The Loyal Son

“The history of loyalist William Franklin and his famous father has been told before but not as fully or as well as it is by Daniel Mark Epstein in The Loyal Son. Mr. Epstein, a biographer and poet, has done a lot of fresh research and invests his narrative with literary grace and judicious sympathy for both father and son. . . . William Franklin’s motto was ‘Pro Rege & Patria.’ Mr. Epstein’s engrossing account of his ordeal in striving to be faithful to that motto illuminates the plight of the hundreds of thousands of British Americans who remained, during the Revolution, devoted to both crown and country.”—The Wall Street Journal

 “Elegant . . . moving . . . In Epstein’s hands, the case of Benjamin and William Franklin becomes superbly illuminating.”—The New Republic

“A fully immersive experience [that] illuminates the tangled family relationships of one of the pillars of the American Revolution.”—Library Journal

“A riveting narrative about the bizarre turmoil between Benjamin Franklin and his son William. The amount of new research undertaken is deeply impressive. And the writing is elegant and always informative. Highly recommended!”—Douglas Brinkley, professor of history, Rice University, CNN presidential historian, and author of Rightful Heritage

“This poignant, absorbing portrait of Benjamin Franklin and his son William is a powerful reminder that America’s fight for independence was also an agonizing civil war, in this case pitting a father against his beloved son. In exploring Franklin’s tormented relationship with William, the royal governor of New Jersey, who remained loyal to Britain, Daniel Mark Epstein brilliantly illuminates the American Revolution’s tragic human cost.”—Lynne Olson, New York Times bestselling author of Citizens of London and Last Hope Island

“Daniel Mark Epstein has written a textured, sympathetic account of a fallen founder, William Franklin: patriot, public servant, son, and political partner of Benjamin. Epstein shows, from the inside, his ambitions, yearnings, decisions good and bad, and final, crushing failure.”—Richard Brookhiser, author of Founders’ Son

“The Loyal Son is must reading for those who want to see the American Revolution from the other side—the Tory side—and to be acquainted with Benjamin Franklin’s darker side.”—John Ferling, author of Whirlwind and Jefferson and Hamilton

“A gripping history of a family torn apart by political upheaval . . . Drawing on much unpublished correspondence as well as published works, the author constructs a fast-paced, vivid narrative with a host of characters whose appearance and personality he etches with deft concision. . . . A perceptive, gritty portrayal of the frenzy of war and a father and son caught at its tumultuous center.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)