Franklin & Washington

November 15, 2019
The latest addition to the relatively new genre of dual biographies of Founding Fathers. Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Larson (History and Law/Pepperdine Univ.; To the Edges of the Earth: 1909, the Race for the Three Poles, and the Climax of the Age of Exploration, 2018) writes that both Benjamin Franklin and George Washington rose to prominence in the 1750s during the French and Indian War. Already in his 50s, Franklin had grown wealthy in the printing business, retired to make a worldwide reputation as a scientist, and become a power in Pennsylvania politics. Three decades younger, Washington used family connections to obtain a Virginia military command. More through luck and self-promotion than competence, he became a nationally known military figure. During this period, the two met in Philadelphia several times and exchanged letters relating to the war. There followed nearly 20 years apart. Sent to England in 1757 to represent Pennsylvania's and then the Colonies' interests, Franklin traveled back and forth until 1775. Washington married a rich widow, became a wealthy planter, and served in the Virginia House of Burgesses. Franklin returned to join the second Continental Congress in May 1775. During the six weeks before Washington left to command the army, they worked together, but details are scant. Franklin sailed to France, where he remained until 1785, lobbying for French aid. He and Washington exchanged a few letters. Their closest interactions came during the 1787 Constitutional Convention where they (with James Madison) were the most influential figures. Larson's Washington is not the traditional passive father figure but rather an energetic proponent of a strong presidency. Franklin believed the final product gave the president too much power, but he supported it anyway. Despite Larson's efforts, few readers will fail to note that the pair were never a close-knit team (à la Washington/Hamilton or Jefferson/Madison) or rivals (à la Jefferson/Adams or Jefferson/Hamilton) but national icons who knew and respected each other. To call them partners is a stretch. Few original insights but fine biographies.

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January 20, 2020
Pepperdine University history professor Larson (To the Edges of the Earth) offers a lean and accessible dual biography of “the two indispensable authors of American independence”: Benjamin Franklin and George Washington. He traces their “close bond” to the French and Indian War, when they served as colonels in the Pennsylvania and Virginia militias, respectively, and met to discuss securing the frontier against hostile forces. According to Larson, “despite the war’s ultimate outcome,” both men learned that “the British were beatable in New World combat.” Dispatched to London in 1757 to represent Pennsylvania’s interests to Parliament, Franklin spent 15 of the next 17 years abroad, while Washington took on a “rising role” in Virginia’s House of Burgesses. Larson disputes the “simplistic” notion that Franklin and Washington were “reluctant revolutionaries” at the Second Continental Congress in 1775, and chronicles their complementary roles during the Revolutionary War and their collaboration on the Constitution. He contends that their only significant difference of opinion was over the issue of slavery. Though Larson draws on correspondence between his subjects, the book suffers somewhat from a lack of drama and intimacy—Washington and Franklin were only in the same place a handful of times. Nevertheless, colonial history buffs will appreciate this focused perspective on how the two founding fathers worked together.

Starred review from December 15, 2019
Although separated in age by nearly a generation, George Washington and Benjamin Franklin each contributed mightily to the success of the war against the British Crown, and each profoundly shaped the new nation at its 1787 Constitutional Convention. Prize-winning historian Larson (To the Edges of the Earth, 2018) brings together the lives of these titans, showing how their backgrounds and joint interests made them ideal partners. Although from different colonies, Franklin from a free state and Washington himself a slave owner, their experiences in the French and Indian War made them realize the importance of intercolonial cooperation. Franklin's diplomatic efforts carried him often to London and Paris, while Washington stayed home to manage his own affairs and to engage in the Virginia House of Burgesses and then lead the Colonial Army to victory. But both recognized the need for a strong central government to protect hard-won freedoms, and both commanded unwavering respect from fractious Constitutional Convention delegates. Students of American Revolutionary history and the birth of the Republic will find here an inspired approach for considering the lives and legacies of these two founding fathers.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2020

Benjamin Franklin and George Washington were pivotal leaders of America's journey to independence and the creation of a republic. Their association spanned three decades, from 1756 to the constitutional convention of 1787. They represented two powerful colonies; Franklin for Pennsylvania and Washington for Virginia. Each became renowned beyond the boundaries of their homes, as they shared qualities of temperament: patience, judgment, curiosity. Their talents and skills lay in different areas, but complemented each other. Neither was born into wealth, but their contributions in their time were consequential centuries after their deaths. Larson's (history, Pepperdine Univ.; Summer for the Gods) dual biography does not convey a close friendship, but tells a tale of an associative partnership which occurred at intervals during those three decades, whenever significant events of colonial or national consequence required their involvement. VERDICT A well-written account for readers interested in two key figures of the American Revolution. Based on primary and secondary sources, this well-researched work tells the story of a significant relationship of the era.--Glen Edward Taul, formerly with Campbellsville Univ., KY

Copyright 2020 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2019

In this two-for-one study, Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Larson (Summer for the Gods) highlights the importance of the relationship between Founding Fathers Benjamin Franklin and George Washington. His argument: neither could have triumphed without the other, with Franklin's diplomacy facilitating Washington's success on the battlefield and in office, and Washington's career giving Franklin a leg up in the diplomatic world. With a 150,000-copy first printing.

Copyright 2019 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.