Americas
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A People's History of the United States
THE CLASSIC NATIONAL BESTSELLER
"A wonderful, splendid book-a book that should be read by every American, student or otherwise, who wants to understand his country, its true history, and its hope for the future." –Howard Fast
Historian Howard Zinn's A People's History of the United States chronicles American history from the bottom up, throwing out the official narrative taught in schools-with its emphasis on great men in high places-to focus on the street, the home, and the workplace.
Known for its lively, clear prose as well as its scholarly research, itis the only volume to tell America's story from the point of view of-and in the words of-America's women, factory workers, African-Americans, Native Americans, the working poor, and immigrant laborers. As Zinn shows, many of our country's greatest battles-the fights for a fair wage, an eight-hour workday, child-labor laws, health and safety standards, universal suffrage, women's rights, racial equality-were carried out at the grassroots level, against bloody resistance.
Covering Christopher Columbus's arrival through President Clinton's first term, A People's History of the United States features insightful analysis of the most important events in our history. This edition also includes an introduction by Anthony Arnove, who wrote, directed, and produced The People Speak with Zinn and who coauthored, with Zinn, Voices of a People's History of the United States.
"A wonderful, splendid book-a book that should be read by every American, student or otherwise, who wants to understand his country, its true history, and its hope for the future." –Howard Fast
Historian Howard Zinn's A People's History of the United States chronicles American history from the bottom up, throwing out the official narrative taught in schools-with its emphasis on great men in high places-to focus on the street, the home, and the workplace.
Known for its lively, clear prose as well as its scholarly research, itis the only volume to tell America's story from the point of view of-and in the words of-America's women, factory workers, African-Americans, Native Americans, the working poor, and immigrant laborers. As Zinn shows, many of our country's greatest battles-the fights for a fair wage, an eight-hour workday, child-labor laws, health and safety standards, universal suffrage, women's rights, racial equality-were carried out at the grassroots level, against bloody resistance.
Covering Christopher Columbus's arrival through President Clinton's first term, A People's History of the United States features insightful analysis of the most important events in our history. This edition also includes an introduction by Anthony Arnove, who wrote, directed, and produced The People Speak with Zinn and who coauthored, with Zinn, Voices of a People's History of the United States.
Editorial Reviews
"[A People's History of the United States is] one of the most important books I have ever read in a long life of reading...It's a wonderful, splendid book--a book that should be read by every American, student or otherwise, who wants to understand his country, its true history, and its hope for the future." - Howard Fast
"Professor Zinn writes with an enthusiasm rarely encountered in the leaden prose of academic history, and his text is studded with telling quotations from labor leaders, war resisters and fugitive slaves. . . . [It] should be required reading." - Eric Foner, New York Times Book Review
"Howard Zinn's work literally changed the conscience of a generation. And the series of 'people's histories' derived from this great work have provided new understanding of who we are and what we should aspire to be." - Noam Chomsky
"A brilliant and moving history of the American people." - Library Journal
"A brilliantly written story about the U.S. through the lives of those too often overlooked." - Time magazine
"Professor Zinn writes with an enthusiasm rarely encountered in the leaden prose of academic history, and his text is studded with telling quotations from labor leaders, war resisters and fugitive slaves. . . . [It] should be required reading." - Eric Foner, New York Times Book Review
"Howard Zinn's work literally changed the conscience of a generation. And the series of 'people's histories' derived from this great work have provided new understanding of who we are and what we should aspire to be." - Noam Chomsky
"A brilliant and moving history of the American people." - Library Journal
"A brilliantly written story about the U.S. through the lives of those too often overlooked." - Time magazine
Readers Top Reviews
I know very little American history other than that gleaned from films and TV and thought this would give me an easy-to-read overview. Let's just say it enthralled and appalled me in equal measures; however, I now have a deeper understanding of some of the issues affecting a large proportion of the American population. I say that while acknowledging the many horrors and injustices perpetrated by British colonial expansion.
Michael McKenna
I have always taken the view that a summary but valid means of assessing a country is to view the numbers of people trying to get in as opposed to the reverse. As an Irish person, this has enabled a more positive view of my country in recent decades. And so I have always been positively disposed towards the US, a country I have visited many times and been in probably half the states. This book provides a convincing and totally more negative perception. And definitely worth reading!
Benjamin FranklyM
Beginning with Columbus' in 1492, Howard Zinn gives us a history of Amerika from below. From the framing of the constitution the game has been rigged in favour of the elite, the rich, the political establishment and business - especially BIG business. A relentless struggle of poor rich folk against the huddled masses by any means possible, including murder, secret surveillance, ballot rigging and vested interest lawmaking.I knew some of the history before reading this addictive account, but much of it was new to me. Immigrants from the Mayflower onwards, regardless of ethnicity, ruthlessly exploited for their labour and denied decent wages, housing and working conditions. The struggle continues to this day,and every day the USA becomes more and more polarised. "I wonder who they are, the men who really run this land........."
Benjamin Frank
What a disgraceful one it is to, mind you the UK's social history is not much more edifying than theirs. Only that their treatment of their people has been more brutal than our's has been. It is absolutely ridiculous spending over fifty percent of their GNP on arms, mind you what do we need two aircraft carriers for? and then building up the national debt by importing goods from China that could be produced in the US, and therefore creating more jobs. And creating more money to be available for spending on welfare, and the infrastructure of the country.
Professor Hussain
Everyone needs to read this book. To say it is eye-opening would be an understatement. It is one of the rare history books that tells the truth about America. The genocide of the Native Americans, slavery, exploitation of the poor whites, government controlled by the corporations, wars fought purely for business interests, plus much much more. There is also this myth that America's politicians have only recently being influenced by corporations, money and greed when in fact the truth is they have been corrupt from the very beginning. Jefferson, Washington, Adams were not any different from the current crop, they were all crooks. Howard Zinn is a truly remarkable and brave man for having the courage to write such a masterpiece.
