Product Description

An elegant introduction to the making and message of The Rights of Man, the world’s finest defence of republicanism.

Thomas Paine is one of the greatest political propagandists in history, and The Rights of Man, first published in 1791, is the key to his reputation. Inspired by his outrage at Edmund Burke’s attack on the uprising of the French people, Paine’s text is a passionate defence of the rights of man. Celebrated journalist and thinker Christopher Hitchens shows how Paine’s book forms the philosophical cornerstone of the world’s most powerful republic: the United States of America.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #173518 in Books
• Published on: 2006-09-14
• Binding: Hardcover
• 128 pages

From AudioFile
Described as an attempt to marry the ideas of the American and the French Revolutions . . . and to disseminate these ideas in Britain, THE RIGHTS OF MAN is one of the most influential books of political philosophy of the late eighteenth century. Christopher Hitchens, long an admirer of Paines ideas and writings, looks at the context and content of this great work and its influence around the world. Simon Vance narrates with his usual dulcet tone, and his phlegmatic approach tends to smooth out Hitchenss inherent edginess. Those familiar with the way Hitchens speaks may find this book too tame for their taste, in spite of Vances fine narration. K.M. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

From the Publisher
Douglas & Mcintyre is proud to have joined with international colleagues in launching the groundbreaking Books That Shook the World series, in which some of today’s most illuminating and authoritative writers address those works that have resonated throughout history. In each volume, the author describes the book’s conception, gestation, birth and afterlife and examines how its ideas have shaped the outlook and behaviour of succeeding generations. This series will provide an invaluable and approachable primer to some of the world’s seminal works, perfect for informed readers and students alike.

About the Author
Christopher Hitchens is a widely published polemicist and frequent radio and tv commentator. He is a contributing editor to Vanity Fair and visiting professor at the New School in New York.