“Without the pen of Paine, the sword of Washington would have wielded in vain” – John AdamsThis quote prompted me to read this book. I was entirely unacquainted with Paine and this book was a tremendous introduction.Thomas Paine, born in Great Britain, was initially an unsuccessful man just like all great men. It was in his later years that He found fame and recognition for his writings. Paine was an ardent supporter of democracy, Human Rights and Republicanism. He was severe critic of Monarchy

I always thought this was the original Common Sense, not the one penned by Glen Beck.

Given what I've read of him in the introduction of this edition of his writings and elsewhere, Thomas Paine was every bit as important to the American Revolution as George Washington or Thomas Jefferson (and as it turns out, fascinatingly enough, an important figure in the French Revolution.) The forward by Jack Fruchtman Jr. claimed Paine was no philosopher, but rather a journalist, and the introduction by Sidney Hook that he was no deep thinker. Interestingly enough, I found Paine's writings s...

These are the times that try men's souls.If you're into American history, or literature, or politics, or anything that might be influenced by these other things, then you are probably familiar with the above quote. It's one of those quotes that you can hear in isolation, not really be familiar with it's original contexts, you may even find cliche or overused sometimes, and yet you can't help but feel some kind of... weight to it. That might not describe you, but it's an accurate depiction of how...

I go through periods of reading to fill in gaps in my education. I was familiar with Paine's role in American history but had never read any of his writing. Though short, I did not find this an easy read. I found the style a bit condescending (I'm explaining this to you and you will agree with me because of course I'm right) though I try to view this type of writing in its historical context. And it is something one wants to think over as one reads, or what is the point in reading it?!How revolu...

This is one of those reads that one has to take their time on. Paine makes his arguments eloquently; however, it is couched in the language of the day making for a longer read. One also has to have some understanding of the local time period in which he wrote. If one has little knowledge of the American and French Revolutions then some of the rhetoric will be lost. That being said, the essays on the Rights of Man, as well as The Age of Reason, are timeless. Paine's approach to inalienable rights...

An excellent book. The foundations of the American political structure and two hundred years later a call to come back to basics. A call to expose how America is edging closer to ALL things that it set out NOT to be. More than a voice of the past but a herald, like a prophet in the desert, saying"You have strayed away from something that was so clearly laid out for you, Come back." Come back NOT to a system of the wealthiest man or woman dominates the poor but one where ALL MEN AND WOMEN are equ...

I give "Rights of Man" 3 1/2 stars because I have severe mixed feelings about it. On one hand, I loved how much insight Paine gave on government and how much he made me think about what really occurs within our government, making it 4 stars worthy. On the other hand, he seemed slightly repetitive and seemed to use circular reasoning a lot and constantly landed on the same point, making it 3 stars worthy. Over all, I thought it was very insightful and very advanced thinking for the late 1700's, b...

I reread this book every 8 to 12 years, often near elections, to remind myself that reasonable people possessing common sense existed hundreds of years ago against a sea of insanity, shortsightedness, and stubbornness. “Time makes more converts than reason.” ― Thomas Paine, Common Sense

I wanted to know what the fuss was all about and I wasn't disappointed.It's easy to see how this pamphlet was able to feed the flame of the revolution. Paine's most famous work is also a powerful reminder of how strong opinions used to be on any matter and what passion learned people conveyed with their ideas.Intense and decisive, I loved it.

Paine is the beacon of rationality and common sense. The Age of Reason and Common Sense speaks on volume how an enlightened man he was, especially for his time!

Too bad this book isn't a major part of our current educational system. I teach English literature and am convinced that a good dose of this at least once a day will bring our country back from the reality show addicted ninnies that we are all becoming. Wonderful book about the abuses of government, the threat of ignorance and the very real danger of irresponsible leadership.I would like to make this part of my freshmen curriculum if I didn't think I would have to scaffold it to death and have h...

Soooo boring. Gosh. Common sense should tell you to not read this book. Ever.

My ignorance of American history often manages to astound even myself. I know the major events and figures. But can I rattle off the list of presidents? Can I name famous Supreme Court cases at the drop of a hat? Could I, in short, even pass a basic high school level American history test? I doubt it. But I’m not about to start making flash cards and drilling myself anytime soon; anyway, such a task would only fill my head with the same facts and dates I’ve already managed to forget. No; if I’m...

I chose to only read Common Sense out of this collection. I find it interesting as a historic reading, as a document that generated the American Revolution. However, I didn't manage to identify anything exceptional in it. Indeed this is a pamphlet written to be accessible to the layman, therefore it couldn't go to deep into analysis. Even so, it is a respectable historical document, but relevant only in the context of the success of the American Revolution, as it is a doctrinal programme of the

RIGHTS OF MAN:Dedicated to George Washington, the president of a nation he had encouraged the independence with fervour (seeing in its struggle the triumph of 'natural rights' over the tyranny of a monarchy) 'The Rights of Man' by Thomas Paine is in fact a criticism of 'Reflection on the Revolution in France' by Edmund Burke, published the previous year in 1790. The thing is, unlike Burke defending a traditional order monarchy-nobility-clergy, Paine, on the contrary, encourages its overthrown to...

2.5 I had high expectations for this due to it's reputation for inspiring many of the founding fathers , but this fell rather flat for me. My rating is based solely on my enjoyment while reading it, not it's importance in American history. Popsugar 2021-A book that was published anonymously

I don't know how to review books like this one. On a personal level I liked it but did struggle with some parts of it-- more because I find that 18th century language is a little off-putting for me. However, I am so glad that I was forced to read this book for class.It is almost a cliche to say that this book is incredibly important to American history. It is also a book that is easy to read in excerpts in other sources, so reading the whole thing was helpful and something I've been putting off

This man had something to say, and he did so very well, without sparing the king of England, or the monarchical institution one bit. And I couldn't agree with him more. Of course the United States were only an idealistic concept at the time, but I wonder what he'd have to say about them today. Very good book, and a surprisingly easy read.

My school curriculum only had me read Common Sense, and The Crisis. But I'm okay with that. I think EVERY American needs to read these, at least once. Thomas Paine made point after awesome point about why America needs to be free from Britain, and it was really cool to read them. Sometimes I got really excited while reading it, and I am proud to be on the American side of it all. I really recommend it. I wish I could go back in time and tell Thomas Paine how cool he was.