The Thomas Paine Reader

This major collection demonstrates the extent to which Thomas Paine was an inspiration to the Americans in their struggle for independence, a passionate supporter of the French Revolution and perhaps the outstanding English radical writer of his age. It contains all of Paine's major works includingÊRights of Man, his groundbreaking defence of the revolutionary cause in France;ÊCommon Sense, which won thousands over to the side of the American rebels; and the first part ofÊThe Age of Reason, a ferocious attack on Christianity. The shorter piecesÑon capital punishment, social reform and the abolition of slaveryÑalso confirm the great versatility and power of this master of democratic prose.

For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.