Due to its length (a staggering 700 pages), this is not a must-read but it certainly is a great read!

Examining the life of Ben Franklin, the book reads more like a historical novel than a biography.  It’s engaging from the very first paragraph—I only found my mind wandering a couple times throughout the entire book—which is impressive considering all of the historical details Brands had to wade through.

Brands does a great job of stirring curiosity and educating the reader while orienting Franklin and his challenges and accomplishments in this tumultuous era.  What I enjoyed most about this book was that Brands neither whitewashes Franklin’s life to make him a saint nor makes assumptions about unknowable rumors.  Franklin’s life needs neither, as it was sensational, dramatic, intriguing, surprising and inspiring all on its own; Brands revealed the man and let Franklin’s life tell the story. What else can you ask from a good bio?