List Price: $28.00 Details

Save: $11.70 (42%)

Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime & FREE Returns

FREE delivery: Sunday, July 11 on orders over $25.00 shipped by Amazon. Details

Fastest delivery: Friday, July 9
Order within 11 hrs and 19 mins Details

In Stock.
As an alternative, the Kindle eBook is available now and can be read on any device with the free Kindle app. Want to listen? Try Audible.

$$16.30 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details

Secure transaction

Ships from	Amazon.com
Sold by	Amazon.com

Details

Ships from

Amazon.com

Sold by

Amazon.com

Return policy: This item is returnable

Add a gift receipt for easy returns

Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime

FREE delivery: Monday, July 12 on orders over $25.00 shipped by Amazon. Details

Used: Acceptable | Details

Sold by Amazon Warehouse

Fulfilled by Amazon

Other Sellers on Amazon

$23.99
& FREE Shipping

Sold by: Fun with Books and Board Games

$21.40
+ $3.99 shipping

Sold by: indoobestsellers

$25.57
& FREE Shipping

Sold by: Publisher Direct

Flip to back Flip to front

Listen Playing... Paused You're listening to a sample of the Audible audio edition.
Learn more

See this image

Follow the Authors

Harlow Giles Unger

Harlow G. Unger

Thomas Paine and the Clarion Call for American Independence Hardcover – Illustrated, September 10, 2019

by Harlow Giles Unger (Author)

44 ratings

See all formats and editions

Price

New from

Used from

Kindle

"Please retry"

$3.99

—

Audible Audiobook, Unabridged

"Please retry"

$0.00

Free with your Audible trial

Hardcover, Illustrated

"Please retry"

$16.30

$3.86

Audio CD, Audiobook, CD, Unabridged

"Please retry"

$15.75

—

Great on Kindle

Great Experience. Great Value.

Enjoy a great reading experience when you buy the Kindle edition of this book. Learn more about Great on Kindle, available in select categories.

View Kindle Edition

From New York Times bestselling author and Founding Fathers' biographer Harlow Giles Unger comes the astonishing biography of the man whose pen set America ablaze, inspiring its revolution, and whose ideas about reason and religion continue to try men's souls.

Thomas Paine's words were like no others in history: they leaped off the page, inspiring readers to change their lives, their governments, their kings, and even their gods. In an age when spoken and written words were the only forms of communication, Paine's aroused men to action like no one else. The most widely read political writer of his generation, he proved to be more than a century ahead of his time, conceiving and demanding unheard-of social reforms that are now integral elements of modern republican societies. Among them were government subsidies for the poor, universal housing and education, pre- and post-natal care for women, and universal social security. An Englishman who emigrated to the American colonies, he formed close friendships with Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison, and his ideas helped shape the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights.

However, the world turned against Paine in his later years. While his earlier works, Common Sense and Rights of Man, attacked the political and social status quo here on earth, The Age of Reason attacked the status quo of the hereafter. Former friends shunned him, and the man America had hailed as the muse of the American Revolution died alone and forgotten.

Packed with action and intrigue, soldiers and spies, politics and perfidy, Unger's Thomas Paine is a much-needed new look at a defining figure.

Print length

336 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Da Capo Press
Publication date

September 10, 2019
Dimensions

6.4 x 1.35 x 9.35 inches
ISBN-10

0306921936
ISBN-13

978-0306921933
See all details

Frequently bought together

Customers who viewed this item also viewed

Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1

Harvey J. Kaye
72
Paperback
$15.72
Harlow Giles Unger
61
Hardcover
$17.31
Craig Nelson
67
Paperback
$16.45
Harlow Giles Unger
324
Paperback
$19.59
Harlow Giles Unger
60
Hardcover
$24.98
Harlow Giles Unger
50
Hardcover
$28.00

Get everything you need

Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1

Mark Puls
158
Hardcover
$52.91
Harlow Giles Unger
50
Hardcover
$28.00
Harlow Giles Unger
324
Paperback
$19.59
A. J. Baime
328
Hardcover
$16.34
Jon Meacham
1,707,284
Hardcover
$15.39
Donald L. Miller
456
Hardcover
$16.99

Special offers and product promotions

Amazon Business: Make the most of your Amazon Business account with exclusive tools and savings. Login now

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Masterful; a great work.... [Unger] successfully captured the essence of Paine and his position in history."―Gary Berton, Thomas Paine National Historical Association

"Unger brings to vivid life familiar historical characters."―Publishers Weekly

"Unger is not only a superior story teller...[and] gifted researcher; he sweeps the reader into the story."―New York Journal of Books

"Unger's [work] is a beacon of vivid, accessible, and thought-provoking biography."―Richmond Times-Dispatch

"A brisk and spirited biography,... passionate...and eloquent"―Wall Street Journal

"A fine biography of one of America's greatest polemicists....vivid, insightful"―Kirkus Reviews

About the Author

Acclaimed historian Harlow Giles Unger is a former Distinguished Visiting Fellow at George Washington's Mount Vernon. He is the author of twenty-six previous books, including twelve biographies of America's Founding Fathers and three histories of the early Republic. He lives in New York City.

Start reading Thomas Paine and the Clarion Call for American Independence on your Kindle in under a minute.

Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Da Capo Press; Illustrated edition (September 10, 2019)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 336 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0306921936
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0306921933
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.19 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.4 x 1.35 x 9.35 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #382,802 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #720 in American Revolution Biographies (Books)
- #873 in Social Activist Biographies
- #1,509 in U.S. Revolution & Founding History

Customer Reviews:
44 ratings

Customer reviews

5 star		77%
4 star		10%
3 star		6%
2 star		3%
1 star		3%

How are ratings calculated?

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Robert A. Saunders

Good book!

Reviewed in the United States on January 25, 2020

Verified Purchase

There is too little knowledge of what Paine did, and this book does a good job of filling the gap. One topic which does not get sufficient attention was his assertion that religion is nonsense -- an assertion which is now provably correct.

6 people found this helpful

Helpful

Scott vH

Great information on a little known part of our history

Reviewed in the United States on August 24, 2020

Verified Purchase

The book was very well written. I will definitely look to read others from the author as I found it well structured and clear. I have not read as extensively on the American Revolution as I should and this raised some aspects I had not known before. Apparently the author does an excellent job of research. I expect to refer to it now and then.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Gene S.

So far, so good... very good.

Reviewed in the United States on November 3, 2020

Verified Purchase

I am unable to actually give an accurate review of this book as of yet, as I have just started reading it & am only on chapter 3. But so far I would give it 5 stars. If the rest of the book is just as enjoyable, it will definitely earn a 5-star rating from me. Unlike many historical biographies, this one is very easy read, & it flows very smoothly.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Tommy Lopez

Truly touching biography of a forgotten American hero

Reviewed in the United States on July 3, 2021

Verified Purchase

When we heard as children the stories of the founding fathers of America, we were told of the military heroism of Washington, the literary genius of Jefferson in composing the Declaration of Independence, the diplomatic eloquence of Ben Franklin, and even the stories of the gallant foreigners who joined our cause in our hour of need, Baron Von Steuben and Maquis de Lafayette. Yet what most of us did not hear was of the great contribution of Thomas Paine, a man who owed nothing to our country, yet gave everything, and risked his life repeatedly for the cause of liberty and justice to all peoples of the world. Was he a dreamer? Yes. Was he perhaps naive to think that the whole world could throw off the chains of monarchy and live in a utopian liberal world? Undoubtedly. Such is the curse of being ahead of one’s time. Yet now with the benefit of two hundred years hindsight, we can see that in most of his ideas, Paine was absolutely correct. And if somewhere out there exists an afterlife, I have no doubt he would be smiling down on us for the progress we’ve made, while continuing to exhort us to go even further.

In this book, you will find the journey of a simple man who used mere words to plant the seeds of a world that he would never live to see. A true friend to all humanity. You’ll see his triumphs and failures, the tragic tale of how he was practically abandoned by all. And hopefully, we will find it in our hearts now to embrace Thomas Paine again, as a true American, indeed, humanitarian, hero.

Helpful

M. Bailey

The Revolution's philosopher

Reviewed in the United States on September 26, 2019

Verified Purchase

Once less gap in my knowledge of the Founders. Unger is a great writer.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Caitlin

Not in tip top shape

Reviewed in the United States on December 17, 2020

Verified Purchase

I received this book for a gift to my dad. I am disappointed that the cover is all muddled, as shown in the photos. The integrity to the book itself seems to be fine, it's just cosmetic. If I had bought it from another seller as "Like New" or "Very Good" I would have expected this.

Helpful

In new book Harlow Unger takes us into the man behind the name Thomas Paine

Reviewed in the United States on September 13, 2019

I love history, and I also love to see interesting parallels between times past and the present. In the book THOMAS PAINE AND THE CLARION CALL FOR AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE by Harlow Giles Unger we are able to get a bit of both.

I love how the book takes us into who the man Thomas Paine was, what inspired him, how he was able to navigate the world that he lived in and most importantly what kept him going. Unger does a masterful job in allowing us in, giving us context of Paine's courage and fortitude, his go-it-alone attitude as well as his friendship with Washington and even what it was like for him to lose the limelight.

I think anyone who reads this book will not only have a better appreciation for what Thomas Paine contributed to the world that we now live in but also the passion that can be emulated by those who are looking to make a difference.

4 people found this helpful

Helpful

AP Parker

Paine's triumphs and tragedies

Reviewed in the United States on October 17, 2019

A very easy-to-follow biography of one of the greatest personalities to affect the American Revolution by one of today's foremost historians. Unger's prose allows the triumph and tragedy of the enigmatic Paine to come center stage, and those looking for a biographical profile will not feel intimidated in giving this a go. I particularly enjoyed that the author touched on Paine's relationships with other notables of the era, letting Paine speak for himself as only he could. Most are familiar of course with Common Sense, but to hear his colorful yet simple language in his letters to contemporaries allows the reader a deep dive into Paine's psyche. In the interest of full disclosure, I received an advanced copy for review.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful