From the most respected chronicler of the early days of the Republic—and winner of both the Pulitzer and Bancroft prizes—comes a landmark work that rescues Benjamin Franklin from a mythology that has blinded generations of Americans to the man he really was and makes sense of aspects of his life and career that would have otherwise remained mysterious. In place of the genial polymath, self-improver, and quintessential American, Gordon S. Wood reveals a figure much more ambiguous and complex—and much more interesting. Charting the passage of Franklin’s life and reputation from relative popular indifference (his death, while the occasion for mass mourning in France, was widely ignored in America) to posthumous glory, The Americanization of Benjamin Franklin sheds invaluable light on the emergence of our country’s idea of itself.From Publishers WeeklyEminent revolutionary historian Wood illuminates the life and times of perhaps our nation's most symbolic yet enigmatic forefather. Born of modest roots, Benjamin Franklin displayed from an early age a sharp mind and a literary gift, which served him as he went on to amass a small fortune, mostly as a printer, and to emerge as a civic leader. Wood, who won a Pulitzer Prize in 1993 for The Radicalism of the American Revolution, shows how Franklin's skills and charm enabled him to complete the remarkable transition from humble beginnings to gentlemanly status, occupying his later years with scientific experiments, philosophy and statesmanship. Wood also introduces us to Franklin the loyal British subject, who could scarcely conceive of a colonial government independent of the British, yet, in 1776, at the age of 70, came to play a key role in the Revolution. He secured the help of the French, who in turn helped ultimately to define Franklin as the "symbolic American." This is not a comprehensive biography. Instead, Wood's purpose is to supplant our common knowledge of Franklin as the iconic, folksy author of Poor Richard's Almanac with a different, richer portrait, a look at how a man "not even destined to be an American" became, paradoxically, the "symbol of America." What emerges is a fascinating portrait of Franklin, not only as a forefather but as a man. Illus. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From School Library JournalAdult/High School - This fascinating account provides a vivid picture of an extraordinary man adapting to changing times. Franklin was an intensely loyal British subject who looked forward to the time when he would take an active role in Britain's imperial schemes. His unshaken faith that the monarchy would inevitably behave fairly to the colonists blinded him to the growth of an increasingly powerful anti-British sentiment. Wood shows how Franklin was often completely out of touch with public opinion. At his death, America's brief, perfunctory eulogies sharply contrasted with the national mourning for him in France. In the 19th century, Franklin was rediscovered as the homespun philosopher, a simple man most noteworthy for his emphasis on self-improvement and industry. He was far more, as readers will discover. Black-and-white illustrations are included. - Kathy Tewell, Chantilly Regional Library, VA Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Views: 54
"The Sparkling-Eyed Boy is so full of color and light and life." — Brad Land, author of GoatThe theme of summer love, in Amy Benson's hands, grows up: The Sparkling-Eyed Boy searches out the fault lines of adult nostalgia and desire. The achingly intense adolescent summer days that Amy Benson and the sparkling-eyed boy spend together on the remote shores of the St. Mary's River of Michigan's Upper Peninsula are at the complex emotional center of The Sparkling-Eyed Boy. For her, summers meant returning from her home in Detroit to a three-month idyll on much-loved family land, owned for generations, and to a heady culture of teasing, testing local boys. For him, this land is the place he was born, where he'll later find work, marry, and stay: and she was the one he had loved."Can you pinpoint that moment? When you made a choice before you even knew that choosing was possible, or the terrifying nature of choices?" The Sparkling-Eyed Boy, with its heart-stoppingly... Views: 54
Deputy District Attorney Samantha Kincaid likes to be where the action is: at the scene of a crime, at the arrest of a suspect, with the cops on the Major Crimes Team. But when street smart, plugged-in reporter Percy Crenshaw is brutally murdered in the midst of pursuing a major story, she knows the stakes are high...Within days, cops have a suspect; then a confession. Yet Samantha suspects that something is very wrong, and her concerns keep coming back to the police. The cop who got the confession used tough tactics. The murdered reporter was romantically linked to a cop's wife. And all of the cops she's concerned about are close to her live-in boyfriend, Detective Chuck Forbes.Forced to prosecute a case in which the defendant may be an innocent man, Samantha must tread carefully to uncover the truth about Percy's murder — without tearing her career, her home life, and the city apart. But just when she thinks her job can't get any more... Views: 54
Reynolds Price, one of America's most distinguished and honored writers, has produced such masterpieces as Noble Norfleet, Roxanna Slade, and Kate Vaiden, winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award. Now in The Good Priest's Son, his fourteenth novel and thirty-sixth book, Price gives us another penetrating study — full-length portraits of five arresting characters.On September 11, 2001, Mabry Kincaid — a fiftyish art conservator — is flying home after a much-needed rest in Rome and Paris. Halfway across the Atlantic, his plane is diverted from New York to Nova Scotia. Two days later, when the United States has recovered sufficiently from the attack on the World Trade Center, Mabry discovers that his downtown New York loft is uninhabitable. He flies south to North Carolina instead to visit his aged father. A widowed Episcopal priest, Tasker Kincaid has been injured in a recent fall and is cared for by live-in Audrey Thornton, an... Views: 54
When a dead body is found in a very public part of London, Detective Laura Foster finds herself tackling a murder investigation that pushes her to the brink - especially when the body turns out to be a patchwork figure made up of several different victims. Just as the investigation is shifting into gear, however, Laura faces another challenge: Ophelia is back, one year after she disappeared. Views: 54
In their quest for cellulite reduction and a sexy self-image, Ellie Simpson, a Dublin nanny, and her three best friends—Maggie, a secretary; Pam, a divorced mother of two; and Toni, a nurse—have tried them all: Atkins, Weight Watchers, South Beach, Cabbage Soup . . . even the Avocado and Rice Krispies Gut-Cleansing Regime! But losing a paltry five pounds seems as difficult for them as finding lasting love, so they decide to form the WWW (Women Watching Weight) Club. Once a week they meet to talk sex, spider veins, and the grim digestive realities of the latest diet craze, while freely indulging in wine, beer, and calorie-packed takeout without the slightest trace of guilt (vowing after their weekly weigh-in to start their diets again tomorrow).But when the women of the WWW Club agree that the first member to lose seven pounds will win a date set up by the other three, Ellie finds herself facing a dilemma—torn between her loyalty to her best friends and her... Views: 54
Dave Hart is back. His wife has left him. He's tried to kill his boss. He's probably going to lose his job. His annual bonus was embarrassingly small. Could life get any worse for Dave Hart, anti-hero of the investment banking world? Following an unlikely turn of events on a Jamaican beach, Dave finds himself catapulted from zero to hero through the magic of the tabloid press. He's soon strutting into ailing German bank Grossbank, determined to shake up its fusty 'old school' banking and start taking some proper risks. And some drugs. And of course plenty of entertainment at the Pussy Cat Club. After all, we all need to wind down and investment bankers are more wound up than most. Trust Me, I'm a Banker is a brutal, sometimes cynical, but always hilarious take on the world of high finance which will delight fans and new readers alike. Views: 54
An American traveler in India chances upon an old storyteller, who joins him on his pilgrimage to the top of a holy hill and along the way shares the authentic flavor of India through stories of courtesans and kings, holy men and thieves, talking animals, and mythical lands. Many of them are translated here by Glucklich for the first time from the ancient Sanskrit. Views: 54
An ancient evil. An unholy alliance. An eternal love. William Dark is a monster-a vampire who feeds on blood and fear. He is exactly what Savannah Daniels needs. A year ago, Savannah's twin brother and his wife were brutally murdered. Savannah swore a vow of vengeance against the man, the beast, that killed him. A beast that is now after her. Savannah needs William's help in order to keep her vow. She must convince him to transform her, to give her the kiss of the vampire, so that she will be strong enough to defeat the killer that is on her trail. Savannah and William enter into an unholy alliance: He will transform her and see that she receives her justice. In return, she must be his companion, his mate, for eternity. But Savannah soon realizes that there is more at stake than just her life. Because once she tastes William's kiss, she knows that she may be in jeopardy of losing her heart as well. And she will have to put all of her trust, all of her faith, into the hands of a man who lost his soul centuries ago. Views: 54
