Common Sense by Ernest R. Norling

Common Sense

Ernest R. Norling, Thomas Paine, Isaac Kramnick

Penguin Publishing Group · Paperback · November 18, 1982

Published anonymously in 1776, the year of the American Declaration of Independence, Paine's Common Sense became an immediate best-seller, with fifty-six editions printed in that year alone.

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Who it’s for
A brisk, classroom-friendly read with political bite and a distinctly American argument.
Themes
American Independence, Political Philosophy, Human Rights
Pacing
Reflective

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Matched by what the books are about, then ordered by what their readers also loved. Most of these share its genre: Revolutionary America (1775-1800).

  1. The American CrisisThomas Paine64% matchAlso shares Revolutionary History
  2. The Rights of ManThomas Paine68% matchAlso shares Political Philosophy
  3. Thomas Jefferson: the Art of PowerJon Meacham47% match
  4. Anarchism and Other EssaysEmma Goldman48% match
  5. The Greatest Sentence Ever WrittenWalter Isaacson57% match

For younger readers: What Is the Constitution?, ¿qué Es La Declaración De Independencia?, Countdown to Independence

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About this book

Published anonymously in 1776, the year of the American Declaration of Independence, Paine's Common Sense became an immediate best-seller, with fifty-six editions printed in that year alone. It was this pamphlet, more than any other factor, which helped to spark off the movement that established the independence of the United States.

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From his experience of revolutionary politics, Paine drew those principles of fundamental human rights which, he felt, must stand no matter what excesses are committed to obtain them, and which he later formulated in his Rights of Man. For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

Political Edge

A brisk, classroom-friendly read with political bite and a distinctly American argument.

Come here for

  • classroom-ready political edge
  • history with a sharp, arguments-first feel

Expect

  • philosophy and political history
  • a sustained, text-centered read

Where it sits

Revolutionary America (1775-1800)74%
Revolutionary History49%
Political Philosophy29%

Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.

Publisher categories

  • Revolutionary America (1775-1800)
  • Political Philosophy
  • Political History & Ideas
Authors
Ernest R. Norling, Thomas Paine, Isaac Kramnick
Publisher
Penguin Publishing Group
Published
November 18, 1982
Format
Paperback
Theme
American Independence · Political Philosophy · Human Rights
Reading lane
Revolutionary America (1775-1800)