The Franklin Stove

An Unintended American Revolution
The surprising story of Benjamin Franklin’s most famous invention - and a new take on the Founding Father we thought we knew.
The biggest revolution in Benjamin Franklin’s lifetime was made to fit inside a fireplace. Assembled from iron plates like a piece of flat-pack furniture, the Franklin stove became one of the most famous consumer products of its era, spreading from Pennsylvania to England, Italy, and beyond. It was more than just a material object, however - it was also a hypothesis. Franklin was proposing that, armed with science, he could invent his way out of a climate crisis: a period of global cooling known as the Little Ice Age, when unusually bitter winters brought life to a standstill. And he conceived of his invention as equal parts appliance and scientific instrument - one that, by modifying how heat and air moved through indoor spaces, might be able to reveal the workings of the atmosphere outside and explain why it seemed to be changing.Joyce E. Chaplin’s The Franklin Stove is the story of this singular invention, and a revelatory new look at the Founding Father we thought we knew. We follow Franklin as he promotes his stove in England and France, takes measurements of the jet stream, and spars with proponents of the theory that clearcutting shade trees would lead to warmer winters. As the story of the Franklin stove shows, it’s not so easy to engineer our way out of a climate crisis; with this book, Chaplin reveals how that challenge is as old as the United States itself.

UK Delivery:

• Free delivery on all orders of £10 or more.
• £1.49 delivery fee on orders below £10.
• UK orders are shipped via Royal Mail 2nd Class.

International Delivery:

• Flat rate delivery charges vary by country.

Dispatch and Delivery Times:

• All orders are shipped from our warehouse in Northampton, UK within 48 hours of receipt during working hours.
• UK mainland orders typically arrive within 3-5 working days via Royal Mail 2nd Class.
• International estimated delivery times:
• Europe & Channel Islands: 7 to 10 working days
• USA: 7 to 15 working days
• Rest of the World: 9 to 21 working days

View our full delivery infomation here.