Naturally this book invites comparison with previous biographical studies, in particular the most recent. It bears out well in relationship to them. What stands out in this new work is its detailed coverage of Paine’s career and his comprehensive treatment of the controversies and issues Paine addressed.
BOOK REVIEW: A Political Biography Of Thomas Paine Read Post »
Thompson’s interpretation underlined Paine’s importance in what was labelled by historians as the ‘Atlantic-Democratic Revolution’. In the 1960s, my undergraduate days, this exercise in comparative history breaking through the constraints of nation state historiography was as fashionable as Thompson’s history from below.
Thomas Paine, the Rights of Man and the Rights of the Freeborn Englishman Read Post »
My conclusion is that the Hustler grandmother referred to by Paine is Frances (or Elizabeth) Hustler, the daughter of Thomas Hustler and granddaughter of Samuel Hustler, both of whom were involved in local politics. It is easy to imagine this familial taste for political affairs having some influence on Paine.
Thomas Paine’s Maternal Grandmother Read Post »
Paine was not wholly a geopolitical writer, not entirely a social philosopher, and not just an author of pamphlets, but that Paine should be credited with innovations and ingenious applications of wrought iron and cantilevered bridging techniques that are worthy of respect, and professional accreditation by constructors, engineers and architects.
Tom Paine, Architect – Engineer & His Iron Bridge Read Post »
This fundamental contribution to Paine’s political thought, based on a Ph. D thesis at the Sorbonne, deserves to be translated into English so that it becomes available to all Anglophones interested in the subject.
BOOK REVIEW: La Pensee Politique de Thomas Paine en Contexte: Theorie at Pratique Read Post »
In the first part of The Age of Reason, written during the French Revolution and completed we are told only a matter of hours before his arrest, Paine devotes some pages to a general account of astronomy as an introduction to his ideas on Christian theology.
Thomas Paine’s Astronomy Read Post »
The evening went with a real swing, and notwithstanding the heat ended amicably, with the final vote showing no change in the audience position. The feedback from this event, one of a series of topics, was very favourable, showing that there is an appetite for a debate of this kind.
Visiting cathedrals, ministers and churches are notable aspects of modern pilgrimages, which we call tourism. I think walking into a centuries old country church gives one a feeling for history and the past in a very human way; it has nothing to do with religious observance/
BOOK REVIEW: Religion For Atheists Read Post »
As humanity emerged from the long dark night of the Middle Ages, the ideas of religious and monarchical hegemony began to be challenged. Foremost among those doing this important work of demystification and enlightenment was Thomas Paine in his Rights of Man and The Age of Reason.
BOOK REVIEW: In God’s Shadow: Politics In The Hebrew Bible Read Post »
What the chapter relates offers is a tour of the places in the city associated with individuals known for their support either for Paine and/or his ideas. It commences with Henry Hunt, who in 1817 is said to have addressed between twelve and twenty thousand people at a gathering.
BOOK REVIEW: Literary Walks In Bath Read Post »
Hitchens was a man of many unresolved contradictions. How anyone could find Mrs Thatcher sexy is beyond me. And there are far better examples of the distillers’ art than Walker’s Black Label. But if his writing about Paine encourages people to read Paine’s works he will have earned his redemption.
Christopher Hitchens And Thomas Paine Read Post »
Although both lives have been well chronicled (albeit separately), I hope there may be merit in a short selective account of the most salient features of the common radical ground shared by the two great writers, and its inspiration, a comparison that has attracted scant attention.
