Franklin on Franklin - Book Review

By Paul M. Zall Lexington: The University Press of Kentucky, 2000. 315 pages.

Leave it to Paul M. Zall, preeminent research scholar, intellectual, and historian, to present Benjamin Franklin in an innovative style that goes beyond a simple biography. Indeed, Zall's Franklin comes to life with original writings, skillfully assembled, that give the reader a greater appreciation for the personal struggles of this great American icon.

Zall begins his work on a rather humorous note with the oft-quoted anecdote about Franklin's mother leaving church at intermission to birth him. Having reportedly returned to church immediately thereafter, Franklin was able to proudly claim that he had attended church all day the first day of his life. This sets the tone for the remainder of the book--a balance of Franklin as a person and Franklin as the better-known diplomat / statesman / scientist.

Franklin's journey, with welcome additional comments by Zall, begins with his childhood in Boston, working for his father but longing for the sea. Franklin describes in detail his contemplation regarding his time in Boston, London, and his ultimate return to Philadelphia, working as a printer and publisher. Given the zeal and attention to detail with which Franklin attacks his work, it is easy for the reader to see why Franklin set the standard of a 'work ethic' for Americans even today.

Particularly interesting is the time-frame 1731-1732 wherein Franklin establishes himself in Philadelphia as a printer and publisher. It is at this point where the reader sees Franklin's writing assume a more introspective style. The reader is introduced to Franklin's unwillingness to participate in 'frolics of any kind' and to his intellectual development, nurtured by regular meetings with Junto, the Masons, and the Library Company. Franklin notes that the library offered him the opportunity for serious study and education, one that his father always wanted for him. This transitions nicely into Franklin's discussion of his personal principles, along with the thirteen virtues he considered to be most desirable for him.

The book continues with varied writings on events such as his experimentation with electricity and his military service. The reader is then treated to a final chapter that presents a content, contemplative Franklin who demonstrates the patience and wisdom we have come to love. At this point in his life, Franklin had returned from London after a difficult journey and a tumultuous 1774. By 1787, he was serving as a delegate to the Constitutional Convention but was unable to speak due to ill health. Nonetheless, he continued his diplomatic activities including attempts to abolish slavery and influence public thought on a variety of subjects. After a life, full by any standard, Franklin died surrounded by family. His peace with what he had accomplished and what the future held for him was quite evident in one of his last writings:

   As to my domestic circumstances, they are at present as happy as I
   could wish them. I am surrounded by my offspring.... What their
   conduct may be ... I cannot foresee. I therefore enjoy among them
   the present hour, and leave the future to Providence.

Zall's treatment of his subject is primarily a descriptive account, historical in nature by definition, but with an appropriate and tastefully written amount of contextual analysis. In fact, it is Zall's comments that bind the work together, offering the reader a seamless rendering that reads exceptionally well. Clearly, Zall's biggest challenge is in the fact that Franklin's original autobiography ended some thirty years prior to his death and was plagued with logistical problems throughout. To be sure, Franklin wrote the original text in five phases beginning in 1771 and continued revising until his death. Zall meticulously pieced together passages from Franklin's private journals that reflect Franklin's conscience and intimate thoughts on a variety of subjects. Zall takes great care to preserve the purity of the original written word and the grammar and punctuation remain appropriate for Franklin's time--underscoring the authenticity and giving the work an air of warm nostalgia.

If there is 'fault' with this text, it lies only in the fact that it makes the reader want more. This book is an excellent reference for scholars, students, and the general public. Scholars and historians will appreciate Zall's painstaking efforts to present Franklin in all his splendor, from a curious youth who could not remember a time when he was unable to read, to a seasoned, intellectual statesman. Students will value the readability of the work. Additionally. the chronological layout, coupled with Zall's annotations, make the book a superb, easy-to-use reference work. Finally, the general public will be reintroduced a more human Franklin that they already know and love.

Zall's superb presentation of this man allows us to see Franklin as a human being tormented by his own indecision, temper, and intellect; as a statesman who was once accused of being a thief and a terrorist; as a famous scientist, and as a frustrated public servant. Indeed, Zall's work gives us new insight into the internal struggles of a truly great American.

Reviewed by Patrick S. Malone. American University

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