Tom Paine's War: The Words That Rallied a Nation and the Founder for Our Time

ISBN: 1250331935

Author: Kelly, Jack

Condition: New

"Covers a narrow chronology, from September 1776 to January 1777. These were the darkest days of the Revolutionary War. They were also the months that produced some of Paines most famous writings. The conjunction of these events and ideas is the subject of Mr. Kellys narrative." -Wall Street JournalTen Books We are Looking Forward to in Early 2026 -NPRIn 1776, one mans words-and the determination of American patriots-allowed our nation to survive its first crisis."Exemplary... Kelly explains why Paine and his writing mattered 250 years ago and why they matter now." -Booklist (starred)Two hundred and fifty years ago, the Declaration of Independence marked the birth of the United States. But two essays of that era appealed even more directly to Americans feelings. In January 1776, Thomas Paine-a recent immigrant to America -published Common Sense. His straightforward argument upended the fraud of monarchy and dismantled the idea of aristocratic privilege that had dominated the world for centuries. His words convinced Americans that the king had no divine right to rule them-they could rule themselves. He turned a rebellion over taxes and representation into a true Revolution.Having inspired patriots to declare their independence, Paine enlisted as a militia private. He saw Washingtons army suffer grievous defeats. He slogged through the mud with retreating troops to Pennsylvania. There, he wrote The American Crisis, the most stirring rallying cry in our history. It began: These are the times that try mens souls . . . With Paines words ringing in their ears, Washington and his men crossed the Delaware River and defeated the enemy at Trenton. The battle reversed the fortunes of the campaign and of the Revolution itself. A tribute to the Revolutions 250th anniversary, Tom Paines War is a riveting exploration of our nations birth. This is a story of the power of words-and the power of belief-and how both speak as well to Americas current crisis.