A People's History of the United States: 1492-Present

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Average customer rating 4.9 (10 comments)

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This should be required reading for every man, woman and child in the United States! I'm a history buff but the first time I read this book when it was first published, I could not believe how much history I had not been taught or learned on my own. He's also an excellent writer. The most exciting part of the book was about how close we came to a Communist revolution of our own at the beginning of the Depression. That's just one of the things to surprise you.

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This is on the list of books everyone should read in his or her lifetime. It is an invaluable history behind the history we all too often get stuck with. Zinn delves into, through an unparalleled use of primary sources, what really happened throughout history when it comes to race, colonialism, and the role the United States has played in often being regressive and reactionary. This book is very good and very readable, and a scholarly account you don't want to ignore.

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A true American classic in the making.

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After 35 years as a high school teacher of American History and a historian of the American Civil War, I found Howard Zinn's book provocative, somewhat controversial, innovative in thought and interpretation, and a fresh look at America's history. Some might say he paints a picture based on revisionism, while others might say it is 'truth' of a long disguised America.

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Most excellent, this book thoroughly describes history in the United States, with special attention paid to the groups that most historical books prefer to ignore.

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everyone who lives in the US should read this one!!

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A Must-Read, for Anyone Unafraid of the Truth! (Is there a "Nobel Prize" in History? The late Zinn deserves It!).  This book--though (thankfully) NO "Ken Burns-style" History--is (at least to THIS Immigrant of 37 years, and a World History Buff), Better, more Instructive, more Accurate and Comprehensive than ANY History Classes I've ever taken, in 2 Countries, and be they Classes and/or Hundreds of Podcasts by "piddly" Universities, such as Stanford, Oxford, UoM (MN). I never did like Burns' PBS "movies," and "specials," anyway,,, they made me Gag in their sugar-ladden ("feel-good") "History." As a Journalist, by Training--and someone addicted to  Philosophy, (particularly Logic, Critical Thinking, etc)--This Writer has found Nothing that has Contradicted my Own Self-Arrived Hypotheses, Theories and Conclusions, in my experience, as a Immigrant to this Country, many of which I'd myself have Written about, while still a University student. Anyone willing to "remove the scales from their eyes," and leave Ideologies at their front door, reading this book with Impartiality, will soon find that--at best--everything... EVERYTHING we've all been taught in School since Childhood, was nothing more than an Idealized "Ken Burns-ised" version  of the Truth.  The late Zinn does not mince words! Nor does he patronizingly treat the reader as Children. Rather, using abundant Documentation and First hand accounts, he lays out the Truth of the United States of America, (indeed, of all 3 American Continents). This is a Book that requires both Reflection, Self-Awareness of Your Own Place in History, Quiet Solitude (I make it my Weekday Breakfast Time), and in little sips. It is NOT a Book intended to be Wolfed Down quickly then forgotten about.  Of course, as Written elsewhere, this book is bound to garner heavy Criticism. After all, who likes to have their Lifelong, Cherished carefully-woven Myths, we were taught, smashed down in the face of Truths--especially, as given by the Voices of those most affected by it, (the People, on Whose Backs History is invariably made)? I for one, prefer THIS over Sugar, any time! This is a Keeper!

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I had to actually read this for a history class and I was shocked at how interesting it is. It offers information that most people don't know. Although it's very biased, it is a informative read.

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the loss of howard zinn is too deep for america. give a copy of this book to every teenager in america and we might have a new group of young people who will take up his flag. long live howard zinn.

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As advertised -- and here's what that means: This IS the "people's history". First, we get glimpses into the lives of the native peoples of our continent before Europeans arrived. That means that the impact of the arrival of the Europeans is twice as meaningful than the Euro-centric half-stories we all know. We have a look at the lives of the Africans before Europeans kidnapped them and forced them into a life -- also illustrated here as never before -- of what we now know is unspeakable suffering. And on, through the immigrants (which we mostly are, after all) and the wars and the struggles and the politics and policies that have brought us to today. Not to worry -- you probably won't hate your country when you're finished reading. Rather, you will have a deeper respect for every American (and aspiring American) and arrive at a far broader understanding of how each of us came to be a part of one United States of America. It's all about point of view, and this assortment of POVs is vastly unique among history surveys. Also eminently readable.