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A review by robbyliftsbooks
A People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn
challenging
dark
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
4.0
To preface, this is great history about US history up until the War on Terror. It’s unabashedly a counter-narrative to American Exceptionalism and the supposedly great men who shaped this country. As such, its reviews are heavily polarized, as Howard Zinn doesn’t hold back on his political opinions.
Instead, Zinn tells the stories of the silent working class, the struggling poor, and the oppressed ethnic and racial minorities. This is a class-conscious book, complementary to the mainline narrative, and I strongly applaud Zinn for his thorough research and well-crafted prose.
With that said, there are some shortcomings. The book is slightly dated, especially towards the end, which is not its fault but more so its publication date. That’s something to be aware of as you approach the ending chapters. My only real gripe is that some sections are flooded with quotes and paraphrases. This makes me lose track of the overarching narrative that Zinn’s trying to articulate.
Regardless, I highly recommend this book as core history reading, as it l brings lots of attention to class struggles, consciousness, and labor movements disregarded in mainline education.
Instead, Zinn tells the stories of the silent working class, the struggling poor, and the oppressed ethnic and racial minorities. This is a class-conscious book, complementary to the mainline narrative, and I strongly applaud Zinn for his thorough research and well-crafted prose.
With that said, there are some shortcomings. The book is slightly dated, especially towards the end, which is not its fault but more so its publication date. That’s something to be aware of as you approach the ending chapters. My only real gripe is that some sections are flooded with quotes and paraphrases. This makes me lose track of the overarching narrative that Zinn’s trying to articulate.
Regardless, I highly recommend this book as core history reading, as it l brings lots of attention to class struggles, consciousness, and labor movements disregarded in mainline education.