Publisher's Synopsis
'The mind once enlightened cannot again become dark.' As an English corset-maker's son, Thomas Paine was expected to spend his life sewing women's underwear. But as a teenager, Thomas dared to change his destiny, enduring years of struggle until a meeting with Benjamin Franklin brought Thomas to America in 1774 - and into the American Revolution. Within 14 months, Thomas would unleash the persuasive power of the written word in common sense - a brash wake-up call that rallied the American people to declare independence against the mightiest empire in the world.
