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Common Sense

Name: Common Sense
Author: Thomas Paine
ISBN: 9781435146013

by Thomas Paine

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Overview

Thomas Paine's Common Sense first appeared on January 10, 1776, and the stroke of luck it enjoyed upon its appearance could hardly have been calculated to greater effect. The political tract immediately became the moral and intellectual touchstone for American colonists struggling to articulate their case for independence from England. It sold over 120,000 copies within three months of its publication.

The United States of America owes its existence in part to the incendiary brilliance of the work. Common Sense challenged the authority of the British government and the royal monarchy and was the first document to openly ask for independence.

The extensive introduction describes the background of the American Revolution; the life, career, and ideology of Paine; and the argument of Common Sense.

About the Author, Thomas Paine

Alan Taylor is Professor of History at the University of California at Davis. He is the author of several books, including William Cooper’s Town: Power and Persuasion on the Frontier of the Early American Republic, winner of the Pulitzer Prize for History and the Bancroft Prize for American History.

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Editorials

Library Journal

Penguin strikes again with a wonderful new series called "Great Ideas" featuring 12 books by great thinkers dating back to the first millennium B.C.E. through the mid-20th century, covering art, politics, literature, philosophy, science, history, and more. Each slim paperback is individually designed, and all are affordable at $8.95. A great idea indeed. Snap 'em up! Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

From Barnes & Noble

"O! ye that love mankind! Ye that dare oppose, not only tyranny, but the tyrant, stand forth!'' Published by Thomas Paine in 1776, Common Sense was one of the most famous political treatises from the literature of the American Revolution. Passionately brilliant and logical, written in simple language that all could understand, it urged that immediate separation from England was crucial to the freedom of the patriots and a pivotal point in world history. The extensive introduction by Gregory Tietjen describes the background of the American Revolution and the life, career, and ideology of Paine.