Thomas Paine
Enlightenment, Revolution, and the Birth of Modern Nations

Superb. More than just a well crafted biography of an American founding father, this book is a fascinating thrill ride through the Age of Enlightenment's republican revolutions in America and France of the late eighteenth century. Paine's outsized and enduring influence on politics and human rights......more

Thomas Paine, revolutionary figure, pamphleteer and author of 'Common Sense', 'The Ascent of Man' and 'The Age of Reason' among others was a complex and contradictory figure of the war for independence. Alternately celebrated and reviled he was the best selling author of his day who donated the prof......more

For me this one was tough sledding; I often found reasons to not pick it up, but I can’t quite say why. It is well written and (mostly) engaging. It has some interesting facts that were new to me. Part of the problem, as the author explains, is that there is little reliable first hand evidence about......more

There were a few minor historical inaccuracies (for example where Marat was stabbed), but overall an excellent read. It is, however, massively contextual, and you learn far more about other figures and the times of Thomas Paine than Thomas Paine himself. However, as a history lover, I really enjoyed......more

I wasn't too familiar with Paine's life and only knew of his writings, though could not say that I had studied or known them well. Nelson did a good job of explaining in great detail Paine's life and work in the context of the times. In his lifetime, Paine was friends with Ben Franklin, Thomas Jeffer......more