Overwhelmed. That's the chief emotion from reading Randy Petersen's book The Printer and the Preacher, a detailed double biography about Benjamin Franklin and George Whitefield. The research is astounding and the Notes, Appendix, and Bibliography indicate the in-depth quality of Petersen's writing.
For anyone who's a fan of American history, this is the book for you, especially books with a Christian slant. Personally, though, I suffered from an information overload. I'd have preferred the book to focus on certain aspects of Franklin's and Whitefield's lives rather than tell me everything. As I said, overwhelmed.
I give a hat-tip to Petersen's enthusiasm and skill in writing. He's done his homework, but at times it
reads more like an encyclopedia. And one editorial mistake is evident with an inaccurate date about the Salem witch trials, but an obvious one, which can be overlooked.
Overall, an impressive read, but for me a bit over the top.
(i received this book free to review from booklookbloggers)
