Rights of Man Audiobook

" I love to read Christoper Hitchens because he writes with passion while carefully presently solid evidence for his arguments. This little book is a great introduction to Thomas Paine and his battle of ideas and words with Edmund Burke. I was surprised to learn how completely Paine foreshadows the development of liberal democracy with its foundation of using wealth to make life more bearable for all of the citizens of a nation. He wrote about support programs for the young and pensions for the old. Paine influenced the liberal changes in three nations with his writings. Excellent read. "

" Although I do not have many good things to say about Hitchens, one compliment I must pay to him is to give much esteem to his biography writing. Hitchens never seems to miss small historical facts that bridge on fables, and thus, makes any reading concerning historical personalities that much more interesting to read about. This book is especially unique in its recollection of feuds, arguments, and conflicts that followed Paine throughout his life. The writing in this short book is concise yet dense. Hitchens does a superb job summarizing main points that Paine emphasized throughout his work along with depicting who and what may have influenced his thought. Hence, the reader gets an equal dose of information, theory, and historical context. Foremost among such example is the details surrounding Paine's travels, and how the political situations of any given country affected his perspective, and the most famous feuds that served as catalysts for his revolutionary thinking. One may recall here Paine's notorious feud with the father of ideological Conservatism Edmund Burke - a feud which drove much of Paine's responses in his Rights of Man. All in all, the book is a quick read but is filled with Hitchen's penchant for quirky anecdotes, brilliant analysis, and limitless intelligence - he never backs away from making apt philosophical and/or political comparisons and thus demonstrates his commandment of the subject matter. This is done humbly but effectively, all with due respect for Thomas Paine, which is the reason why I relish his historical/biographical writing that much much. "

" Beautifully written account and argument about some of the most important yet forgotten writings. Both Hitchens and Paine I will gladly adopt as Americans. "

" Informative, witty summary of Paine's life and thought; the author obviously cares a great deal about the subjects he discusses. You learn a lot in a short book. "

" love this author. a heady book but a good history lesson. "

" A brilliant overview of Rights Of Man and the life of Tom Paine from a brilliant author. "

" Hitchens at his best; Like Descartes Bones by Russell Shorto, it reviews the legacy of a great among modern thinkers. I have read the Thomas Paine book also but Hitchens' history/biography puts Paine into context. He was a controversial and uncompromising thinker. "

" Very Interesting and accessible. "

" Was familiar with Paine's role in the American Revolution but was interested to learn of his role in the French Revolution and more about "The Age of Reason". "

" Hitchens writes about Thomas Paine's rights of Man book, how Paine wrote it, why he wrote it, what was the consequences of him writing it, and what experiences he had to write it. "

" At a moment when our own administration has difficulty standing up for freedom of speech it's important to read (or re-read) Thomas Paine. Doing so through the eyes and boundless intellect of C. Hitchens cannot be recommended highly enough. "

" A decent analysis of Thomas Paine and his enduring legacy. It helps to have some historical knowledge since Hitchens doesn't spend much time putting things into context. "

" Hitch is the man whatever he does, but this one was lost on me. Brilliant to be sure but I think he saved the meaning for his own mind. "

" Hitchens is a hack with an expanded vocabulary, nothing more. "

" Great stuff! Thomas Paine emerges as a real pioneer for the causes of liberty, justice and human rights. An intriguing character, but still very human. "

" Easier reading than the original. Part of a series: Books That Changed The World. "

" After reading this book, I care less than before reading it about Hitchen's thoughts about anything. Pompous, bombastic, self-absorbed and clueless. "

" A good introduction, biography, and commentary on the works of Thomas Paine. The only annoying thing was Hitchen's intermitten bashing of religion, which took a little away from an otherwise interesting book. "

" A useful juxtaposition of two essential works on revolutionary history. "