The eighteenth century was an age both of enlightenment and of revolution. No man more dramatically embodied this spirit of knowledge and change than did Thomas Paine. One of the world’s most eloquent and persuasive proponents of human liberty and democracy, Paine stirred the hearts and minds of men to action. His writings were key factors in both the American and the French revolutions and remain among the most forcefully phrased and cogent arguments ever penned for the cause of human freedom.
Included in this edition are the complete texts of Common Sense, his fiery call for American independence, and The Rights of Man, a defense of the French Revolution, as well as major selections from The Crisis.