Tom Paine’s War: The Words That Rallied a Nation and the Founder for Our Time by Jack Kelly is a narrative history that follows Thomas Paine’s role in the American Revolution, showing how his pamphlets and his presence with the army shaped both the politics and morale of the struggle for independence.

Paine was born in England and learned his father’s craft, fashioning women’s corsets. He married twice, “ran a tobacco shop, spent time as a tax collector, studied science, participated in blustery tavern debates, worked in an English ship as a fighter, and represented his fellow excisemen in a campaign for higher wages.” Even though he was intelligent, he barely advanced in society. Despite his struggles in England, he remained tough, confident, and courageous. So, he tried his luck in America, arriving in November 1774. He crossed the ocean to advance in a new world, but he never imagined that he would be engaged in a war that his own writings helped initiate.

Paine was a true radical, a man ahead of his time. He argued for the abolition of slavery, women’s rights, the redistribution of wealth, and social and political equality. He viewed religion as hypocritical and advocated for freethinking. During the revolution, he joined the war efforts. He marched with Washington’s army and served as the secretary of General Daniel Roberdeau, writing military orders for the fort’s troops.

The book centers on Paine’s essays Common Sense and The American Crisis. These essays attacked the British monarchy over colonial taxes and argued that Americans should be self-governed. Kelly has structured the narrative in chapters that alternate between battlefield scenes and Paine’s personal and intellectual life. He also follows ordinary soldiers like young Joseph Plumb Martin to show the human cost behind these battles.

To write this book, Kelly searched historical and government archives, letters and memories of officers and common soldiers who witnessed the battles and retreats, biographies, Paine’s pamphlets and papers found at the Thomas Paine Historical Association, and period newspapers and magazines. One of his goals was to emphasize the power of written words. He discusses how Paine’s plain prose helped persuade colonists to rebel against the British rule and fight to gain their independence. Paine’s ideas and moral courage were crucial to the Revolution’s success. Another objective was to restore Paine’s reputation. Due to his connection to the French Revolution and his critique of religion, Paine was described as an infidel, atheist, and fanatic. Kelly presents him as an original thinker and founder of American independence. Lastly, as a tribute to the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, the book addresses the current political debates over democracy, social justice, and the voice of ordinary citizens.

It will appeal to historians, researchers of the American Revolution, and anyone who likes military stories.