Thomas Paine was the first international revolutionary. His Common
Sense (1776) was the most widely read pamphlet of the American
Revolution--and his Rights of Man (1791-2), the most famous defense of
the French Revolution, sent out a clarion call for revolution throughout
the world. Paine paid the price for his principles: he was outlawed in
Britain, narrowly escaped execution in France, and was vilified as an
atheist and a Jacobin on his return to America.
This new edition contains the complete texts of both Rights of Man and
Common Sense, as well as six other powerfully political
writings--American Crisis I, American Crisis XIII, Agrarian
Justice, Letter to Jefferson, Letter Addressed to the Addressers on
the Late Proclamation, and Dissertation on the First Principles of
Government--all of which illustrate why Paine's ideas still resonate in
the modern welfare states of today.
About the Series: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has
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valuable features, including expert introductions by leading
authorities, voluminous notes to clarify the text, up-to-date
bibliographies for further study, and much more.