Since this book is fairly heavy, I’ve decided to read a chapter a day. Two chapters in and I feel I’ve already learned more than in every American History class I was ever forced to take in grade school.
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The book is all about working class people’s history of the US and in general, the working class have been abused, down trodden and manipulated by corporate Amex which is never discussed on MSM or literature. Corporate Amex has never been truthful or honest in its history. Nothing positive there!
It's been a tough go for the working class. Still, in it's 300 years, America has treated the "working class" better than any country in human history.
Name a country that has treated or civilization that has treated the "working class" better. You can't. America is the most prosperous civilization that has ever existed, even for the "working class."
This is one of the most important books I’ve ever read. Seriously. I introduced my daughter to it when she was going into high school and I feel strongly this helped shape her ability to reason and question in real time.
Love that book. I used to work in a county jail and would keep a couple copies to loan out to the incarcerated individuals there. Always sparked fascinating conversations.
I'm not certain, but vaguely remember hearing an interview with Matt Damon. He said Howard Zinn was a neighbor or family friend as he was growing up. That's the connection, I think.
Also, there's the scene in Good Will Hunting, i think the first session with Robin Williams, where he just casually throws out a reference to it. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ZtiZBt9BLnw
There's a lot of back-and-forth about audio books vs reading pages. This is an excellent example of "sometimes it doesn't matter" - Any way you choose to get this content into your brain is worth the effort.
But one way is read to you by Matt Damon while you watch clouds drift by in the park.
Originally read this on Kindle. Once I heard about Amazon shenanigans with Kindle content, I bought the hardback version so Jeff & friends can't revise it. Some day I'll do a comparison.
I so loved that book, it's funny to think that high school American History (depending on your state, of course) only barely scratches the surface of what has really happened in this country.
There's plenty to be horrified over, but there is so much to learn from and be better than from there.
I bought this so I could teach my fifth graders more substantial history lessons, but then I moved schools and don’t teach history anymore. Is it worth the read regardless? Its been collecting dust on my bookshelf 😅
That's as far as I got. Shit is dark, and I'm the type of person who inherently must share knowledge. This is the kind of knowledge people don't like me to share.
Now that you brought it back to my attention, I'll continue w the audio version.
My high school History teacher read us excerpts from this book like 20 years ago. Sad to think the new textbooks are getting farther and farther away from the truth
Was required reading for AP US history years ago (maybe still is). While it is good it's important to realize that as much as "normal" history books are biased, that this one is also biased.
It's an important tool in the belt but don't fall down the rabbit-hole of allowing it to be the *only* tool.
There's also an adaption for kids called A Young Persons History of the United States. I've read both and actually prefer the one for youth. It's more digestible and has interesting photos and illustrations.
This is the best textbook on American history that I’ve read. I made sure that my daughters’ high school history teachers taught from this book. And they did without my asking. It is quite dense and could take a year to get through it. Zinn also taught at Spelman College.
I read the entire book in my HS history class, and I live in Texas of all places. When people talked about the school system being shit I assumed that was an exaggeration, apparently I was just a very lucky outlier.
Their is the funny thing that when it is you who makes the decision to learn. You tend to find it much more enjoyable, and the information retention is higher.
That one will upset your apple cart. There are things we've believed about America all our lives which become impossible to believe once you've read it.
I'm listening to the audio book. It is eye opening to see that NOTHING has changed and what I learned in school barely scratched the surface of our history. I think this is a must read for everyone.
It's a great book. Im almost finished with it and yes I learned a lot..especially the part where the United States knew Japan was going to surrender ..but went ahead and dropped the atomic bomb anyways..and much more in that book
In my daughter’s HS she had a teacher that asked if they wanted it taught along w what she had to teach. Kids went for it. It was more work but my daughter still talks about how doing so changed her brain for the better
American history has been taught as propaganda since John Quincy Adams traded the fledgling American Public Education System to the Congregational Church in return for votes.
It is a great book, however, he never provided any footnotes or sources for his assertions. Quite a bit of material is questionable. Again, It's a great book with a lot of important themes .... but it's not a really reputable on a fact by fact basis. Its a shame he did not footnote it.
I’m reading this right now, as well! So informative and well-written, but also (yes) heavy. I am reading a little bit here and there when I can (toddler reasons), but hope to finish it this month.
I started this today and I feel like I have learned more about science than in all of high school. This author also did a book on the human body which will be my next read. I will look for a used copy of the one you are reading, looks right up my alley.
An awesome book! I was lucky enough to have Professor Zinn sign my copy! As Matt Damon’s character said in Good Will Hunting, “That will blow your hair back.”
Our AP teacher showed us zinn and another book similar that had a more positive depiction of the US and had us compare them. Kinda miss school some days
This is a most enlightening history of the USA which we so seldom see on this side of the Atlantic. I read it in one go many years ago when I was first getting to know USA & keep returning to it as a reference book. Follow my own book reviews on substack
As a historian, I would urge caution and read other sources as well. In WW2, when the Japanese conquered most of Asia, they rewrote all the works in Japanese and burned the originals.
Not saying they changed anything, like, 11th century European Roman Catholic monks, but no way to know for sure
Just start. You’ll find out that the way you can absorb it is in bits. You’ll have to process it over time.
Because you will be amazed what you had concerns about just aren’t being taught.
If only we valued that knowledge more and our school boards fought for it to be taught.
Zinn writes in a way that’s easier to digest. Read at your own pace, but one I consider an essential read (and one to put an extra copy of into your loan lending library)
This in one I keep going back to by listening to with Audible.
It explains perfectly how poorly we’ve gone about operating this nation.
It illustrates the horrible way that we as Americans treat each other.
It informs us that we repeat the same social mistakes and refuse to learn.
We had to read this in school. As you can imagine, forcing 14 year olds to read a 500+ page history book did not undo the first 14 years of classes...or the next 4
This is the history your teachers wish they could have taught. It’s probably what made many of your history teachers fall in love with history. I’ve been teaching for 30 years, and I know that’s true for me.
#criticaltheory #criticalracetheory
Yes, I too was soo lucky my highschool history teacher had the forethought to require this alongside the standard textbooks. Just want to point out this is the Critical Race Theory that trump & desantis n co hate so much. Zinn is a treasure. Think critically✨💖✨
This book is not CRT because it doesn’t discuss how US laws and the constitution support and legislate (legalize) racism and how they are intertwined. It’s more in deSatan’s category of “woke”.
I have to keep going back and listening again. Sure I forget some but it’s also because it’s so astounding to learn it.
The part describing how settlers illegally encroached into treaty areas within weeks was the real reason for failure to protect native people.
The govt tried.
People broke em.
I read it as an adult and it is extremely heavy. With that being said, I feel it should be required reading for high school seniors because the way history is currently taught is not conducive to us moving forward in an honest way as a country.
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But one way is read to you by Matt Damon while you watch clouds drift by in the park.
Edumatch-publishing.myshopify.com
There's plenty to be horrified over, but there is so much to learn from and be better than from there.
You definitely should read that after this, if you haven’t already.
Now that you brought it back to my attention, I'll continue w the audio version.
Dammit.
I went to the shelf to find it, and also found this. I should probably reread them both.
It's an important tool in the belt but don't fall down the rabbit-hole of allowing it to be the *only* tool.
I knew messed up stuff happened. I didn't know how much and how recently.
😁
https://youtu.be/lLgIIjnpZyU?si=Orr5rguyyhzJNwbW
https://www.undergroundbookemporium.com/product/the-exploding-whale-and-other-remarkable-stories-from-the-evening-news
"The history that made America, and the history America made up."
https://vimeo.com/403664803
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgern586-wE
You'll never look at the Anglo-American Empire the same...
Icon indeed
If only I could redo my public education NOW.
>explains events in context and in more detail- actually teaching you more then school
>saying America had a war with Spain and thinking you learned a lot but you just did not care about history in 12th grade
I assume it’s in the 1st category
Oliver Stone also did a great documentary. Can't remember the name of it.
Not saying they changed anything, like, 11th century European Roman Catholic monks, but no way to know for sure
Because you will be amazed what you had concerns about just aren’t being taught.
If only we valued that knowledge more and our school boards fought for it to be taught.
It explains perfectly how poorly we’ve gone about operating this nation.
It illustrates the horrible way that we as Americans treat each other.
It informs us that we repeat the same social mistakes and refuse to learn.
Yes, I too was soo lucky my highschool history teacher had the forethought to require this alongside the standard textbooks. Just want to point out this is the Critical Race Theory that trump & desantis n co hate so much. Zinn is a treasure. Think critically✨💖✨
The part describing how settlers illegally encroached into treaty areas within weeks was the real reason for failure to protect native people.
The govt tried.
People broke em.