I had known of Franklin's Autobiography but hadn't read it till now. Wow!!! The man comes to life as the "first" american, in his own words With no powerful family, wealth or particular advantage he embodies the essence of America. Here ability and determination with more than a dash of brilliance might carry a runaway apprentice from Boston far. And so it did. What a life, lived to the full. I can not recommend the book too highly! The narrator captures the "feel" of an old man looking back at a remarkable life lived in remarkable times. The image of the young Franklin arrived in Philadelphia with several loaves of bread tucked under his arms, a bit bedraggled but full of optimism for the man he was determined to become is an american story of the "first" american. Printer, Scientist, Politician, Soldier, Diplomat, Benefactor, Statesman. That young boy with his loaves of bread would dine with a king one day!