A People's History of the United States
By Howard Zinn
- Release Date: 2010-01-26
- Genre: History
Description
Since its original landmark publication in 1980, 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 — its citizens. Looking at history “from the bottom up,” historian Howard Zinn shows that many of our country’s greatest battles — for a fair wage, an eight-hour workday, child-labor laws, health and safety standards, universal suffrage, women’s rights and racial equality — were carried out at the grassroots level, often against bloody resistance. From Columbus’s arrival through the 2000 election and the War on Terror, A People’s History of the United States features insightful analysis of the most important events in our history.
Howard Zinn (1922-2010) was a historian, playwright, and activist. He wrote the classic A People’s History of the United States, which has sold more than two million copies and was featured in a documentary on the History Channel. His other writings include the play “Marx in Soho” and his autobiography You Can’t Be Neutral on a Moving Train. He received the Lannan Foundation Literary Award for Nonfiction and the Eugene V. Debs award for his writing and political activism.
“One of the most important books I have ever read in a long life of reading ... It’s a wonderful, splendid book — a book that should be read by every American, student or otherwise, who wants to understand his country, its true history, and its hope for the future.” — Howard Fast
Reviews
A People History
1By FICaz USAComplete and utter garbage and nonsense. Left wings nuts will love it as as it verifies their beliefs without a scrap of truth behind it.Very informative; great read
5By godzulu lxVery seldom do you come across a book that enlightens you, burdens you, uplifts you, and challenge you all at once. This is an educational trip for those who are proud to be students, ever learning, all the days of their lives.A People's History
5By DLBM7Every U. S. citizen should read this book!!!Inaccurate & misleading!
1By Chad M. HutchesonWhile some of the 'history' in this book is true much of the information is highly misleading and anyone with a high school diploma should be able to realize that much of this is fabricated. If I publish a book and name it (American History:the real truth) and state that George Washington was really an alien spy most who gave this a five star rating would agree with me, and the while this is a sad fact it does not make it true. Simply believing something does not make your beliefs the reality if you put those beliefs into print.Terrible
1By Someone2153The whole point of this book is pointing out the flaws in America and saying why it is the most oppressive country it focuses on a lot of Christopher Columbus correct? Well Christopher Columbus never even landed in the United States and it focuses on Portugal and the Spanish when they came here 150 years before the United States this book is not credible at all many historians have proven Howard to be wrong😩😫😭😴😠😡
1By DominiqueeeeeeeeeeeeWorst book I have ever read in my life! It made me want to kill myself 😩One Trick Pony
1By sweetspacemonkeyThis books gets old really quickly. Everything is some sort of war of imperialism including -- US entry into WWII and liberation of Western Europe. This is when I really lost it. How blind and dogmatic do you have to be to try a one size fits all approach to history. Give me a break and get you head out of your...Fantastic book, awful audiobook
1By RcrdNnnzI purchased the audiobook to help me because I have a visual processing disability. I was disappointed to find that the audiobook reads only the latter part of the book. I’ve had to hire someone to read me the first part, and for that reason I’m rating it low.It's simply not sound.
1By BenGilstrapThere are 2 kinds of historians: those who think leaders lead and those who think the masses lead. Zinn is one of the latter. He went to the archive with the presupposition that the masses are the driving force of history, and that's what he found. He told a monolithically left-wing academic establishment exactly what they wanted to hear in the 80s, and they still love the sound of it today. But it's not sound history because no matter how much he may want ordinary people to drive historical causation, the ordinary must be lead by the extraordinary. Simply put, nothing happens until the big names get on board and thaw the lead.If you want to see what the communists thought...
1By alec *ad*****then read this book. This guy finds a way to attack the US and capitalism on every page.The People History Of United States
5By ShoworkerThis the best book I read very good for people want to know why thing seen to stay the same great book MR ZinnRead it and learn!
4By Riotgreen🐸Absolutely worth the read. It is a different look at history that has a realism textbooks lack. We read this book in my history class at a very large respected university and used this text as a different perspective. History may be about the great deeds of men but don't forget about the atrocities that also occurred too!EXCELLENT BOOK!
5By ToyBoat78Within the first chapter I was hooked & I had so many emotions throughout the reading of the text. It was amazing to have the propaganda & jingoism chipped away & the truth exposed. If we don't know our history we are bound to repeat it & as I read through I could clearly see all the DRAMA we are seeing today is nothing new. Zinn shows we have come a long way but we still have so far to go. I noticed some scathing reviews of this book, calling it socialist & one "person" making some snide reference to Mr. Obama & it's clear the ruling class has done a rather successful job of creating a divide that clearly still exists. You gotta love the white privilege that refuses to believe that their great country could do any wrong, those who would choose to continue to ignore what has been proven to be fact, who remain willfully ignorant & those are the people who worry me. This book should be required reading across this great nation.Socialism
1By Historyman007I was required to read this book for school, along with a comparison, A Patriots History of the United States. This book is 100% based of a socialist/communistic view of the US. Mr Zinn obviously does not appreciate the sacrifices made so that he and his comrades can make this great country look like the bad guy page after page after page of one sided biased historical story telling.A great counterbalance to the official establishment history of America's school systems!
5By KrfwalkerThis book delivers a terrific insight into history that needs to be understood by all! Well worth the effort of working through the 768 pages!TRUE HISTORY
5By Wild Angel 88America is not perfect. He tells us why. From slavery, to a horrible history with all the workers,whom formed unions primarily because of dangerous conditions, slave wages, no insurance etc. who sadly slave under a capitalist system that benefits from the undermining of the less privileged, and profit because of it. To uncovering the veil on many wars that were just lies to benefit a few, and manipulated all. To the unjust & terrible crimes committed by America's greatest hero & discoverer Christopher Columbus. Who promised to return with riches but since there were none returned with slaves. Truth is found on every page.Over..and over..and over..
4By StudiocarpEvery change in the society of America was perpetrated by the rich to take advantage of the poor. Repeat ad nauseum. I have no doubt that this is true, but it also comes as no surprise. Save time. Read the first fifty pages then read them again, and again, and again.Slanted
1By ScottyboltNever before have I read a historical piece with such an obvious agenda. This is simply a pessimistic social commentary, which would be fine, except that it is passed off as an unbiased account. For the same reason that you would not read a history America written by Rush Limbaugh, you should not waste your time with this book.Finally, a true account
5By ImanreeseThis book is a must read for all Americans
