Benjamin Franklin cover

Benjamin Franklin

Rating 3.0
Word count
478K words
Chapters
48

Tags

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Benjamin Franklin by John S. C. AbbottAuthor: Abbott, John S. C. (John Stevens Cabot), 1805-1877,Language: English, Class: E300: History: America: Revolution to the Civil War (1783-1861), Release Date: Nov 5, 2009

Editor's review

This is a biography of Benjamin Franklin by the nineteenth-century American author John S. C. Abbott, reissued as a public-domain eBook by Project Gutenberg. Abbott specialized in writing biographies of historical figures for general readers, and this book continues his approach of fluent narration focused on character and the turning points of a life, linking Franklin's beginnings as a printer's apprentice, his self-education, his public service and his diplomatic career into a highly readable thread. Its value lies in offering a nineteenth-century view of Franklin: readers gain both an outline of his life and a sense of how an early biographer selected material and judged his subject. As for reading context, it suits those new to American history or biography, and English learners seeking practice with historical nonfiction. Note that the book was written long ago and reflects its author's era; it should not be treated as the only or the most current scholarly biography, and readers would do well to compare it with other sources.

Who it's for

A good fit for

  • Readers new to American history who want an overview of Franklin's life
  • Advanced English learners seeking practice with historical nonfiction
  • Readers interested in how nineteenth-century biographies were written
  • Teachers and students preparing reading material for general-education courses

Not a good fit for

  • Readers seeking the latest scholarship, annotations and critical apparatus
  • Readers who want a Chinese translation and are not comfortable with the English original
  • Readers who prefer the pace and psychological insight of contemporary biography

Reading tips

  1. Start with the table of contents to map the stages of Franklin's life, then read stage by stage and keep a timeline in your notes.
  2. Highlight the author's evaluative statements and consider how his stance relates to his choice of material.
  3. Read alongside Franklin's autobiography or encyclopedia entries to check facts and note differences in presentation.
  4. English learners: after each chapter, write a three-sentence summary in English to combine content and language practice.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

Contents

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5
  6. 6
  7. 7
  8. 8
  9. 9
  10. 10
  11. 11
  12. 12
  13. 13
  14. 14
  15. 15
  16. 16
  17. 17
  18. 18
  19. 19
  20. 20
  21. 21
  22. 22
  23. 23
  24. 24
  25. 25
  26. 26
  27. 27
  28. 28
  29. 29
  30. 30
  31. 31
  32. 32
  33. 33
  34. 34
  35. 35
  36. 36
  37. 37
  38. 38
  39. 39
  40. 40
  41. 41
  42. 42
  43. 43
  44. 44
  45. 45
  46. 46
  47. 47
  48. 48

FAQ

How does this book differ from Franklin's autobiography?
Franklin's autobiography is a first-person memoir focused on self-narration and lessons from experience; this book is a third-person biography written by Abbott in the nineteenth century, covering Franklin's whole life and including the author's judgments. Because their perspectives and sources differ, reading the two together makes the differences in biographical writing clearer.
How reliable are the historical facts in this book?
Written in the nineteenth century, this is an early popular biography. Its basic outline of Franklin's life is usable, but some details, quotations and judgments reflect the author's era and may not match current scholarship. Treat it as an introductory narrative and verify key facts against modern sources.
What level of English does the book require?
The text is nineteenth-century English with long sentences and some period vocabulary and phrasing, making it harder overall than contemporary popular writing. Upper-intermediate and advanced readers will progress more easily; beginners might start with retellings or Chinese-language material.
What is the reading experience of the electronic edition like?
Project Gutenberg public-domain eBooks are mostly plain text, simply formatted, without the illustrations, annotations or polished layout of modern editions. Use a reading app with adjustable font size and bookmarks, and keep a notebook for timelines and questions.

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About the author

John S. C. Abbott (1805–1877) was a nineteenth-century American writer of history known for popular biographies and narrative histories. Our catalog holds thirty of his works, covering subjects such as King Philip, Madame Roland, John Paul Jones, Daniel Boone: The Pioneer of Kentucky, Peter Stuyvesant, George Washington, the French Revolution, and the buccaneers of the Caribbean. He typically presented lives and their historical settings in a lively, readable style, turning history into engaging story, and he had some influence in bringing history to a general readership. His works are often grouped under inspirational and personal-growth reading, suited to readers seeking lessons from the lives of notable figures. Public information about him is limited, and details of his life and scholarly assessment require further verification.

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