A fresh new look at the Enlightenment intellectual who became the most controversial of America's founding fathers

Despite his being a founder of both the United States and the French Republic, the creator of the phrase "United States of America," and the author of Common Sense, Thomas Paine is the least well known of America's founding fathers. This edifying biography by Craig Nelson traces Paine's path from his years as a London mechanic, through his emergence as the voice of revolutionary fervor on two continents, to his final days in the throes of dementia. By acquainting us as never before with this complex and combative genius, Nelson rescues a giant from obscurity-and gives us a fascinating work of history.

Craig Nelson is the author of four previous books, including The First Heroes and Let's Get Lost. His writings have appeared in Salon, The New England Review, Blender, Genre, and a host of other publications. He was an editor at HarperCollins, Hyperion, and Random House for almost twenty years and has been profiled by Variety, Interview, Manhattan, Inc., and Time Out.

Thomas PaineA Note Acknowledgments

1. The Mission of Atonement 2. Begotten by a Wild Boar of a Bitch Wolf 3. Pragmatic Utopians 4. Hell Is Not Easily Conquered 5. The Silas Deane Affair 6. The Missionary Bereft of His Mission 7. Droits de l'Homme, ou Droits du Seigneur? 8. The Sovereigns Among Us 9. The Religion of Science 10. The Perfidious Mr. Morris 11. Utopian Dissolves 12. Provenance

Notes Sources Index