   | Full Text Reviews: Booklist - 09/01/2014 Celebrated author Marrin elevates Thomas Paine from a one-sentence description in a history textbook into a fully realized person: son of a Quaker corset maker and possessor of a sharp memory, a charitable spirit, and an unflinching devotion to causes of liberty. Marrin opens with a brief description of the Enlightenment, followed by a look at Paine’s youth and his immigration to America. The majority of the text, however, deals with his rubbing elbows with other founding fathers, reflecting on important events in the American colonies, and generating wildly popular propaganda for the cause of independence. Marrin also explains the far-reaching effects of Paine’s writings, recounting how he was nearly beheaded during the Reign of Terror in revolutionary France and how his writings were publicly burned in England. Well illustrated, carefully researched, and drawn heavily from Paine’s own works, this work is a straightforward biography of a figure rarely taught to kids, but it also celebrates the power of words and how ideas can change the world. - Copyright 2014 Booklist. School Library Journal - 09/01/2014 Gr 8 Up—Paine penned words more than 200 years ago that still resonate today, and acclaimed author Marrin documents this Founding Father's life and influence, using images, excerpts from primary source materials, and other resources. Within five hefty chapters, Marrin also introduces readers to class conflict, the Enlightenment, the American and French Revolutions, and slavery. Marrin's writing is uneven at times. He engages readers with the discussion of the Reign of Terror and what happened to Paine's body after his death. Elsewhere, the writing is textbooklike, and some statements, such as his comments about American exceptionalism and the Vietnam War, add little to his discussion of Paine. Each image is captioned and given a date, but at least one contains incorrect information. For instance, the caption for a poster that features a picture of Eugene Debs claims that it was used for Debs's campaign. The poster, which is partially cut off, was in fact created in the 1970s, decades after Debs's death in 1926. The author includes an extensive notes section, without image credits, and a suggested reading list of adult titles. Though Marrin is a well-regarded author and historian, this is not his best work.—Hilary Writt, Sullivan University, Lexington, KY - Copyright 2014 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Bulletin for the Center... - 02/01/2015 Marrin’s engaging offering, part biography and part intellectual history, introduces a historical figure who’s a lot more interesting and relevant than readers might have guessed. There’s plenty to booktalk here, from Paine’s personal life (the failed marriage he would never discuss), to his influence in two revolutions (his writing may have underpinned the French Revolution, but he barely escaped France with his life), to his death (drunken and friendless) and its aftermath (his remains were scattered and eventually disappeared). Marrin focuses on three of Paine’s major documents, “Common Sense,” “Rights of Man,” and “Age of Reason,” pulling meaningful quotations for closer examination that demonstrate why revolutionaries loved him, soldiers cheered him, mainstream religion despised him, and presidents continue to cite him. Black and white period reproductions enhance the spacious layout, and source notes, a bibliography, and index round out the text. EB - Copyright 2015 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. Loading...
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