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Thomas Paine
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Thomas Paine : Collected Writings : Common Sense / The Crisis / Rights of Man / The Age of Reason / Pamphlets, Articles, and Letters (Library of America) (Library of America, 76) Hardcover – March 1, 1995

by Thomas Paine (Author), Eric Foner (Editor)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 682 ratings
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Thomas Paine was the impassioned democratic voice of the Age of Revolution, and this volume brings together his best-known works: Common Sense, The American Crisis, Rights of Man, The Age of Reason, along with a selection of letters, articles and pamphlets that emphasizes Paine's American years. “I know not whether any man in the world,” wrote John Adams in 1805, “has had more influence on its inhabitants or affairs for the last thirty years than Tom Paine.” The impassioned democratic voice of the Age of Revolution, Paine wrote for his mass audience with vigor, clarity, and “common sense.” This Library of America volume is the first major new edition of his work in 50 years, and the most comprehensive single-volume collection of his writings available. Paine came to America in 1774 at age 37 after a life of obscurity and failure in England. Within fourteen months he published Common Sense, the most influential pamphlet for the American Revolution, and began a career that would see him prosecuted in England, imprisoned and nearly executed in France, and hailed and reviled in the American nation he helped create. In Common Sense, Paine set forth an inspiring vision of an independent America as an asylum for freedom and an example of popular self-government in a world oppressed by despotism and hereditary privilege. The American Crisis, begun during “the times that try men’s souls” in 1776, is a masterpiece of popular pamphleteering in which Paine vividly reports current developments, taunts and ridicules British adversaries, and enjoins his readers to remember the immense stakes of their struggle. Among the many other items included in the volume are the combative “Forester” letters, written in a reply to a Tory critic of Common Sense, and several pieces concerning the French Revolution, including an incisive argument against executing Louis XVI. Rights of Man (1791–1792), written in response to Edmund Burke’s attacks on the French Revolution, is a bold vision of an egalitarian society founded on natural rights and unbound by tradition. Paine’s detailed proposal for government assistance to the poor inspired generations of subsequent radicals and reformers. The Age of Reason (1794–1795), Paine’s most controversial work, is an unrestrained assault on the authority of the Bible and a fervent defense of the benevolent God of deism. Included in this volume are a detailed chronology of Paine’s life, informative notes, an essay on the complex printing history of Paine’s work, and an index.

LIBRARY OF AMERICA is an independent nonprofit cultural organization founded in 1979 to preserve our nation’s literary heritage by publishing, and keeping permanently in print, America’s best and most significant writing. The Library of America series includes more than 300 volumes to date, authoritative editions that average 1,000 pages in length, feature cloth covers, sewn bindings, and ribbon markers, and are printed on premium acid-free paper that will last for centuries.
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  1. Print length
    906 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Library of America
  4. Publication date
    March 1, 1995
  5. Dimensions
    5.15 x 1.2 x 8.13 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1883011035
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1883011031
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Paine is one of those who proved the pen is mightier than the sword. Included here are several of the writings that forged the spirit of our nation, including Common Sense, The Crisis, The Rights of Man, The Age of Reason, and Other Pamphlets, Articles, and Letters. Note that two new Paine biographies have been recently published (LJ 11/15/94 and LJ 1/95).
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

All the germinal works of the forgotten founding Father. -- Christopher Hitchens

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Library of America; First Edition, First Printing (stated) (March 1, 1995)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 906 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1883011035
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1883011031
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.29 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.15 x 1.2 x 8.13 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 682 ratings

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Thomas Paine

Thomas Paine

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Thomas Paine (February 9, 1737 [O.S. January 29, 1736] - June 8, 1809) was an English-American political activist, philosopher, political theorist, and revolutionary. One of the Founding Fathers of the United States, he authored the two most influential pamphlets at the start of the American Revolution, and he inspired the rebels in 1776 to declare independence from Britain. His ideas reflected Enlightenment-era rhetoric of transnational human rights. He has been called "a corsetmaker by trade, a journalist by profession, and a propagandist by inclination".

Bio from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Photo by Auguste Millière [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
682 global ratings
Page numbers don't match, images are super fuzzy, font size is non-sensical.
1 Star
Page numbers don't match, images are super fuzzy, font size is non-sensical.
This is a terrible print of a great book.(1) The table of contents doesn't match any of the page numbers.(2) The font size is non-sensical and distracting.(3) The diagrams inside are so fuzzy and pixelated they are not readable.The publisher put no effort into proofing anything. How does this have so many positive reviews? This print should be pulled off the shelf for quality issues. Publisher - Please fix this and show some quality control.
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Top reviews from the United States

AT & PT
5.0 out of 5 stars Thomas Paine: A Literary Journey Through Time
Reviewed in the United States on February 20, 2024
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Thomas Paine: Collected Writings is a literary pilgrimage—an exploration of ideas that stirred revolutions and challenged the status quo. Whether you’re a history enthusiast or simply curious about the roots of democracy, this hardcover edition is a worthy addition to any bookshelf. And yes, the fact that you still possess it after all these years speaks volumes about its enduring impact.
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Howard Schulman
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent choice of texts, very helpful footnotes
Reviewed in the United States on April 4, 2005
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When I started reading Common Sense I had a hard time because the text was so dense, but when I decided to read it aloud, the text came to life--it was like discovering Shakespeare. Actually, the second set of texts is a collection of about ten essays called "The American Crisis" (numbered 1-10), and I thought these were even better. In them Paine tries to convince the American public that Great Britain doesn't have a chance against the 13 Colonies. Sort of like the Iraqi Information Minister telling his people that the Iraqi's will "roast the American soldier's stomaches in hell", while American shells explode in the background, shaking the building he's speaking from. The oratory of other greats such as Jim Carvill and Muhammad Ali came to mind, too, but the text is so well written, as to approach Shakespeare.

"These are the times that try men's souls: The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from service of his country; but he that stands it NOW, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph."

It's almost comical, in retrospect, because he address a few essays directly to the British General in charge, Sir William Howe. To the most powerful general in the world he says, "England was never famous by land; her officers have generally been suspected of a cowardice, have more of the air of a dancing-master than a soldier, and by the sample we have taken prisoners we begin to give the preference to ourselves."

He does make good points, but the abuse, both exaggerated and level-headed, just goes on and on. It was truly a pleasure to read. And even though the pages turned slowly, it just felt good to savor his words.

The book is about 800+ pages, so reading the whole collection like a novel is just too much work for most. The varied texts (about 35 in total) are arranged chronollgically, which is nice. Besides Paine's major works, Common Sense, The Crisis, the Rights of Man, The Age of Reason, there is also a nice smattering of smaller essays.

Additionally, there are very helpful footnotes in the back of the collection, but there are no numbers within the text; the notes are listed by page and line number.

The essays were written about very topical subjects, so it is most helpful to have done a fair amount of general reading before attempting to tackle Paine so you know what he is talking about, though the notes do help. There is also a very nice chronolgy of Paine's life in the back, as well.

It was an absolute pleasure reading these primary source texts. I understand now why Common Sense sold 120,000 copies within months of being published and what an essential role Thomas Paine played in keeping up the spirits of the colonists during the very discouraging early years of the War of Independence.

A previous reviewer commented on how the high-quality, super-thin pages made the text small, light-weight, and easy to read. I'd have to agree.
33 people found this helpful
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CD
5.0 out of 5 stars Thomas Paine wrote about a lot more than Revolutionary politics!
Reviewed in the United States on June 12, 2022
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Any American who's interested in learning more about America's philosophical foundation needs this book. I recommend getting the "subscriber slipcase edition" from Amazon resellers; it's a fabric hardcover book with a nice chipboard slipcase. If you get a copy without the slipcase, you can order them from Library of America (LOA) directly. The quality of the book itself is superb, with both fine sewn binding and luxurious, lightweight paper (think a dictionary or a scriptural text).

One of my favorite features of LOA is the complete subject index in the back of their collected writings books. You can research any relevant topic, and learn more about what our founders thought and believed.

The second volume of Common Sense is far more interesting than the first - Paine goes into an in-depth, stone-by-stone dismantling of the bible, Christianity, and revealed religions in general. It's a fascinating read for any non-Christian, patriotic American, and provides insight into the philosophy which informed our founders - and the documents they ratified.
5 people found this helpful
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JEDrury
4.0 out of 5 stars An inexpensive edition of Thomas Paine’s most important writings.
Reviewed in the United States on February 9, 2021
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This 228 page printing of Thomas Paine’s collected writings contains The Rights of Man, Common Sense, The Age of Reason, Parts One and Two. There is a short biography of Paine and Introduction. The pagination is admittedly in error especially with respect to the chapter “Common Sense,” but most interested readers can excuse the error and understand the context of the work’s beginning. The price for this book is reader friendly.
5 people found this helpful
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Daniel Hurley
5.0 out of 5 stars Just About The Complete Collection of Thomas Paine
Reviewed in the United States on March 4, 2011
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This is virtually the ultimate collection on Thomas Paine, the daring revoloutionary in his own right. I have been familar with his writings particularly 'Common Sense' and the 'Rights of Man' and various pamphlets but I had not read his controversial, for the time, "The Age of Reason'. I had a rebirth in my interest in Paine when listening to Clay Jenkinson discuss Paine during the "The Thomas Jefferson Hour". Jenkinson described Paine as a great patriot with his enlightening arguments in 'Common Sense' while 'The Age of Reason' was described as very daring, costing him many of his supporters, for questioning religion. In reason, Paine speakes as deist, believing in a supreme being yet a being that does not intervene in human life or alter the laws of nature. It's an intellectual argument that raises fascinating questions, particularly for the time although Deism had a relatively significant following in parts of the western world. This is a great respource on the writings of Paine, a great book to pull off the shelf and read a particular article. Thus, this compilation provides you pretty much the complete writings of Thomas Paine, certianly the essential Thomas Paine, in a handsome single volume.
2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Hamptonshirewonder
5.0 out of 5 stars Complete works
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 5, 2021
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Does not include a critical introduction by an academic, but may be none The worse for that! We get Paine unfiltered!
One person found this helpful
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Peter Venkman
5.0 out of 5 stars This paperback is big like a textbook
Reviewed in Canada on August 7, 2019
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If you are interested in this author, this book brings huge value, textbook size full of classic works
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Prakash H R
5.0 out of 5 stars Met the requirement before time
Reviewed in India on April 15, 2019
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Product is as described and delivered much before dead line mentioned
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Cliente Amazon
5.0 out of 5 stars Great read
Reviewed in Spain on August 8, 2016
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Great quality print of Paine's most important writings. I have enjoyed every page. Reading Paine has made me over the years a better, more compassionate person, and a lover of democracy and Enlightenment values.
2 people found this helpful
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catherine benison
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 4, 2017
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Excellent
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