4.26 AVERAGE

pickled_books's profile picture

pickled_books's review against another edition

DID NOT FINISH: 43%

I just haven’t seriously picked this up since last fall and I don’t see myself picking it up again for a while, better to put it down for now and come back later when im more invested.
emotional informative sad slow-paced

The information in this book is phenomenal. I really appreciated the detailed history of the labor movement and the last chapter that this is not a hopeless fight but that it will take all of us. 

This is a phenomenal look at history from those not in power, but it is very dense and slow. This is not an easy read, but it is a good read.
informative medium-paced

isabelreadsmucho's review

4.75
challenging informative reflective fast-paced

siboxall's review

4.5
informative slow-paced
ejrathke's profile picture

ejrathke's review

5.0

Been several years since I read this for the first time. I decided to read it again since I've been somewhat haphazardly going through american history, so I thought it'd be a good time to revisit this big summary. In the intervening years, I've gone through a lot of random historical eras in an equally haphazard and somewhat random way so I think I have a better sense of how this book works.

It really is more of a rapid summary of american history from the perspective of the voiceless, or at least oft-ignored. It's definitely very interesting and insightful counterpoint to what we typically get taught about american history. Also interesting to compare it to books like Ron Chernow's biographies which are very much from the perspective of generals, presidents, and industrial tycoons.

But, yeah, it's all quite fitting with many of the histories I've been reading from a more anarcho-anthropological perspective.

But, yeah, I still find many of the heavy criticisms against Zinn to be more ideological than anything else. Of course, that's the purpose of this book, to represent the ideological otherside of the very ideologically driven history of america generally presented by historians, teachers, media, and politicians.
lon3rston3r's profile picture

lon3rston3r's review

DID NOT FINISH: 48%

Just putting the book on the back burner.
kelseyd_reads's profile picture

kelseyd_reads's review

4.5
informative inspiring medium-paced
challenging dark informative slow-paced

possumappreciator's review

5.0
challenging emotional informative slow-paced