Have you read A People's History of the United States? Would recomend it? why?

Question

Howard Zinn's A People's History of the Unite States.

Answer 1

I have read large portions of it. And I give Zinn credit for his passion, for his generally engaging writing style, and for the places in this book where he brings to people's attention a number of voices many histories slide past (though I do not agree with what he then does with their expressions!)

I MIGHT recommend it as a means coming to understand what a thorough-going, very articulate, radical left viewpoint on American history looks like.

But I would NOT recommend it as a HISTORY text. Zinn is writing a strongly partisan polemic -- and he has frankly acknowledged that. The problem is, if you are not well-grounded in the facts and figures and debates about them you are very poorly positioned to be able to evaluate his critique... to determine what has merit and what will not stand up to scrutiny.

(Incidentally, I have read many a historian whose political views were similar to or friendly to Zinn's --and with whom i would strongly disagree on many points -- but I have much more confidence in their scholarly care. Eric Foner comes to mind.)

Note that for Zinn is not simply highly critical (which it is fine to be) but utterly CYNICAL about the American government throughout its history. The "elites" (the rich, politically powerful, etc) can hardly ever have ANY but the crassest motives. "Big business", the rich, etc, are ALWAYS the bad guys... Those who strongly oppose them (and support policies Zinn favors) , by almost any means, can hardly ever be criticized. (These are, you see "the people" Zinn is writing about. )

And he doesn't worry too much whether he can build a solid case -- he KNOWS, for instance, that various Presidents REALLY went to war, etc. to gain personal power and popularity and/or to help business. Evidence to the contrary is ignored or dismissed.

As a result of this black-and-white filter Zinn is not only critical of those with wealth or power -- he is quick to buy into a host of conspiracy theories. (I noted, for starters, that he is still faithfully following Charles Beard's "economic" interpretation of the Constitution'--which accused the Constitution's authors of acting solely for their own economic self-interest-- decades after it was rather convincingly debunked!)

I will not bore you with other such examples, but I DO recommend the following book reviews to give you a sense:
http://www.claremont.org/publications/crb/id.966/article_detail.asp
http://hnn.us/articles/4370.html

Answer 2

Howard Zinn has had a significant impact on a generation or more of students within the United States primarily through his book, “A People's History of the United States.”

Some consider his writings leaning toward an anti-American perspective with no little revision of history. For some he has become an acquired taste almost bordering idol worship. For others he is a anathema as one who promotes his political views through altered history.

Few people have a neutral view of him or his works.

Answer 3

Yes. But it is not generally well received because of its more radical views of ethnic minorities and the role they played in American history. Personally, I use portions of it in my class every year, especially his portions on African-American history and African-American contributions.