Tom Paines War, Jack Kelly
Tom Paines War, Jack Kelly
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Tom Paine's War
The Words That Rallied a Nation and the Founder for Our Time

Author: Jack Kelly

Narrator: Jim Seybert

Unabridged: 10 hr 22 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 01/06/2026


Synopsis

Two hundred and fifty years ago, the Declaration of Independence marked the birth of the United States. But two essays of that era appealed even more directly to Americans' feelings. In January 1776, Thomas Paine―a recent immigrant to America―published Common Sense. His straightforward argument upended the fraud of monarchy and dismantled the idea of aristocratic privilege that had dominated the world for centuries. His words convinced Americans that the king had no divine right to rule them―they could rule themselves. He turned a rebellion over taxes and representation into a true Revolution.

Having inspired patriots to declare their independence, Paine enlisted as a militia private. He saw Washington's army suffer grievous defeats. He slogged through the mud with retreating troops to Pennsylvania. There, he wrote The American Crisis, the most stirring rallying cry in our history. It began: "These are the times that try men’s souls . . ." With Paine's words ringing in their ears, Washington and his men crossed the Delaware River and defeated the enemy at Trenton. The battle reversed the fortunes of the campaign and of the Revolution itself. A tribute to the Revolution's 250th anniversary, Tom Paine’s War is a riveting exploration of our nation's birth.

About Jack Kelly

Jack Kelly is a journalist, novelist, and historian, whose books include Band of Giants, which received the DAR's History Award Medal. He has contributed to national periodicals including the Wall Street Journal and is a New York Foundation for the Arts fellow. He has appeared on The History Channel and interviewed on National Public Radio. He grew up in a town in the canal corridor adjacent to Palmyra, Joseph Smith's home. He lives in New York's Hudson Valley.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Brendan on November 20, 2025

I am so used to subtitles being throw away words that I was caught off guard by Jack Kelly's Tom Paine's War. I mean in a good way! While expecting a biography of Tom Paine, Kelly decides to root Paine and his words at the very beginning of the fighting in the Revolutionary War. Washington and his ar......more

Goodreads review by Nancy on December 05, 2025

The purpose of this book is to make the point that words matter and that plain truth can shape history. from Tom Paine’s War by Jack Kelley This lively retelling of Revolutionary War history considers the influence of Thomas Paine’s writing. Paine was a recent immigrant from Britain with a history of......more

Goodreads review by Dr. Alan on November 14, 2025

I have read several books about the American Revolutionary War and find the topic fascinating. How Washington's continental forces were able to overcome the British Redcoats and their hired Hessian mercenaries and eventually win the war is just incredible to me. One figure from that time period is T......more

Goodreads review by Cathy on November 23, 2025

In writing Tom Paine, Jack Kelly has shone light on an American hero who has become famous only for his oft repeated rallying cry. I enjoy biographies more when they try to make the person more real by fleshing out their lives and providing insight into their early lives that shaped them. This biogra......more

Goodreads review by Dan on December 06, 2025

My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advance copy of this history of the American Revolution as seen through the eyes of those inspired by the words of one man, from a ragtag group, to an army filled with hope and the promise of what a country free of oppression and monarchy could be......more