Why people recommend it
Common Sense by Thomas Paine is an influential political pamphlet that famously argued for American independence from British rule during the Revolutionary War. On The Book Review, George Packer cited Common Sense as a prime historical example of a political pamphlet that inspired his own writing and thought processes regarding a divided America. On The Rubin Report, Newt Gingrich mentioned Thomas Paine's amazing pamphlet, emphasizing how it effectively explained the Revolutionary War and its complex ideological stakes to everyday people. Additionally, C. Bradley Thompson referenced Thomas Paine's famous pamphlet on The Rubin Report to compare its historical impact and reach against other major revolutionary-era writings, such as John Adams's proto-constitution, Thoughts on Government. Across these podcast episodes, speakers underscored the enduring historical weight and rhetorical power of Thomas Paine's work, showcasing how a concise eighteenth-century text managed to galvanize public opinion, shape a nation's foundational political identity, and continue serving as a vital touchstone for modern commentators and political authors examining the roots of democratic governance.
Who recommended it
- George Packer Discussed
- Newt Gingrich Discussed
- C. Bradley Thompson Discussed
George Packer — 1 mention
“some examples are common sense by Thomas Payne Democratic Vistas by Walt Whitman which influenced me in this book Walter litman's drift and Mastery and and George Orwell's the line and the Unicorn written during the Blitz in in London in World War II”
Newt Gingrich — 1 mention
“He had taken Thomas Paine who had written an amazing pamphlet called "Common Sense" which explained the Revolutionary War to everyday people.”
C. Bradley Thompson — 1 mention
“in to that end he drafted a document or a pamphlet called thoughts on government and it's a kind of proto Constitution and it it was in many ways other than Tom Paine's Common Sense it was the most influential pamphlet written during I think the Revolutionary period”
Also mentioned in the same episodes
- 84, Charing Cross Road
- A Defence of the Constitutions of Government of the United States of America
- An Essay Concerning Human Understanding
- Benjamin Franklin's Autobiography
- De Officiis
- Democratic vistas
Other mentions (2: passing, ad reads, own books)
“in our little play we had Thomas Paine there who wrote Common Sense and inspo for the Declaration”
“Even a utility of randomness in an increase sounds like a book title you should write. What would be a good band name?”