Seventeen Epilogue | 471 |
Chapter Eighteen Conclusions | 476 |
Cast of Characters | 495 |
Chronology | 503 |
Currency Conversions | 507 |
Acknowledgments | 509 |
Philadelphia 17631764 | 206 |
London 17651770 | 219 |
London 17711775 | 252 |
Philadelphia 17751776 | 290 |
Paris 17761778 | 325 |
Paris 17781785 | 350 |
Sources and Abbreviations | 513 |
Notes | 519 |
Index | 567 |
About the Author | 591 |
A Note on Type | 593 |
Andere Ausgaben - Alle anzeigen
Häufige Begriffe und Wortgruppen
American amused arrived Arthur Lee Assembly Autobiography Bache Bancroft became began Benjamin Franklin Benny BF to DF Boston Bradford Brands Britain British Collinson colonies Congress Cotton Mather daughter Deborah declared deism Doren Edward Bancroft electricity England essay father France France’s Frank Franklin wrote French Gazette governor helped Helvétius Indians James Jefferson John Adams Joseph Galloway Josiah July June Keimer king later Lemay letter live London Lopez Private Lord Madame Brillon Madame Helvétius married ment minister moral negotiations never noted Papers Paris Parliament Passy Paxton Boys peace Penn Pennsylvania Philadelphia Philosophical political Polly Poor Richard printer printing proposed Proprietors published Puritan Richard Bache Sally sent Sept Silas Deane Society Stamp Act Strahan taxes Temple Thomas Thomas Cushing Thomas Penn tion Vergennes virtue wife William writing Yale York young
Beliebte Passagen
Seite 490 - The Body Of Benjamin Franklin, Printer, (Like the cover of an old book, Its contents torn out, And stript of its lettering and gilding,) Lies here, food for worms. But the work shall not be lost, For it will, as he believed, appear once more, In a new and more elegant edition, Revised and corrected By THE AUTHOR.
Seite 478 - I have said he, often and often in the course of the Session, and the vicissitudes of my hopes and fears as to its issue, looked at that behind the President without being able to tell whether it was rising or setting: But now at length I have the happiness to know that it is a rising and not a setting Sun.
Seite 5 - Thus I went up Market Street as far as Fourth Street, passing by the door of Mr. Read, my future wife's father; when she, standing at the door, saw me, and thought I made, as I certainly did, a most awkward, ridiculous appearance.
Seite 316 - MR. STRAHAN, You are a member of parliament, and one of that majority which has doomed my country to destruction. — You have begun to burn our towns, and murder our people. — Look upon your hands! — They are stained with the blood of your relations ! — You and I were long friends: — You are now my enemy, — and I am • Yours, B. FRANKLIN.
Seite 478 - I doubt, too, whether any other convention we can obtain may be able to make a better Constitution. For when you assemble a number of men to have the advantage of their joint wisdom you inevitably assemble with those men all their prejudices, their passions, their errors of opinion, their local interests, and their selfish views.
Seite 114 - I happened soon after to attend one of his sermons, in the course of which I perceived he intended to finish with a collection, and I silently resolved he should get nothing from me. I had in my pocket a handful of copper money, three or four silver dollars, and five pistoles in gold. As he proceeded I began tc soften, and concluded to give the copper.
Seite 443 - I wish the bald eagle had not been chosen as the representative of our country; he is a bird of bad moral character; he does not get his living honestly...
Seite 40 - I recollected that, when the fish were opened, I saw smaller fish taken out of their stomachs ; then thought I, " If you eat one another, I don't see why we mayn't eat you.
Seite 333 - Hatter, makes and sells hats for ready money,' with a figure of a hat subjoined ; but he thought he would submit it to his friends for their amendments. The first he showed it to thought the word ' Hatter ' tautologous, because followed by the words ' makes hats,
Seite 478 - On the whole, sir, I cannot help expressing a wish that every member of the Convention who may still have objections to it would, with me, on this occasion doubt a little of his own infallibility and, to make manifest our unanimity, put his name to this instrument.