Dive into American Crisis, a powerful collection of 13 pamphlets penned by the renowned 18th-century Enlightenment thinker Thomas Paine. Published between 1776 and 1783, during the tumultuous times of the American Revolution, this series was curated into a single volume in 1882 by Moncure D. Conway. Each essay, alongside two additional inserts, served to uplift the spirits of American colonists as they fought for independence, urged the English to rally behind the colonial cause, clarified the stakes involved, and firmly rejected any notions of negotiated peace. Filled with memorable quotes, the first pamphlet, Crisis I, opens with the iconic line, THESE are the times that try mens souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Paine, an Englishman residing in the colonies, originally published his works anonymously under the name Common Sense. (Michele Fry)