Simon Schama is Professor in Art History and History at Columbia University in New York.

At last the truth hits millions on British television

Simon Schama: 'A History of Britain'

BBC 2 Television: 28th May 2002

Many thanks for having the courage to tell the truth about Thomas Paine. Slowly but surely the British people are finding out just how badly they have been deceived by their corrupt Christian leaders and teachers.

The headmaster of my grammar school in Bristol (QEH) had a first class honours degree in classics. He was our history and divinity teacher. He made sure we never found out about the work of the great Greek scientists and philosophers and especially the English philosopher Thomas Paine's fight for freedom in the 1790's - 'Rights of Man' and 'The Age of Reason'.

To say people are getting fighting mad at this mental child abuse is a gross understatement. Mental child abuse must now carry the same penalty as the physical kind.

Michael Roll: The Campaign for Philosophical Freedom in a country where the Church and the State are still established

Web site: www.cfpf.org.uk

The BBC's site for A History of Britain by Simon Schama

Programme 12 of the series explains the historical significance of Thomas Paine:

"Nature was turned into a revolutionary idea by radicals and poets like Thomas Paine and William Wordsworth, and events across the channel following the fall of the Bastille initially seemed to point a way forward for Britain."

The BBC's Thomas Paine site, a profile by Professor John Belchem:

"Thomas Paine was a driving force in the 'Atlantic-Democratic revolution' of the late 18th century, personifying the political currents that linked American independence, the French Revolution and British radicalism."

Kenneth Griffith's documentary on Thomas Paine - The Most Valuable Englishman Ever - is available on video. Somehow, this documentary crept past the BBC censors and was broadcast in 1982. All requests to the BBC for a repeat have so far been ignored.

The Most Valuable Englishman Ever - Michael Roll's article about Thomas Paine (1736-1809)
This outstanding tribute to Thomas Paine - "The Most Valuable Englishman Ever" - is taken from Arthur Findlay's suppressed history of humanity, "The Curse of Ignorance".

Thomas Paine links