He was the foremost American of his day, yet today he is little more than a mythic
caricature in the public imagination. Benjamin Franklin, perhaps the pivotal figure
in colonial and revolutionary America, comes vividly to life in this masterly
biography.

Wit, diplomat, scientist, philosopher, businessman, inventor, and bon vivant, Benjamin
Franklin was in every respect America.s first Renaissance man. From penniless runaway
to highly successful printer, from ardently loyal subject of Britain to architect of
an alliance with France that ensured America.s independence, Franklin went from
obscurity to become one of the world.s most admired figures, whose circle included
the likes of Voltaire, Hume, Burke, and Kant. Drawing on previously unpublished letters
and a host of other sources, acclaimed historian H. W. Brands has written a thoroughly
engaging biography of the eighteenth-century genius. A much needed reminder of
Franklin.s greatness and humanity, The First American is a work of meticulous
scholarship that provides a magnificent tour of a legendary historical figure, a vital
era in American life, and the countless arenas in which the protean Franklin left his
legacy.

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