A People's History of the United States - by Howard Zinn

About the Book

Originally published: New York: Harper & Row, 1980.

Book Synopsis

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, it is 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.

Review Quotes

"[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
"Zinn has written a brilliant and moving history of the American people from the point of view of those who have been exploited politically and economically and whose plight has been largely omitted from most histories. Extending its coverage . . . the book is an excellent antidote to establishment history. Seldom have quotations been so effectively used; the stories of blacks, women, Indians, and poor laborers of all nationalities are told in their own words. While the book is precise enough to please specialists, it should satisfy any adult reader." - Library Journal
"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
"In this sweeping book, Howard Zinn tells the story of the U.S. through the eyes of the working class, painting a vivid picture of movements for equality that have often met fierce resistance." - Katie Couric Media