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

This heavy volume is, foremost, a history book, as it says, and so it is laden with sometimes tedious examples, excerpts, facts, and dates - but it has a distinctive purpose: to counterweight the majority of our historical works, which Zinn believes tend to be too sympathetic of states and dismissive of people. In other words, it is a conscious effort to shift the perspective of American history to those who have, in the United States' approximately 230 year history (and prior), been marginalized, oppressed, forgotten, or otherwise victimized. While he devotes plenty of space to deploring the actions and attitudes of governments, Zinn mainly focuses on People's movements - rebellions, protests, strikes, dissent - the essential motivating force behind democratic change. In a sense A People's History is a compassionate history, in that it does not dismiss war and violence and oppression as necessary events in light of our present situations. But its greatest purpose, it seems, is its attempt to override the many still-common American myths, including - but not limited to - that the country's founders had pure, righteous intentions; that politicians were once honest and fair; that unjust military intervention is a recent blemish; and that, in general, our country needs to return to its old values. This book is dense and extensive; for those looking for a shorter path to cynicism, Zinn recently released an illustrated version.

IMPORTANT
4 out of 5
Buy this book: A People's History of the United States: 1492 to Present (P.S.)