The publication of Thomas Paine's incendiary pamphlet, Common Sense, in January of 1776, proved the tipping point for America's Revolutionary War. Its eloquent and reasoned argument about the inherent unfairness of monarchic succession, and its catalog of abuses by the English Crown against the colonies, was crucial for persuading the colonists and their leaders to take up arms against British troops. Selling as many as a half-million copies in its first year of publication, Common Sense resonated with citizens in the ...
Read More
The publication of Thomas Paine's incendiary pamphlet, Common Sense, in January of 1776, proved the tipping point for America's Revolutionary War. Its eloquent and reasoned argument about the inherent unfairness of monarchic succession, and its catalog of abuses by the English Crown against the colonies, was crucial for persuading the colonists and their leaders to take up arms against British troops. Selling as many as a half-million copies in its first year of publication, Common Sense resonated with citizens in the colonies in a way that no other tract had done before, and proved instrumental for outlining common goals and objectives for a country just coming into its sense of a national identity. This edition of Common Sense features the full text of Thomas Paine's pamphlet, a scholarly foreword, and a Chronology of Thomas Paine's Life. Common Sense is one of Barnes & Noble's Collectible Editions classics. Each volume features authoritative texts by the world's greatest authors in an elegantly designed bonded-leather binding, with distinctive gilt edging.
Read Less
A failure in business, Thomas Paine emigrated from England to America in 1774. In early 1776, he published a pamphlet entitled Common Sense. In this tract, Paine argues that the American colonies ought to part from England and establish their own nation. Paine discusses the origins of society and government, the evils of monarchy and hereditary succession, and the rule of law; his disdain for monarchy is an underlying theme of the work. Paine also emphasizes the urgency of independence; he maintains that the time for reconciliation between the colonies and England has passed and the time for independence is now. The leather bound version of Common Sense (the subject of this review) includes background information and a chronology of the life of Thomas Paine. This book is best read from the perspective of an American colonist in 1776; he or she would have remembered the Intolerable Acts and the battles of Lexington, Concord, and Bunker Hill. Just as The Federalist Papers are essential reading in understanding the Constitution, Common Sense is essential reading in understanding the move toward independence in 1776.
