Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong [Paperback]

Some have claimed this book has an agenda. What book doesn't? The question should be, Has the author adequately defended his agenda? I believe, for the most part, he has. No open-minded reader will leave this book without something to think about. Even if you disagree with many of the author's points, you will most likely agree with many of his more general complaints about textbooks.

The major flaw with this book is that it is boring. The author attacks history textbooks for being boring, yet is sometimes boring in his book. However, the book is interesting more often than not.

Final Verdict: Not perfect, but worth the effort. 3.5 Stars.

Loewen's main thesis is that American History textbooks (mostly for high school courses) are often bland, boring, and sometimes just plain wrong. Textbooks do this for the sake of convenience and to avoid discussing issues which would make America or individuals look bad. Loewen examines twelve American History textbooks commonly used and discusses passages which avoid the facts, gloss over them, or sometimes state an outright lie.

The first chapter starts with Helen Keller and Woodrow Wilson. Who knew that Wilson was against women's suffrage, that he was a staunch racist, and that he sent troops to fight in the eastern Soviet Union and Mexico? Loewen also discusses Helen Keller's adulthood as a socialist.

Loewen supports his facts with copious endnotes from numerous sources. Although some sources seem to be more credible and mainstream than others, it is clear that Loewen's statements are well bolstered and are based on rigorous scholarship.

Other chapters cover Christopher Columbus, the first Thanksgiving, the treatment of Native Americans/American Indians by white "settlers," racism in America, the unknown actions of the federal government, and Vietnam. The final two chapters also discuss why history is taught this way and how to change it.

Some reviewers have criticized the author for liberal bias in his book. After reading the later chapters, I do agree that some liberal bias exists. Loewen certainly does not have much positive to say about Vietnam, Barry Goldwater, or Ronald Reagan. I also feel that some of Loewen's phrasing about Vietnam (written back in 1995) is coincidentally similar to some phrasing used by some liberals today regarding Iraq, which is also a reason why strong conservatives may find LMTTM to be subconsciously distasteful.

The real problem with LMTTM is that Loewen's version of the truth is not perfect (to his credit, Loewen is gracious enough to admit this in his book). Loewen's defense of John Brown as a sane man willing to die for his beliefs could be easily misused by a fanatic who wished to bomb an abortion clinic. And how far should history books go in advertising the tragic flaws of our heroes? If high school students only remember the sensationalist stories from history, they will remember only that Thomas Jefferson owned slaves, that Martin Luther King and John F. Kennedy committed adultery, and that Charles Lindbergh was a Nazi sympathizer.

All that being said, Loewen's thesis overall is correct, and he presents it clearly and factually in a way that is thought provoking and easy to read. Perhaps if we teach the whole truth about history, we may find some uncomfortable spots, but we will have a history we can really be proud of. I recommend this book to all but the staunchest Republicans. Enjoy!