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  • The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin

  • By: Benjamin Franklin
  • Narrated by: Walter Covell
  • Length: 6 hrs and 29 mins
  • 4.1 out of 5 stars (18 ratings)
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The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin

By: Benjamin Franklin
Narrated by: Walter Covell
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Editor reviews

Benjamin Franklin is widely hailed as one of the first great Americans: an inventor, publisher, scientist, and diplomat. In his 1791 autobiography, readers are invited to meet the man behind the legend.

Composed between 1771 and 1790, The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin begins as a letter from Franklin, at age 65, to his son William. This form gives the book an intimate tone as Franklin recounts family stories and his apprenticeship as a printer. In later sections, he discusses his plans for a public library and his experiments with electricity.

Narrator Walter Covell, using a mid-Atlantic accent appropriate to 18th-century American English, breathes life into this generous, eclectic autobiography.

Summary

Benjamin Franklin's wide range of activities and interests opened the doors of the world to him. Printer, inventor, philosopher, ambassador, champion of liberty - his influence has been felt by every American generation.

At one time, Franklin was appointed postmaster of Philadelphia and succeeded in making a profit out of it. He organized the citizenry to pave and light the streets, started a fire brigade and a fire insurance company, founded a lending library, helped build a hospital, and got and academy underway that later became the University of Pennsylvania.

And to everything he touched, including this autobiography, Franklin brought originality and wit.
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Critic reviews

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin is a document essential to any understanding of the famous American philosopher and statesman. It is one of the best-known American books and has been much admired in all parts of the world." ( Masterworks of Autobiography)

What listeners say about The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin

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Account of the life of an extraordinary individual

I was interested to read this book because I heard about how this self educated man set out on a quest of self improvement and improvement of the lives of the people around. I wanted to know more about him, his background and how he became involved in such a multitude of diverse interests over the course of his life.
For the most part I was able to keep up with this book, particularly Parts 1& 2. I could follow the narration well enough and the story. 4*

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Essential Listening

Really enjoyed this, very easy to listen to, like taking a journey back in time.
Ended a little abruptly though, would like to delve futher into another Franklin bio.

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