A volume of Thomas Paine's most essential works, showcasing one of
American history's most eloquent proponents of democracy.
Upon publication, Thomas Paine's modest pamphlet Common Sense shocked
and spurred the foundling American colonies of 1776 to action. It
demanded freedom from Britain--when even the most fervent patriots were
only advocating tax reform. Paine's daring prose paved the way for the
Declaration of Independence and, consequently, the Revolutionary War.
For "without the pen of Paine," as John Adams said, "the sword of
Washington would have been wielded in vain."
Later, his impassioned defense of the French Revolution, Rights of
Man, caused a worldwide sensation. Napoleon, for one, claimed to have
slept with a copy under his pillow, recommending that "a statue of gold
should be erected to [Paine] in every city in the universe."
Here in one volume, these two complete works are joined with selections
from Pain's other major essays, "The Crisis," "The Age of Reason," and
"Agrarian Justice."
Includes a Foreword by Jack Fruchtman Jr.
and an Introduction by Sidney Hook