Customer Reviews

A People's History of the United States

5 star:		(212)
4 star:		(70)
3 star:		(34)
2 star:		(32)
1 star:		(60)

 

 

I have a few things to say to those who are quick to attack Zinn for this book being biased. well OBVIOUSLY! Didn't you read the book? He admits openly that the book is biased. It is a reaction to the biased history books that are shoved down our throats in school. Except this time, we get to read a biased book coming from the other perspective, therefore by reading both biases, one can decide for themselves which side they feel prevails over the other, or whether they are completely in the middle. Also, in regards to those who were complaining that Zinn targets the US and doesn't mention the pitfalls of the USSR and China- read the title again- A People's History of the UNITED STATES. What did you really expect? It's really quite offensive and narrow-minded to throw out words like "liberal" with such scorn and state that those who like the book are Communist/socialist/extremists. Some of us who are true scholars are just in pursuit of the truth, which cannot be achieved by putting history in a box and sticking with what you are comfortable with. Some of us are not afraid to admit that we found insight and intrigue in something that ::gasp:: goes against the conservative, blind patriotism and sugar coating of too many people the the United States. I really recommend that people read this with an open mind. By ignoring the past, we are quickly moving toward a society with very dangerous ideals. Using the Bible to justify slavery was wrong, but using it to discriminate against homosexuals is ok? By examining the past, perhaps we can do something about the future, before it's too late and we make the same mistakes again.

This is an excellent book when looking for the truth about America and it's history. There are many out there that claim that this book is a lot of nonesense. They do not want to look at reality.

This country was founded on blood, sweat and tears of amazing men and women. Men and Women who wanted to see their dreams live on, who wanted to be free from the tyranical rule of England. What they dreamed of, is not the reality of America. Our government is all about greed, arrogance and getting more. It does not care who it has to step on to get it. Not even it's own people. This book takes care to note that the America we were striving for did not come to fruition.

Jefferson, Adams, Washington all said when it comes to foreign policy stay out of it. We get right in the middle of it. We start wars with countries that just want us to leave them alone. We take money from our poor and give it to our rich. We let people become homeless and sick so that our American Corporations can make another buck by outsourcing our jobs. We do not take care of our old, our sick, and our poor. We think about me, me, me. How can I get more? How can I get better? Not how can I help out!

We ALL as a country need to come together and fix the wrongs that have been made. We need to say "No more!" No more to big business, No more to outsourcing, No more to cheap, expendable merchandize, No more to leaving our people in the street to starve and die! NO MORE!

If you think that this great country is great, you need to look again. Look at how a new world order is in the making. Look at how we're losing our middle class. Look at how we're losing our freedoms, our privacy, and our right to choose. The direction we're moving in is not the one that I want to go in, and I know if our founding fathers were alive to see this they'd be taking the next boat out to parts unknown.

We need to take responsibility for what we have done, what we continue to do, and what we need to do. We need to apologize for stealing this land. We need to apology for having Mrs. Smith's only son Johnny killed in a War we had no business being in. We need to apologize to the middle easterners and get the hell out of their (see that? THEIR) country. We need to stop spending money on surveys and studies on things no one cares about and start spending more money on Education, Medical Costs, Prescriptions, Creating Jobs for our Citizens. We need to pay attention to America and it's people. Zinn points this out every step of the way in his book.

THIS IS A MUST READ!

This is for the man from the Soviet Union - true Communism is not what you had in the Soviet Union. To say that Marx's doctrin did not pan out in the USSR would be like saying that you used Apples in a Cherry Pie and couldn't understand why it wasn't a Cherry Pie. The USSR called it Communism but it wasn't. It was more of a Dictatorship with some Capitalism thrown in (Yes, I did say Capitalism - if you don't believe me go read some more history).

An absolutely jaw dropping account of our history. Rather than including blacks, natives, women, immigrants, workers and the poor's history in this book, I would say that Zinn basically excludes rich white men's history. The difference is beyond dumbfounding, its terrifying.

Indeed, this book is as scary in its implications as it is in its accounts of history. When 95% of books, television, and music come from exactly the people Zinn omits from this book, the phrase that comes to mind is "propaganda is to democracy - what violence is to totalitarianism."

A great book exposing the bias, propaganda, racism, oppression and murdurous nature inherent in our system.

Read.

Howard Zinn doesn't claim to say the absolute truth. And neither should any serious historian. Of course he has a point of view, which is something that should be beyond criticism in any postmodern society. As for the ones that feel unconfortable with Zinn (and Chomsky, Gore Vidal and the like): it's absurd to say that siding with the downtrodden, with the humble, with the conquered and with the minorities (who made the US but them?) is equally as biased as siding with the privileged, the rich and the mainstream. The latter is what any history book does and nobody seemed to frown till not very long ago. Now has come the time to overcome this by denouncing the injustice that has piled up for so long. Because the only chance the real people have in finding their proper side in history is through histories like this one, where they're not ignored but strenghtened as the real protagonists of this we call history, otherwise mummified by president-only textbooks. It's a great achievement not only for its neccesarily radical content but because it's an amazingly entertaining read, something not many mainstream historians can boast of.

Like several fellow reviewers, this text was assigned to me for a university American history class. Initially I was quite taken with the text, as Howard Zinn is an excellent writer, capable of taking complex ideas and threads and binding them into coherant highly readable prose that is peppered throughout with many damning quotes.

The problem for Zinn is that his text is unabashedly biased. He makes this unflinchingly clear early on and readers will note that he takes a prolonged look at the "little guy" and those classes that are oppressed or otherwise enduring hard times - such as Native Americans, the African slaves, or other downtrodden classes. Likewise, readers will quickly note that Zinn has a pronounced socialist bent to his writing, and is remarkably hostile towards notions such as nationalism or war. That said, despite the issues I might personally take towards the authors ideas on these and other issues, Zinn does something extremely important. This is a text that will often force the reader to look at things at a way they hadn't done previously - seeing the growth of railways west through the eyes of the plains natives for example and as such, is an important piece of historiography.

Those that aren't interested in taking such a view, or just wanted a standard text on American history should look elsewhere. Zinn, while a great writer doesn't do justice to many parts of American history that other texts will most likely do better.

I have noticed a lot of critics saying that this book neglects to mention America's achievments, that it is biased, liberal, radical, revisionist, communist..ect. But the point that these people are missing is that this book is intended to be biased. It is intended to be read as a supplement to the standard textbook American history. For my High Schol U.S. history course, we read this book as well as a more traditional and general text. This allows us to view American history with a very open and critical mind. It allows us to question history as well as the historian reciting it. What Mr. Zinn is trying to do is give us an alternate perspective upon America. A perspective that many of us are blind to. This book is to read with an open mind. Not with a liberal or conservative one. Whether you agree with Howard Zinn or not (I know I have disagreeded with him many times during the course of this reading as well as been in total concensus with) this book provides insight into America's past that many people need to hear. One certainly shouldn't jump to the conclusion that this book is the true American history because it is a very specific and biased one. The book should be read with a traditional history in mind. But one should also not disregard the ideas that this text has to offer. Obviously it has flaws. It was writen by a singal person with his own perspective on America. But every history book I have ever read (as a high school student that is many) has its flaws and its bias. That doesn't invalidate what information it has to offer though. I believe this book should be a standard in classrooms to be read with a more standard U.S. text.

Tough book to review. His bias is clear, but he is also upfront about it. I feel the greatest flaw of the book is that it paints history in incredibly "good vs evil" colors. While attesting to narrate a history of the American people, Zinn is also willing to portray much of America as remorseless villains. His portrayal of police forces make them seem as humane as stormtroopers in Star Wars. While the "underclass" have names and inspire sympathy the police forces and conservatives are faceless drones whose only role in history is to step over others. Then violence of his favorites is always justified implicitly while all other forms of violence are a symbol of tyranny. In this he falls in the same flaw he critiques, American history may at times glorify the American role and gloss over its failures, Zinn commits the same mistake in the opposite direction greatly focusing on American failures and forgetting its virtues.

Zinn's book has also very little comparison to other countries, American racism, poverty and misogyny is never placed in a historical context. America's reality becomes always compared to an unexpressed ideal; with no allowance for a period of development in any historical scenario. For instance read Gordon Woods "The Radicalism of the American Revolution" for a completely different view on the American Revolution (and much more comparative to the eighteen century reality of the world).
The book also becomes even more childish as it approaches more modern periods, while in from the Jacksonian and the Progressive era Zinn was willing to basically list the strikes happening in America (again without contrast to foreign comparisons, British for example), as he tries to explain quickly his views in modern American society his lack of arguments becomes more apparent and the superficiality of his so ambitious work is made more evident.

This is also very Marxist rendition of history. Class struggle dominates, and the charming explicative simplicity of Marxist analysis of history is ever present (along with is implied superficiality), along with a good dose of paranoia on the abilities of Big Brother over the centuries. The good and bad guys are so obvious in Zinn's History that all that he could do to make it more so was to dispense white and black hats as the old Westerns did.

Why three stars then? Well the book is also very passionate and a very fast read. Although I greatly disagree with the philosophy in it, this is a very clear presentation of it. The very influence of this book and its views on the American historiography and debate makes it a very important read. Those who agree with everything Zinn says really should read more in depth views of history that can greatly challenge this thesis, while those who can't read it at all must open their minds for the incredible value of the questioning (whether at times sophomoric) that Zinn can create.

Professor Zinn has written an easy-to-read, very comprehensive history and herstory from the points of view of people who have not really been heard, including (but not limited to) native Americans, people of color, females, immigrants from all over the world and the not-so-wealthy-or-powerful.

He exposes what has actually occurred and occurring, although much of this information is carefully NOT taught or even mentioned in most of the schools and media in the U.S. (I guess it's not considered polite to acknowlege any mistakes!) It is very well-documented and fascinating reading.

Virtually every paragraph will have your jaw dropping and your mind boggling, but this book should be read by EVERY American, because the truth is required to make the changes we so desperately need to make!

This is the history we all should have had access to from the beginning. Thank you, Professor Zinn!

I just ordered another three copies of this book and I have owned dozens of them. It is my favorite gift to young people because it is a history they don't usually read and a necessary balance to what they are spoon fed as American history in school. I have one granddaughter who just graduated high school and starts college and I want her to read this book first. History is written by winners which is why a history about the real movers and shakers of history, the masses who suffer under the yoke of the ruling classes is necessary. It is one of the best books about history ever written because it is the most honest and balanced (yes, balanced because the right has already had their turn) presentation of an often ignoble history. Thanks Howard Zinn. (See other quotes and references to the works of Howard Zinn and other progressive issues in egalitarian-progressive portals at:
http://pnews.org/)

Anyone who cares at all should take the time to read this book. If you are frustrated or unhappy about the current state of our country and the world, this book is one you must read. Also, as you look at the multitude of good (and some not as good) books regarding the current state of America, you may wonder, "where should I start?" Go no further, invest in this book and get the best basic education possible. It will open your eyes (unless they are glued shut). It will allow you to think more clearly, more coherently, and be more openminded about what you are seeing and hearing. It is also a book so good, I plan to read it again. Enjoy!