Anyone here read A People's History of the US by Zinn?

[bleedingheart]

I am reading it...(slowly as I have so much going on in my life right now)...but I can't help but see how we are just reliving history at this time.

The current Iraq war and the plight of workers and the widening divide of the poor and rich reminds me so much of the 1880-1920 period of history. Even the references to the Spanish American war and the push for expansion/colonialism and how it was pushed by many industrialists. The labor unions viewed these acts as a way to divert attention away from critical issues facing Americans.

Eventually people get sick of it and when you piss off the masses it backfires. I keep thinking that if history is repeating itself in about 20 years we may see far more "socialist" programs than were promoted and instituted 80 years ago....due in part to backlash within the community. They key thing we seem to be missing today are national figures who will pick up the torch for the people...

Reading this book just gets my blood pressure up ...and it makes me long for a modern Haywood or Debs...

[mattclearing]

1. Yes...it's a great book.

Took me the entire summer of '02 to get through. Excellent book.

[acmejack]

2. Fabulous Book.

A good populist upswelling would be timely indeed.

[Reverend_Smitty]

3. I've read it

it's my favorite history book, Zinn really captures the plight of the common man. It's the stuff they don't teach you in school, but I agree history appears to be repeating itself again

[bleedingheart]

5. I have learned so much about American History from this book

more important lessons than memorizing the names of battles in the Revolutionary war.

The entire section on the Renter Uprising in NY was all new to me...

[mongo]

4. It was one of the textbooks for my daughter's American history class

Daisy home-schooled our daughter.

[meganmonkey]

12. Further proof that all home-schoolers

are crazed fundies :P

That's so great. Every High School kid should have to read it to counter the crap in the normal textbooks :thumbsup:

[bleedingheart]

14. I am going to recommend it to our School Board for the

High School Students....

[Luminous Animal]

16. My husband and I homeschool our daughter, too.

And Zinn's book was the only text book we used in order to teach U.S. history.

[MamaBear]

6. My Book Club Read It

The Moderates were Progressives by the time we were through. We did a chapter a week. By the time we got to the chapter on VietNam, there were no more moderates, though nobody had dropped out.

We were all amazed, and a bit dismayed, at how our "excellent" public education had let us down by not teaching us about the labor movement, among other things. (We were all in our early 50s -- this would have been about six years ago, just pre-*).

I have recommended it numerous times since.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

7. columbus - and we still celebrate that man's actions.

amazing.

[mattclearing]

10. My company doesn't let us off for Columbus Day, so whenever someone

asks me if I have off, I say, "No, my company doesn't celebrate genocide." :D

[Zen Democrat]

8. I recommend this book to people who think "all is lost" in America.

Because things have been so much worse in our history ... we don't have a clue about the real and true history of the United States.

[bleedingheart]

11. you are correct, things have been far worse

and the book points out the many heroes of our nation who have stood up for the rights of the comman man and woman.

[FreedomAngel82]

9. Yep

I do think we're reliving history as well. I feel dejavu a lot but I also think all of this was supposed to happen for some purpose.

[Taverner]

13. When the baptist church burned this book a few years ago

I knew I had to read it!

AWESOME BOOK!!

[Imagine My Surprise]

21. was this a public burning? Southern Baptists? What a tidbit. Thanks!

[WiseButAngrySara]

15. I haven't read it, but definitely will after reading this thread! Thanks

for the suggestion. It's on my book list.

[zanne]

17. It should be read by every student in America.

When I went to school, many years ago, we were taught the basic drivel about how always fought the good fight and never lost. Our history books glossed over the demise of the American Indian and slavery and made the McCarthy era look patriotic. If they can teach Darwin's theory of evolution and Intelligent design side-by-side, I say we teach Zinn history and standard history side-by-side!

[libnnc]

18. I'm reading it very slowly

writing in the margins, etc. I skimmed it last year but I'm re-reading it this year and taking copius notes. It's amazing the issues and events that Zinn discusses in the book that I never learned about in 12 plus years in public school. I only learned about him in college. I majored in History and was so pleased to read his work.

[KoKo]

19. Yes...it's excellent. Also his "Peoples History of US in 21st Century"

if you don't have the time for the complete history is a good one.

[bleedingheart]

23. I bought that one as well.. and will read it next

[Imagine My Surprise]

20. I loved it...

and it's updated on a regular basis. It's the history behind the bullshit we were fed in school.

It made me realize just how powerful a doctrine "Manifest Destiny" is, and how it continues to in schools even today.

[Dr.Phool]

22. Probably the most important book ever written

I've read it once, but wanted to go through it again.

But every time I buy a new copy, I wind up giving it away. I've been through 5 copies, and still need another one.

[Just Me]

24. It's one of the most informational and,....

,...disturbing books I've ever read. Anyone who wishes to take a gander at history from the perspective of human beings impacted by it must read this book.

I do hope we will soon be entering into a compassion for people stage. I'm tired of the freakin' barbarians in charge.

[bleedingheart]

25. I hear ya!

where is the actually compassion...

there are points in this book where I am just moved to tears....