Common Sense - Hardcover

Paine, Thomas

3.99

36,194 ratings by Goodreads

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0062695525 ISBN 13: 9780062695529

Publisher: William Morrow, 2017

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A special gift edition of one of the most important and influential documents in our nation’s history—featured in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning Hamilton: An American Musical—stylishly packaged for twenty-first-century readers.

According to John Adams, "Without the pen of the author of Common Sense, the sword of Washington would have been raised in vain." With Common Sense, Thomas Paine energized colonial support for the armed rebellion that would make the American experiment a reality, using common sense to argue for colonial independence. Today, this cornerstone of the American Revolution has once again been rediscovered by ardent fans of the wildly popular and transformative Broadway musical Hamilton, which features Common Sense prominently in one of its opening numbers.

Originally published 240 years ago, Paine’s groundbreaking pamphlet remains relevant for every American today. Written for the restless populous of 1776, Common Sense questioned the authority of King George III and was the first work to openly champion the American colonies’ independence from Great Britain.

Containing the original text and spelling along with a brief description of Paine, this special gift edition is stylishly packaged with a striking cloth-like case that mimics an embroidered sampler, with raised embossing to make the stitching feel authentic. The cover design combines colonial patterns with a contemporary color palette to appeal to both serious history readers as well as fans of pop culture. The back cover includes praise from key historical figures of the Revolution (who also happen to be characters in the musical).

Outlining the revolutionary roots of our nation’s founding, Common Sense is essential reading for Americans of all stripes who, like their forefathers, find themselves in times that try their souls, and are now discovering their own rebellious spirit.

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Review:

"These are the times that try men's souls," begins Thomas Paine's first Crisis paper, the impassioned pamphlet that helped ignite the American Revolution. Published in Philadelphia in January of 1776, Common Sense sold 150,000 copies almost immediately. A powerful piece of propaganda, it attacked the idea of a hereditary monarchy, dismissed the chance for reconciliation with England, and outlined the economic benefits of independence while espousing equality of rights among citizens. Paine fanned a flame that was already burning, but many historians argue that his work unified dissenting voices and persuaded patriots that the American Revolution was not only necessary, but an epochal step in world history.

From the Publisher:

The Library of America is an award-winning, nonprofit program dedicated to publishing America's best and most significant writing in handsome, enduring volumes, featuring authoritative texts. Hailed as "the most important book-publishing project in the nation's history" (Newsweek), this acclaimed series is restoring America's literary heritage in "the finest-looking, longest-lasting edition ever made" (New Republic).

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