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Rating: 
Summary: A masterful and overlooked book...
Review: Being anxious to read more about Ben Franklin after finishing Walter Isaacson's new biography, I picked up A Little Revenge by Willard Sterne Randall. I was floored by this fabulous account of the complex relationship between Benjamin Franklin and his illegitimate son, William. Ben was one of the true geniuses of the 18th century. He was statesman, lobbyist, peacemaker, writer, printer, inventor, scientist and above all, a staunch patriot. Unfortunately, all great men have their flaws and Franklin's was in his treatment of his wife and family. William was born before Ben married, and common-in-law wife Deborah raised William as her own. Randall details how father and son came to be so totally different in almost all aspects of life. Ben lived a more simple life, while William liked the trappings of high society. They had different tastes, different upbringings, different education, different religious beliefs and most importantly, differing political views. Ben believed in the sanctity of the middle class. William believed in high society, and his classical English education in the law led him to the position of Royal Governor of New Jersey. It was this fact that proved to be the wedge that drove father and son apart irrevocably. In many respects, Benjamin was an odd father. While William was still a schoolboy, Benjamin took him to tour England and Scotland. Ben kept a ledger of every penny he spent on William for clothes, food and lodging, and considered these expenses a loan. When William went back to New Jersey to assume his position of Royal Governor, years went by without any communication from Ben. Ben often treated his surrogate English family with more care and concern than his wife and children. Ben also seemed to be unexcited and perhaps even jealous of William's accomplishments. Father disapproved of William's girlfriends, didn't want him to get married, and left England in a rush to avoid his wedding and the ceremony appointing William governor. When William had an illegitimate son of his own, Ben and William fought over the child's upbringing, custody, education and even his affections (Benjamin usually won). Benjamin liked to maintain some control over William-even as an adult, and usually did it by controlling the purse strings. William liked to live beyond his means and was constantly borrowing money from his father. Father and son found themselves on opposite sides of the war for independence. After the war, Benjamin forgave his many English friends and resumed his relationships with them. He never forgave his son. This book is especially strong in giving details about the French and Indian War, and the period before and during the Revolution. In fact, I found this book much more informative than Isaacson's critically acclaimed Ben Franklin biography in these areas. What made this book even more fascinating for me (and thrilling to read) is that many of the major scenes take place in Burlington, NJ-then the capital of West Jersey. William built a governor's mansion here and the Assembly met here. I work in Burlington and even worship in the same church (St. Mary's Church, now 301 years old) as William Franklin. It is hard to believe that this small little pre-Revolutionary town played such a huge role in the founding of our nation. Randall describes a scene from December 1775. William called the NJ Assembly together in Burlington to try and get them to broker a separate peace with Britain, and to break the back of the Continental Congress. The rebels sent Sam Adams, George Wythe and John Jay to argue (and win) their case. The image of these three giants of the Revolution traveling to Burlington is exciting to contemplate. Also, we discover that William has often been maligned throughout history. He find that he was an intelligent and fair man, and a fairly decent governor. The fact that he was the last Royal Governor in the colonies probably had something to do with his leadership abilities. It is just unfortunate that his blind loyalty to the crown kept him from siding with the rebels, and ultimately led to his imprisonment, the death of his wife, and his exile to England. All in all, I think that Randall's work is masterful, and I enjoyed it even more than Walter Isaacson's Ben Franklin: An American Life. The only thing that would have made it more enjoyable to me is some pictures of the important characters in this story, pictures or photos of some of the locations, and maybe even a map of the many places that were mentioned. But don't let these minor problems detract from this wonderful book.
Rating:
Summary: A masterful and overlooked book...
Review: Being anxious to read more about Ben Franklin after finishing Walter Isaacson's new biography, I picked up A Little Revenge by Willard Sterne Randall. I was floored by this fabulous account of the complex relationship between Benjamin Franklin and his illegitimate son, William. Ben was one of the true geniuses of the 18th century. He was statesman, lobbyist, peacemaker, writer, printer, inventor, scientist and above all, a staunch patriot. Unfortunately, all great men have their flaws and Franklin's was in his treatment of his wife and family. William was born before Ben married, and common-in-law wife Deborah raised William as her own. Randall details how father and son came to be so totally different in almost all aspects of life. Ben lived a more simple life, while William liked the trappings of high society. They had different tastes, different upbringings, different education, different religious beliefs and most importantly, differing political views. Ben believed in the sanctity of the middle class. William believed in high society, and his classical English education in the law led him to the position of Royal Governor of New Jersey. It was this fact that proved to be the wedge that drove father and son apart irrevocably. In many respects, Benjamin was an odd father. While William was still a schoolboy, Benjamin took him to tour England and Scotland. Ben kept a ledger of every penny he spent on William for clothes, food and lodging, and considered these expenses a loan. When William went back to New Jersey to assume his position of Royal Governor, years went by without any communication from Ben. Ben often treated his surrogate English family with more care and concern than his wife and children. Ben also seemed to be unexcited and perhaps even jealous of William's accomplishments. Father disapproved of William's girlfriends, didn't want him to get married, and left England in a rush to avoid his wedding and the ceremony appointing William governor. When William had an illegitimate son of his own, Ben and William fought over the child's upbringing, custody, education and even his affections (Benjamin usually won). Benjamin liked to maintain some control over William-even as an adult, and usually did it by controlling the purse strings. William liked to live beyond his means and was constantly borrowing money from his father. Father and son found themselves on opposite sides of the war for independence. After the war, Benjamin forgave his many English friends and resumed his relationships with them. He never forgave his son. This book is especially strong in giving details about the French and Indian War, and the period before and during the Revolution. In fact, I found this book much more informative than Isaacson's critically acclaimed Ben Franklin biography in these areas. What made this book even more fascinating for me (and thrilling to read) is that many of the major scenes take place in Burlington, NJ-then the capital of West Jersey. William built a governor's mansion here and the Assembly met here. I work in Burlington and even worship in the same church (St. Mary's Church, now 301 years old) as William Franklin. It is hard to believe that this small little pre-Revolutionary town played such a huge role in the founding of our nation. Randall describes a scene from December 1775. William called the NJ Assembly together in Burlington to try and get them to broker a separate peace with Britain, and to break the back of the Continental Congress. The rebels sent Sam Adams, George Wythe and John Jay to argue (and win) their case. The image of these three giants of the Revolution traveling to Burlington is exciting to contemplate. Also, we discover that William has often been maligned throughout history. He find that he was an intelligent and fair man, and a fairly decent governor. The fact that he was the last Royal Governor in the colonies probably had something to do with his leadership abilities. It is just unfortunate that his blind loyalty to the crown kept him from siding with the rebels, and ultimately led to his imprisonment, the death of his wife, and his exile to England. All in all, I think that Randall's work is masterful, and I enjoyed it even more than Walter Isaacson's Ben Franklin: An American Life. The only thing that would have made it more enjoyable to me is some pictures of the important characters in this story, pictures or photos of some of the locations, and maybe even a map of the many places that were mentioned. But don't let these minor problems detract from this wonderful book.
Rating:
Summary: Eye-opening and thought provoking
Review: I enjoyed this book tremendously. It destroyed a lot of previously held ideas and images I had of Benjamin Franklin, and often made me feel as if I were right there, at that time, observing all of the political infighting that went on between our forefathers.
Rating:
Summary: The best dual-bio ever written
Review: Mr. Randall paints a vivid picture about the cost of success in colonial times, dipicting the struggle of a young William to step out of his esteemed father's shadow. Mr. Randall gives the reader a peek into a era of american history that not only tore apart a future nation but many families as well, and allows them to see both points of view of the loyalist vs patriot battle. This book is a MUST!!!! for all history buffs, my only regret is not getting a hardcover, because this book should be the anchor for everyones collection
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