About the Book
In America the law is king.
In 2026 we mark the 250th anniversary of America’s founding, with the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. But, if not for the inspiration of an influential pamphlet published earlier that year, Thomas Paine’s Common Sense, Thomas Jefferson’s words and the Continental Congress’s revolutionary act might never have occurred. Common Sense in the Age of Trump provides a vital update to Paine’s and Jefferson’s rejection of tyranny and the corrupt rule of kings.
The United States is descending into authoritarian rule. We are witnessing the liberties our forebears fought and died for be stripped away daily. Thanks to Donald Trump and this would-be king’s enablers, we the people are the targets of economic injustice, politically motivated prosecutions, and deadly violence, while the president lines his pockets and wages illegal foreign wars. Two hundred and fifty years of hard-won progress are in jeopardy, and we risk losing our Republic. But it’s not too late, not while we can still act to combat it. In Common Sense in the Age of Trump, the authors meticulously detail the crimes and misdeeds of the Trump administration while offering practical, effective actions to fight back―to keep our Republic.
ADVANCE PRAISE for COMMON SENSE IN THE AGE OF TRUMP
“Drawing on the spirit of Thomas Paine’s stirring 1776 pamphlet, Common Sense in the Age of Trump offers a passionate defense of constitutional democracy and the freedoms it protects. Its critique of authoritarianism is matched by a deep faith in freedom of expression, the rule of law, and the power of engaged citizens to hold leaders accountable. Timely, thought-provoking, and deeply patriotic, this book is a call to civic engagement at a moment when democracy itself is being tested.”
—Anthony D. Romero, Executive Director, ACLU
Common Sense In The Age of Trump:
A Guide to Keeping Our Republic
104 pages
ISBN-10: 1938938836
ISBN-13: 978-1938938832
Dimensions: 5 x 0.26 x 8 inches
Language: English
Publication date: August 1, 2026
Authors: Ronald Collins, Paul Sparrow, Russell Huxtable, Amy Marasco
WHERE TO BUY
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Meet the Authors
Ronald Collins
Ronald Collins is a retired law professor and author or coauthor of 13 books. He was a law clerk to Oregon Supreme Court Justice Hans Linde and thereafter served as a Supreme Court fellow to Chief Justice Warren Burger. He is the Lewes Public Library’s Distinguished Lecturer and cofounder of the History Book Festival.
Paul Sparrow
Paul Sparrow is a writer and historical consultant; the former director of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum; and a deputy director and senior vice president at the Newseum in Washington, D.C. He is an Emmy award–winning television producer and author of “Awakening the Spirit of America: FDR’s War of Words with Charles Lindbergh” (2024).
Russell Huxtable
Russell Huxtable is a Delaware State Senator and former nonprofit leader. His work has focused on affordable housing, capacity building, and expanding opportunities so communities can thrive, and democracy is seen as a shared responsibility.
Amy Marasco
Amy Marasco is an accomplished public servant who builds consensus and common-sense solutions for her constituents. She served on the town council and was vice mayor of a rural Virginia community, and now serves as the mayor of Lewes, Delaware, the first town in the first state. She is the coauthor (with Ronald Collins) of “250 Years Ago, the Seeds of Dissent Stirred in Lewes,” National Constitution Center website (August 20, 2025).
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ABOUT THE PUBLISHER
Top Five Books, was founded in 2008 by editors Jennifer Barrell and Alex Lubertozzi, with the mission of bringing exceptional fiction and nonfiction to discerning readers. As a small press, we focus on a select number of books that deserve to find an audience.
With more than 40 years of experience in the book publishing industry between us, we know how to publish books well. And we see a need in the book industry for more publishers who are selective in what they publish, but who also develop, package, and market their books with as much care and expertise.
Top Five Books is located in Oak Park, Illinois, just outside Chicago—the hometown of Ernest Hemingway, Edgar Rice Burroughs, and now, us. We are proud to be part of a community with rich literary heritage and to continue that tradition by publishing books that leave an impact.
ABOUT THE EDITOR
Alex Lubertozzi has been an editor and writer since the late 1900s. From 2000 to 2003, he was an editor at Sourcebooks, a Chicago-area independent publisher, where he managed its mixed-media imprint and co-led the trade line of general nonfiction and fiction. In addition to editing a wide range of books (including Poetry Speaks, The Second City, The Trials of Lenny Bruce, and My Fellow Americans), he coauthored The Complete War of the Worlds (2001, with Brian Holmsten) and World War II on the Air (2003, with Mark Bernstein). In 2008, he cofounded Top Five Books, where he continues as publisher and co-owner, publishing a range of fiction, nonfiction, and fine editions of classics. He has also written for numerous books and magazines, having had his short fiction appear in The Arcanist and Sundial Magazine, and he published his first novel, Any Other World Will Do, in 2021. He lives in the Chicago area with his wife and son.