Thomas Paine's War by Jack Kelly ~ a Review

by Donna Huber

In 1776, one man’s words—and the determination of American patriots—allowed our nation to survive its first crisis.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

January 2026; St. Martin's Press; 978-1250331939
audio, ebook, print (352 pages); history nonfiction

As we approach the 250th birthday of the United States, we are facing challenges to the experiment our founding fathers began. The two movements in our history that I believe really speak to the time we are living in are the revolution and the civil rights movement. We throw around a lot of comments about what our founders thought and did in those early years of the Republic, but I'm not sure how many of us have really examined the history.

A few years ago, I reviewed Jack Kelly's book God Save Benedict Arnold, so when I saw he had a new book, and it was about Thomas Paine, I knew that I needed to read it. I know a little about Paine as he was covered in my American history classes. I knew he wrote Common Sense, but very little else.

I'm particularly interested in understanding the decisions and thoughts that led the people of the revolution to stand up for what they felt was right. Starting a revolution can't be an easy decision; we learned in God Save Benedict Arnold that many Patriots were still assuming some kind of compromise would be reached, not that independence was the goal. How do they reach the decision that revolution is the only option, and how do you get people behind that cause? 

Paine was instrumental in answering the latter question. I'm not sure I realized how much until I read Thomas Paine's War. 

Kelly brings the person to life, and he no longer feels like just another name in the history book. We learn of his childhood experiences that formed his character and worldview.

I really liked the chapters that were devoted to when he was writing his essays. I got details I didn't know about the circumstances around the time he was writing Common Sense and later The American Crisis. I'm not sure I ever knew he wrote the second essay - if it was ever mentioned in a history lesson, I had forgotten. I'm glad that the full text of that essay was included in the appendix. I think that essay could easily relate to our time (if you took out the specific examples regarding General Howe). I hear echoes of his broader ideas and encouragements in today's rhetoric. 

Paine's role in the war was more as a motivator or morale officer (if there had been such a thing in the 1770s). He was not a military strategist or infantryman. He served as an aide or secretary - often putting his writing skills to use by helping senior leadership clarify the information they were conveying in reports. 

As he had little direct involvement in the battles, I wasn't expecting there to be so much information about specific campaigns. I guess I should have, as in the previous book, Kelly gave context to what else was happening in the war, even when Benedict Arnold wasn't involved. The battles described in Thomas Paine's War were exciting - Kelly's delivery is not what you find in a boring textbook. Even though they were exciting and detailed to the point that you felt like you were in the field with them, it was these parts that I liked the least. It has more to do with my motivation for reading this book than with how Kelly wrote it - if you enjoy going to (or participating in) war re-enactments, then you will love these chapters.

Whether you are an American Revolution history buff or, like me, want to understand the history behind our nation, this is definitely a book you will want to read.

Buy Thomas Paine's War at Amazon

Donna Huber is an avid reader and natural encourager. She is the founder of Girl Who Reads and the author of how-to marketing book Secrets to a Successful Blog Tour.

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