Benjamin Franklin An Intimate Portrait Author:Thomas J. Fleming For many people, Benjamin Franklin remains a puzzling figure in American history. This book tells Franklin's absorbing life story. In lively and informal style, Thomas Fleming presents a well-rounded account of probably the most versatile and accomplished man of his time-his boyhood in Boston...his career as a newspaperman and writer...his scien... more »tific pursuits and inventions...his years as statesman and diplomat...through his still productive old age until his death at 84. In Benjamin Franklin, Fleming not only gives a perceptive portrait of an extraordinary man, but he provides a rare glimpse into the forces that shaped the birth of a new nation.« less