Common sense (1st edition.)

Thomas Paine's 1776 Common Sense has secured an unshakeable place as one of history's most explosive and revolutionary books.

A slim pamphlet published at the beginning of the American Revolution, it was so widely read that it remains the all-time best selling book in US history.

An impassioned argument for American independence and for democratic government, 'Common Sense' can claim to have helped change the face of the world more than almost any other book.

But Paine's pamphlet is also a masterclass in critical thinking, demonstrating how the reasoned construction of arguments can be reinforced by literary skill and passion.

Paine is perhaps more famous as a stylist than as a constructor of arguments, but 'Common Sense' marries the best elements of good reasoning to its polemic.