Book Review: A People's History of the United States
A People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn, published by Harper Collins, 2005. Paperback, 768 pages. (Amazon)
Late in Howard Zinn's immensely popular "alternative history" of the United States he clarifies his intentions in writing the book, the "prospect - for the first time in the nation's history - of a population united for fundamental change." Leading up to his hope for "the coming revolt of the guards," Zinn acts like a deprogrammer, breaking down what most Americans have learned about their country only to build it back up with the truth as told by the people, the other 99% of the country without power and riches. Where most textbooks and histories center on the Presidents and others as saviors, the author looks to the unspoken: Native American Indians, slaves, women, those that were treated unjustly and those that revolted against these supposed saviors. It's an illuminating yet unsettling book, one that should be required reading in the US as early as high school, if not for those abroad.
Zinn acknowledges the fact than any history will be biased, even if it sticks to facts, because all histories must omit other facts in order to tell a story. That most histories have omitted those accounts of the people and focused instead on the white males with money and power, Zinn was driven to the enormous undertaking of shifting American history's focus. Starting with Columbus's "discovery" of the New World, the author goes beyond the long known but played-down bad acts of the sailor to give us detailed accounts of the genocidal violence that would continue for hundreds of years. It is these first-hand accounts of various atrocities that make up a lot of the book, giving it a powerful weight but also making the flow a bit choppy at times. Continuing through slavery, the rise of unions, women's equal rights, Zinn keeps the focus on people's stories, though his coverage of the 1960s and 70s takes aim at the country's leaders and their drastic acts, shifting this focus ever-so-slightly before it returns in the greedy decade that followed. The newest edition adds a couple chapters on the Clinton presidency and the 2000 election, further proof that the country's history of violence and greed is alive and well, a breeding ground for Zinn's "coming revolt of the guards."
Late in Howard Zinn's immensely popular "alternative history" of the United States he clarifies his intentions in writing the book, the "prospect - for the first time in the nation's history - of a population united for fundamental change." Leading up to his hope for "the coming revolt of the guards," Zinn acts like a deprogrammer, breaking down what most Americans have learned about their country only to build it back up with the truth as told by the people, the other 99% of the country without power and riches. Where most textbooks and histories center on the Presidents and others as saviors, the author looks to the unspoken: Native American Indians, slaves, women, those that were treated unjustly and those that revolted against these supposed saviors. It's an illuminating yet unsettling book, one that should be required reading in the US as early as high school, if not for those abroad.
Zinn acknowledges the fact than any history will be biased, even if it sticks to facts, because all histories must omit other facts in order to tell a story. That most histories have omitted those accounts of the people and focused instead on the white males with money and power, Zinn was driven to the enormous undertaking of shifting American history's focus. Starting with Columbus's "discovery" of the New World, the author goes beyond the long known but played-down bad acts of the sailor to give us detailed accounts of the genocidal violence that would continue for hundreds of years. It is these first-hand accounts of various atrocities that make up a lot of the book, giving it a powerful weight but also making the flow a bit choppy at times. Continuing through slavery, the rise of unions, women's equal rights, Zinn keeps the focus on people's stories, though his coverage of the 1960s and 70s takes aim at the country's leaders and their drastic acts, shifting this focus ever-so-slightly before it returns in the greedy decade that followed. The newest edition adds a couple chapters on the Clinton presidency and the 2000 election, further proof that the country's history of violence and greed is alive and well, a breeding ground for Zinn's "coming revolt of the guards."
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