Benjamin Franklin: An American Life (AAL) is a biography of Benjamin Franklin written by Walter Isaacson. A Great Improvisation (AGI) is not a biography of Benjamin Franklin, but is a closer look into Benjamin Franklin’s involvement in the 1778 Franco-American Alliance. This topic was covered in AAL, so I shall compare AGI with the parts of AAL regarding the Franco-American Alliance of 1778. One of the most important things to review whilst comparing different sources for the same topic in history is the background of the author. AAL was written by Walter Isaacson, a famous biographer worth $5 million. Isaacson comes from a wealthy family and attended Harvard. The Author of AGI is Stacy Schiff, a biographer and historian who won the Pulitzer Prize and attended a private liberal arts college, Williams College. Both authors wrote their books for different reasons and with
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Stacy Schiff will often show Franklin in an unflattering light, remaining unbiased yet honest. One major way in which Isaacson breaks his mostly unbiased viewpoint is in Benjamin Franklin’s master powers of manipulation and aura. He made himself seem as though he was an old sage, whilst in France. His trademark racoon hat soon became a fad in France, and people loved the Franklin they thought they knew. Isaacson portrays this in a way that shows it as a talent, whereas Schiff shows it as manipulative and not moral. Schiff does, however, note its use in Franklin’s foreign affairs, and explains how it made him a good emissary. Both Isaacson and Schiff detail Franklin ignoring his wife and flirting with other women whilst in France. Isaacson explains that this was normal for Franklin; he often would exchange flirtatious letters with various women. Neither author says anything bad about it, both remaining
Stacy Schiff will often show Franklin in an unflattering light, remaining unbiased yet honest. One major way in which Isaacson breaks his mostly unbiased viewpoint is in Benjamin Franklin’s master powers of manipulation and aura. He made himself seem as though he was an old sage, whilst in France. His trademark racoon hat soon became a fad in France, and people loved the Franklin they thought they knew. Isaacson portrays this in a way that shows it as a talent, whereas Schiff shows it as manipulative and not moral. Schiff does, however, note its use in Franklin’s foreign affairs, and explains how it made him a good emissary. Both Isaacson and Schiff detail Franklin ignoring his wife and flirting with other women whilst in France. Isaacson explains that this was normal for Franklin; he often would exchange flirtatious letters with various women. Neither author says anything bad about it, both remaining