Product Description: Famous as a scientist, statesman, philosopher, businessman, and civic leader, Benjamin Franklin was also one of the most powerful and controversial American writers of his time. He has been a subject of intense debate ever since: to Matthew Arnold, he exemplified "victorious good sense"; to D...read more

By the mid-nineteenth century, Captain John Smith, the early colonial explorer and settler, was a well-known figure in American history. The story of how, in 1607, the Powhatan princess Pocahontas saved him from execution by her tribe appeared in all the standard American histories. Numerous plays, novels, and poems were devoted to the episode. Starting in the 1860s, however, scholars began to question Smith’s published accounts of the Pocahontas incident, and a controversy ensued, with Henry Adams becoming Smith’s most famous detractor. Today many scholars continue to regard Smith as a vainglorious braggart who lied about his rescue. J. A. Leo Lemay offers the first full analysis of the historiography of this debate. Examining all of the primary and secondary evidence, he persuasively demonstrates that the incident did in fact occur. A tightly argued study, Did Pocahontas Save Captain John Smith? not only refutes the outright skeptics; it effectively reverses the prevailing judgment that the truth will never be known.

Product Description: Described as "a harmonious human multitude," Ben Franklin's life and careers were so varied and successful that he remains, even today, the epitome of the self-made man. Born into a humble tradesman's family, this adaptable genius rose to become an architect of the world's first democracy, a leading light in Enlightenment science, and a major creator of what has come to be known as the American character...read more

Product Description: Described by Carl Van Doren as "a harmonious human multitude," Benjamin Franklin was the most famous American of his time, of perhaps any time. His life and careers were so varied and successful that he remains, even today, the epitome of the self-made man...read more

Collects Benjamin Franklin's best-known writings, both personal and public, arranged by period and place, and includes scholarly notes.

A selection of writings from the philosopher, statesman, scientist, and civic leader includes articles, satires, essays, personal correspondence, letters to the press, and pamphlets.

Product Description: Named "one of the best books of 2006" by The New York SunDescribed by Carl Van Doren as "a harmonious human multitude," Benjamin Franklin was the most famous American of his time, of perhaps any time. His life and careers were so varied and successful that he remains, even today, the epitome of the self-made man...read more

(view table of contents)

Depicting Franklin as a controversial figure in his own time, this volume includes political, economic, and social pieces, scientific articles, opinions on education and religion, propaganda exercises drawn from 'Silence Dogwood,' writings from the 'Pennsylvania Gazette,' and 'Poor Richard's Almanack,' and letters (view table of contents)

Product Description: Benjamin Franklin is the model American of an America that we have created. But if we can go beyond our preconceptions of Franklin & the 1776 & 1976 image of America, we can learn something of the truth, as well as the art, of his writings...read more (view table of contents, read Amazon.com's description)