Thomas Paine: A Lifetime of Radicalism

"At a time when many people feel discouraged and unheard, the life of Thomas Paine serves as an apt reminder of the power of ideas and the written word. David Benner has given us a tremendous gift with this absorbing book."-Thomas E. Woods, New York Times bestselling author ofThe Politically Incorrect Guide to American History, andNullification: How to Resist Federal Tyranny in the 21st Century“Thomas Paine rocked the political and religious establishments of America, France, and Britain. David Benner's new biography makes the implausible story of the author of "Common Sense" come alive.”-Kevin Gutzman, Western Connecticut State University, New York Times bestselling author ofThe Politically Incorrect Guide to the ConstitutionandThe Jeffersonians: The Visionary Presidencies of Jefferson, Madison, and MonroeAs an unremarkable English commoner, former tax collector, and one-time privateer, Thomas Paine was the most unlikely person to carry the torch of American independence. Nevertheless, his succinct and wildly-popular argument in favor of the idea, Common Sense, proved to be the exact catalyst to bring such a provocative cause to fruition.If Paine’s public deeds were limited to this alone, they would have solidified his place in history, but he had considerable influence on the political dynamics of France and Britain as well. In Thomas Paine: A Lifetime of Radicalism, David Benner reveals how Paine became the most notorious radical of his age.Benner's work pays particular focus on to the polemicist's great successes in transforming his day's political landscape. Indeed, most of Paine’s most controversial ideas are not only accepted, but entirely taken for granted in the contemporary. His fiery opposition to hereditary monarchy, slavery, and state religious establishments was entirely novel for his time, but he waged a lifelong crusade against all three institutions, putting himself in great danger in the process.Paine adamantly defended the truth as he saw even when it led to adverse political repercussions, the