Beginning with paines life and ideas and following their vigorous influence through to our own day thomas paine and the promise of america reveals how while the powers that be repeatedly sought to suppress defame and most recently co opt paines memory generations of radical and liberal americans turned to paine for inspiration as they endeavored to expand american freedom equality and democracy. But the purpose and promise of america a phrase kaye uses repeatedly was never meant to be exclusively american the whole world would benefit from and follow americas lead in a search for justice for all quoting paine kaye states that america is the country from whence all reformations must spring p 73. Thomas paine and the promise of america by harvey j kaye is a biography about the famous english american political activist during the american revolution mr kaye is an american historian currently working as the the director of the center for history and social change at the university of wisconsin. Harvey j kaye has given us the tom paine that americans urgently need a fearless rabble rousing radical who hugely advanced the cause of freedom scrupulously researched wonderfully written thomas paine and the promise of america is a book that has found its time