Who was Benjamin Franklin (1706–1790), the American for whom the French National Assembly declared three days of national mourning upon his death? Ernst-Christian Demisch paints an authentic picture of this remarkably versatile and influential figure in his vivid biography. At the age of 22, Franklin already founded a printing house, he invented the lightning rod among other things after many scientific experiments, and as a statesman, he shaped the political and social life of his time. Demisch's impressive descriptions also familiarize the reader with an important chapter of American, English, and French history.