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Thomas Paine's "Rights of Man": A Biography - A Book That Shook the World (Books That Shook the World)
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Product Description
Thomas Paine is one of the greatest political advocates in history. "Declaration of the Rights of Man", first published in 1791, is the key to his reputation. Inspired by his outrage at Edmund Burke's attack on the uprising of the French people, Paine's text is a passionate defence of man's inalienable rights. In "Rights of Man", Paine argues against monarchy and outlines the elements of a successful republic, including public education, pensions and relief of the poor and unemployed, all financed by income tax. Since its publication, "Rights of Man" has been celebrated, criticized, maligned and suppressed but here the polemicist and commentator Christopher Hitchens marvels at its forethought and revels in its contentiousness. Above all, Hitchens demonstrates how Thomas Paine's book forms the philosophical cornerstone of the first democratic republic, whose revolution is the only example that still speaks to us: the United States of America.
Product Details
- Amazon Sales Rank: #64192 in Books
- Published on: 2007-08-09
- Original language: English
- Binding: Paperback
- 176 pages
Editorial Reviews
Review
"'Christopher Hitchens... at his characteristically incisive best.' A. C. Grayling, The Times * 'Hitchens makes [his case for Thomas Paine's Rights of Man] with characteristic verve and style... engaging and well worth reading.' John Gray, New Statesman * 'A timely book.' Billy Bragg, Books of the Year, Guardian * 'Compendious, clear and engaged accounts... this series is a big success.' A. C. Grayling, The Times"
About the Author
CHRISTOPHER HITCHENS is a widely-published polemicist and commentator. He is a contributing editor to Vanity Fair and visiting professor at the New School, New York.
Customer Reviews
Easy read, could have done better
Hitchen's writes in his usual loquacious and elegant way on a topic he claims to be of his utmost interest. The book is an easy read, well structured but somehow lacking in the depth that we can observe in his other works. In his attempt to avoid a partisan or bias view point Hitchen's leaves his opinions behind and expresses very little of that verve we have grown use to. The book is too short.
Obligatory.
A must for anyone interested in American History, written as only Mr Hitchens can, my only complaint is that it was far too short.
