729 pages
English language
Published Aug. 7, 2003 by Perennial Classics.
Known for its lively, clear prose as well as its scholarly research, A People's History of the United States is the only volume to tell America's story from the point of view of -- and in the words of -- America's women, factory workers, African Americans, Native Americans, working poor, and immigrant laborers.
If you want to know where we are, you need to examine where we came from. By looking at the lives of many ordinary Americans throughout history we can get a better idea of this and a better idea of what needs to be done. Incredibly engaging and relevant to this day
i love you Howard Zinn
Had to DNF this. It's not that the material is bad or not interesting. I think maybe the writing is just too....disengaging for me, and the subject matter is a little too broad. Not a bad book. Just not for me.
disclaimer: it's been a very long time since I've read this.
I normally like this sort of book, as I am happy to read about the dark side of history that often gets covered up, but I found it just awful, honestly. It had a very negative take on America in World War II that, frankly, just does not strike me as deserved, and I actually remember I gave it up in sheer disgust at around that point. America has committed many atrocities, but (reluctantly!) going into the war against Hitler who was literately committing genocide is definitely not one of them, and certainly not an act of imperialism when we were attacked by Japan first and decided to defend ourselves!
The bomb was regrettable, but very understandable why people would worry Japan wanted to fight to the last and be motivated to drop it: if you've ever read ANY …
disclaimer: it's been a very long time since I've read this.
I normally like this sort of book, as I am happy to read about the dark side of history that often gets covered up, but I found it just awful, honestly. It had a very negative take on America in World War II that, frankly, just does not strike me as deserved, and I actually remember I gave it up in sheer disgust at around that point. America has committed many atrocities, but (reluctantly!) going into the war against Hitler who was literately committing genocide is definitely not one of them, and certainly not an act of imperialism when we were attacked by Japan first and decided to defend ourselves!
The bomb was regrettable, but very understandable why people would worry Japan wanted to fight to the last and be motivated to drop it: if you've ever read ANY shonen work of fiction from Japan, you kinda get the vibe that fighting to the very last is a huge fucking part of their culture. There is some confusion over whether Japan might have really wanted to surrender, but only a very biased author would prevent this as a sure thing.
This book is just completely determined to present America as imperialistic - which it often is - even in scenarios where this presentation makes no fucking sense.
Books that talk about the truths behind historical events away from the sanitization of the status quo are wonderful. Using that concept to push outright lies and twisted facts so you can sell a book is NOT.
I don't care what narrative an author is trying to push: writing falsehood as actual history just to sell books with the wave of interest over an interesting topic isn't ethical. It erodes the entire fact that we love to study and discuss history not just for entertainment but preservation. Zinn is not preservation but a rewriter of truth for money.
I wouldn't accept this kind of shady misdirection and lack of proper citation from anyone, whether Zinn, Cambridge or Sesame Street and neither should anyone else.
Not a short read, but very interesting.
This is a different version of history than the one I knew.
Zinn is clearly not trying to be evenhanded, but this volume is a great counterbalance to any standard American history. Engagingly written, still timely.
A very interesting look into a side of this country's history that isn't often talked about in school, etc.
History told from the perspective that really matters to most of us: The people. A scorching take off how the US have been built, and never relented from being a built to the world, set up and in favor of white rich businessmen for their own gain, and milling the bones of people to that end.
This book is filled with info and everyone should read it. But I will not lie. It packs so much in that it gets a bit tedious at the end.
I think it is silly to say that this is a people's history, since the people he is talking about don't write history, rather communist professors do. There is some interesting stuff in here, but it is overall quite tiresome; in summary, poor people, or ethnic minorities, or working class people, take it in the shorts.
What an amazing read. Every student in every public school in the nation should be required to read and study from this book.
