Synopses & Reviews
In Lies Across America, James W. Loewen continues his mission, begun in the award-winning
Lies My Teacher Told Me, of overturning the myths and misinformation that too often pass for American history.
Lies Across America is a one-of-a-kind examination of sites all over the country where history is literally written on the landscape, including historical markers, monuments, historic houses, forts, and ships. With one hundred entries, drawn from every state, Loewen reveals that:
The USS Intrepid, the "feel-good" war museum, celebrates its glorious service in World War II but nowhere mentions the three tours it served in Vietnam.
The Jefferson Memorial misquotes from the Declaration of Independence and skews Thomas Jefferson's writings to present this conflicted slaveowner as an outright abolitionist.
Abraham Lincoln had been dead for thirty years when his birthplace cabin was built!
Lies Across America is a reality check for anyone who has ever sought to learn about America through our public sites and markers. Entertaining and enlightening, it is destined to change the way we see our country.
Review
"Brims with fascinating history." Christopher Reynolds, The Los Angeles Times
Review
"Jim-dandy pop history....Peppy yet erudite, educational yet a fast-paced read. This is one work of history no one will call boring." Tom O'Brien, USA Today
Review
"A winner by any criteria: informative, stimulating, and challenging. Loewen's wry wit is a welcome bonus." Edwin C. Bearss, former Chief Historian, National Park Service
Review
"Loewen is a one-man historical truth squad....He has written a devastating portrait of how American history is commemorated." Eric Foner, The Nation
About the Author
James W. Loewen taught race relations at the University of Vermont. His previous book, Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong, won the American Book Award, the AESA Critics' Choice Award, and the Oliver C. Cox Anti-Racism Award of the American Sociological Association. He lives in Washington, D.C.