The First American: The Life and Times of Benjamin Franklin

H.W. Brands

Nov 2008 · RB Media · Narrated by Nelson Runger

About this audiobook

Historian H.W. Brands' acclaimed, comprehensive biography of Ben Franklin--the first in over 60 years--made the New York Times best-seller list, was a main selection of the Book-of-the-Month Club, and earned a Pulitzer Prize nomination. The New Yorker hails, "Like its subject, this biography is both solid and enchanting." Many consider Franklin the most fascinating American man who ever lived. A scientist, businessman, diplomat, author, inventor, philosopher and politician, he is America's original Renaissance man. His remarkable and varied accomplishments include the discovery of electricity and the modernization of the postal system. Brilliant and bawdy, a master statesman and a cultural icon, Franklin was so important and popular in his day that, according to the author, "... only Washington mattered as much." Drawing from a wealth of sources, including previously unpublished letters to and from Franklin, Brands creates an unforgettable tribute to a man for the ages. Nelson Runger's narration highlights the incredible events and fascinating personality traits that made Franklin a legend.

About the author

H.W. Brands was born Henry William Brands in Oregon. He graduated from Stanford University in 1975 with a B.A. in history, and from Jesuit High School in Portland, Oregon. He went on to earn his graduate degree in mathematics and history in Oregon and Texas. He taught at Vanderbilt University and Texas A&M University before he joined the faculty at the University of Texas at Austin. He acquired the title of Dickson Allen Anderson Centennial Professor of History at the U of Texas. He specializes in American History and politics, with books including Traitor to His Class, Andrew Jackson, The Age of Gold, the First American, and TR. Several of his books have been best sellers, including one recently published, The General vs. the President. Two of them - Traitor to His Class and The First American were finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. He lectures often on historical and current events and he can be seen and heard on national television and radio programs.