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Harvey J. Kaye
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Thomas Paine and the Promise of America: A History & Biography Kindle Edition

by Harvey J. Kaye (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 128 ratings
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Thomas Paine was one of the most remarkable political writers of the modern world and the greatest radical of a radical age. Through writings like Common Sense—and words such as "The sun never shined on a cause of greater worth," "We have it in our power to begin the world over again," and "These are the times that try men's souls"—he not only turned America's colonial rebellion into a revolutionary war but, as Harvey J. Kaye demonstrates, articulated an American identity charged with exceptional purpose and promise.

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  1. Print length
    337 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    Hill and Wang
  5. Publication date
    April 15, 2007
  6. File size
    1230 KB
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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. Kaye offers a masterful and eloquent study of the man he reestablishes as the key figure in the American Revolution and the radical politics that followed it. Focusing on close readings of Paine's major writings, Kaye devotes the first half of the book to Paine's role in the seething fervor for American liberty and independence and his influence on the French Revolution. In Common Sense (1763), which sold 150,000 copies in just a few months, Paine advocated self-government and democracy in the colonies, accused the British of corruption and tyranny, and urged "Americans" to rebel. He championed representative democracy and argued that government should act for the public good. Paine's contributions were not limited to his own time; Kaye traces Paine's influence on American rebels and reformers from William Lloyd Garrison and Elizabeth Cady Stanton to Emma Goldman and Eugene Debs in the second half of his book. In 1980, Ronald Reagan quoted him—"We have it in our power to begin the world over again"—in his acceptance speech before the Republican National Convention. As historian Kaye (The American Radical) points out, Paine—"the greatest radical of a radical age"—would have been surprised to learn that conservatives, whose values he opposed, had used his words in their cause. 25 illus. not seen by PW. (Aug.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Facing a saturated market for biographies of Thomas Paine, historian Kaye opts to chronicle the effect of his legacy. Reading like a roll call of populists, reformers, and radicals, Kaye's presentation aims to repossess Paine from conservatives who "do not--and truly cannot--embrace him and his arguments." Kaye's audience may measure the assertion against the preliminary passages of this work, which outline Paine's life and paraphrase his revolutionary classics (Common Sense, The American Crisis, and The Age of Reason). Underscoring Paine's championing of exceptionalism, the idea of America's uniqueness in world history (which has conservative roots in Puritanism as well as in the radicalism espoused by Paine and preferred by Kaye), the author recounts Paine revivals that have coincided with reform movements. For a universalistic reach beyond a movement's immediate aims, Paine has been ready-made, and Kaye summarizes how Paine has inspired abolitionists, suffragettes, workingmen, socialists of the Progressive and New Deal eras, and historians. Gilbert Taylor
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B000RQ4FTO
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Hill and Wang; First edition (April 15, 2007)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ April 15, 2007
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1230 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 337 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 128 ratings

About the author

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Harvey J. Kaye

Harvey J. Kaye

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Harvey J. Kaye is Professor Emeritus of Democracy and Justice Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. An award-winning author, Kaye has published eighteen books on history, politics, and ideas, contributed articles and essays to a diverse array of publications, including the Washington Post, the Guardian, the Daily Beast, Salon.com, and Huffington Post, and appeared as a guest on numerous television, radio and podcast programs, including Bill Moyers Journal, BookTV's After Words, Rising on HillTVLive, The Young Turks, The Thom Hartmann Show, Majority Report, The Michael Brooks Show….

Born in New Jersey, Kaye received his B.A. at Rutgers (1971), his M.A. at the University of London (1973), and his Ph.D. at Louisiana State University (1976). He is a member of the AFT and an Organization of American Historians Distinguished Lecturer (2007-2013). Kaye lives with his wife Lorna in Green Bay, Wisconsin, where they avidly support the fan owned Green Bay Packers. His most recent books are FDR ON DEMOCRACY, TAKE HOLD OF OUR HISTORY: MAKE AMERICA RADICAL AGAIN, and a new edition of his very first book - THE BRITISH MARXIST HISTORIANS - which includes a memoir of experiences with E.P. Thompson, Eric Hobsbawm, Christopher Hill, and Rodney Hilton.

Follow him on Twitter @harveyjkaye

Watch Harvey J Kaye on The Majority Report with Sam Seder:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZHBTtXoZeU

Watch Harvey J Kaye on Bill Moyers Journal January 2008: http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/01182008/watch2.html

and again in June 2009: http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/06122009/watch2.html

Watch Harvey J Kaye on Thom Hartmann's Conversations with Great Minds January 2011 http://www.conversationswithgreatminds.com/video/conversations-great-minds-professor-harvey-kaye-pt-1

and

http://www.conversationswithgreatminds.com/video/conversations-great-minds-professor-harvey-kaye-pt-2

Watch Harvey J Kaye on Moyers and Company April 2014

http://billmoyers.com/episode/fighting-for-the-four-freedoms/

Watch Harvey J Kaye on Rising at HillTVlive

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8osOZV5Yh7g&feature=youtu.be

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
128 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Steve Price
5.0 out of 5 stars It is past time for every American to discover or rediscover Thomas Paine and his vision of human liberation through democracy.
Reviewed in the United States on February 21, 2014
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To those discouraged by the gridlock in Washington D.C., the criminal behavior on Wall Street, the collapse of the American Middle class, the increasing gap in wealth between the ludicrously wealthy and the desperately poor, the collapse of the American dream, the story of Thomas Paine can be at last a reason to hope. He said that it is within the power of citizens to begin the world again. His words inspired ordinary people to take up arms against a world power, to declare that an honest citizen was the equal of any king, to believe that citizens could govern themselves. This book will tell the modern reader that the pit into which America has fallen can be climbed out of using the ladder that Paine described -- democracy. What we need, Paine foresaw: The Rights of Man as opposed to the assumption of rights by corporations. Citizens united as opposed to the monstrosity of a Supreme Court blessed Citizens United decision. If you have become cynical or heartbroken by America in last 40 years read about Tom Paine and begin to imagine how his life and words could bring democracy to the USA again.
11 people found this helpful
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RawdRichard
5.0 out of 5 stars A Timely Treasure
Reviewed in the United States on January 28, 2008
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When I ordered this book I was thinking of updating my knowledge of one of that group of men we usually think of as our "forefathers"--the ones who were there at the birth of our nation. I got that AND SO MUCH MORE. In addition to learning more of Thomas Paine himself, I learned why he has never had the place of distinction and honor accorded others of his time despite his seemingly crucial activities in securing our independence. THEN, this fine historian takes the "essence" of this dynamic American, traces its ( and his) waxing and waning influence through the decades, and presents us with the need to re-capture, if we can, that zeal for maintaining our freedom and our "national theme" of a nation for the common good--for the common man. For me, anyway: A Masterpiece. The only drawback (if one can call it that): Now I MUST read ( and own) the basic works--in Thomas Paine's own words
5 people found this helpful
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George
4.0 out of 5 stars Good read
Reviewed in the United States on November 7, 2022
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It's a good read but don't know about Dr accuracy, particularly about economic facts. Does show how much in Paine has influenced history.
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m67432
5.0 out of 5 stars A truly impressive, readable, and relevant piece of scholarship
Reviewed in the United States on August 7, 2017
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It is as if Paine left little flecks of lint throughout the immense haystack of American history. Professor Kaye jumps in, sifts out those bits of lint, and then spins them into a single coherent tale. The research (or encyclopedic knowledge) required for such an undertaking would seem to be immense. But Kaye accomplishes it -- thoroughly and persuasively but not to the point where the text becomes dense and unreadable. Roughly the first half is a fairly concise but arguably superficial biography. But its purpose is more to provide context for what follows -- a thorough retracing of Paine's impact on American political thought and history.
4 people found this helpful
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Sandy
3.0 out of 5 stars Half Biography, Half Liberal Diatribe.
Reviewed in the United States on August 21, 2023
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The first half of the book was very informative. A wonderful summary of Thomas Paine’s literary contributions to liberty and democracy, and his complex life.

Harvey Kanye raises the absolute most important question, then never addresses it. Did Thomas Paine influence American ethos, or did American ethos influence Paine?

The second half of the book is spent trying to tie Thomas Paine legacy to modern day socialism and anti-establishment sentiment in the United States.

Sorry, hard to believe the reason Abraham Lincoln never joined an organized religion was because he read The Reason of Man.

Seven times in the book prominent people label Paine a “drunk,” yet this repeatedly made claim is never even broached by the author (a free pass Winston Churchill was never as fortunate to receive from a liberal press).

Anyone interested in U.S. history and not liberal political lobbying, read the book to page 117. (My only regret is that I could pay for just half the book).
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Recommended Reading!
Reviewed in the United States on May 17, 2013
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I had a volume of Thomas Paine's collection of earlier writings, and was amazed at the intellect but wanted another book so I could have a great time gauging content versus context. This was an excellent resource...I could read about different periods, then read his writings...and very much appreciated the objectivity and different ways to look at Paine that the author provides. I have finished the first volume, and am enjoying this on its own. A great investment for me.
6 people found this helpful
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NJR
5.0 out of 5 stars Very enlightening
Reviewed in the United States on June 15, 2014
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I really enjoyed this book. I never knew how important this man was to the American revolution. Now I know why I didn't know...
He made some powerful enemies. I am so glad this book was written to shed more light on those early times.
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Andrew Seawell
2.0 out of 5 stars Left a bit to be enjoyed
Reviewed in the United States on November 22, 2023
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Too vague. Tom Paine dies in the second chapter. The rest is the long term history of his ideas. This at least led me to the Howard Fast book about Paine
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Top reviews from other countries

Eugene
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book revealing that the American progressive movement began at ...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 10, 2016
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Great book revealing that the American progressive movement began at the founding our our Great Nation. A true reason to affirm, God has blessed America!
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