A part of my bibliomania concerns how I handle subjects that I want to read about. This isn’t about collecting books. It is about collecting knowledge. That was one thing I could always remember since I was a wee small child. I always wanted to know everything I could about a subject.

I forced my grandmother to read book after book about whales when I was 3 or 4 because I wanted to know more about whales. When I was in fourth grade I got interested in The American Revolution and for the next 4 years I devoured what I could about it. That transformed into an interest in the American Civil War which took me from Eighth Grade up through to graduating Gettysburg College with a BA in History.

If I was interested in it, no matter the subject, I would try to learn as much as I could about it.

This brings me to my new “obsession” if you want to call it that. I was listening on WNYC (you can download the podcast of it at WNYC just search under the Leonard Lopate Show) an interview with Craig Nelson who had just written a book titled, Thomas Paine: Enlightenment, Revolution, and the Birth of Modern Nations.

The interview was quite excellent and it got me thinking about Tom Paine. I read a bit about him during my Revolution Years but not enough to know anything about him. And the more I listened to the interview the more I wanted to know. So off to Barnes and Noble.com I went and picked up a few books about Paine. I also have a few of his writings like Common Sense and An American Crises. I am going to pick up the Library of America Volume on Thomas Paine’s writings as well.

For the next month or so I’m going to be immersed in Thomas Paine study. And I am excited. I want to know more about this usually forgotten Founding Father.

I think when I finish up a few of the books I’ll have a special Weekly Recommendations: Tom Paine Style here at A Gently Mad Blog.