Rights of Man, Common Sense, and Other Political Writings (Oxford World's Classics) [Paperback]

Thomas Paine (Author), Mark Philp (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0192835572 | ISBN-13: 978-0192835574 | Publication Date: September 10, 1998

Thomas Paine was the first international revolutionary. His Common Sense (1776) was the most widely read pamphlet of the American Revolution--and his Rights of Man (1791-2), the most famous defense of the French Revolution, sent out a clarion call for revolution throughout the world. Paine paid the price for his principles: he was outlawed in Britain, narrowly escaped execution in France, and was vilified as an atheist and a Jacobin on his return to America.
This new edition contains the complete texts of both Rights of Man and Common Sense, as well as six other powerfully political writings--American Crisis I, American Crisis XIII, Agrarian Justice, Letter to Jefferson, Letter Addressed to the Addressers on the Late Proclamation, and Dissertation on the First Principles of Government--all of which illustrate why Paine's ideas still resonate in the modern welfare states of today.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'OUP's excellent series continues with a collection from the Christopher Hitchens de ses jours.' Guardian

About the Author

Author of Paine in Past Masters, Mark Philp is Fellow and Tutor in Politics at Oriel College, Oxford.

Product Details

• Paperback: 544 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (September 10, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0192835572
• ISBN-13: 978-0192835574
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #574,226 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good collection but the texts are rambly., January 9, 2004

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Frikle - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rights of Man, Common Sense, and Other Political Writings (Oxford World's Classics) (Paperback)

This volume contains all of the principal works of the great mind of Thomas Paine. Although technically not one of the Founding Fathers of the US, his thoughts on liberty and the purpose of government have influenced the world. He lived in a time when democracy was in its infancy and so much of his views are particular to the newly formed governments of the US and France. But still an interesting insight into politics. He can generally be considered a libertarian.

The most famous works in the volume are Common Sense, Rights of Man and the Letter to the Addressers of the Late Proclamation. The texts are sufficiently annotated and there's a chronology of his life. If politics are your thing and you want to read about the forming of America, this is your book - it shows Paine's politics at their finest.

One word of warning - this isn't an easy read. Paine is often wordy and rambly. Often his texts have account ledgers - which is understandable for the time they were written but today break the flow of the work. The writing is dense and his points could have been made in half the number of pages. If this doesn't deter you, you'll find an inspiring read about the rights and responsibilities of people and government towards each other.