Synopses & Reviews
Offering more detailed explanatory notes than earlier versions, this edition reprints together for the first time all of Paine's introductions to the versions published in his lifetime. In his own richly informed Introduction, Claeys elucidates the historical context and the subsequent influence of Paines text, as well as the major problems in interpreting Paines theory. Instructors will find this new edition a worthy counterpoint to the Hackett edition of Burkes Reflections on the Revolution in France, edited by J. G. A. Pocock.
Review
Claeys has done a fine job of situating Paines famous text in the intellectual and practical context, drawing out the most important themes, and referring the reader to the best secondary literature. . . . An excellent textbook for undergraduate courses in political theory. --James Tully, McGill University