This isn't a tale of Ben Franklin the revolutionary -- the text comes to its end long years before that -- but it does give a fascinating portrait of the man who would become one of America's founding fathers. Oh, we see hints of the trouble developing in Britain's relations with "the colonies"; and Franklin surely had dealings with the British military; but here Franklin is just coming into his own as a political figure when the tale comes to its end. But there is a wisdom, here, and a charm; and certainly a fascinating look into the everyday life of our country's pre-Revolutionary era. Even if Franklin had died after completing this text he would have left behind a powerful legacy.