Autobiography of a Blue-Eyed Devil: My Life and Times in a Racist, Imperialist Society [Paperback]

Inga Muscio (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 10, 2005

It's just called history, asserts Inga Muscio in her newest book. In fact, the controversial author continues, the so-called history we learn in school is no more than a brand, developed by white men who, often unjustly, won the right to spin their stories as hard facts. With Autobiography of a Blue-Eyed Devil, it's Muscio's turn and she's taking it in order to hip the masses to the truth about the American history they think they know. Whose country is it? Has democracy ever really existed? Why does our culture celebrate certain figures and ignore others? Do schools teach kids to perpetuate white supremacist ideologies? Muscio delves deep to answer these questions, marveling at how personal history is to everyone, while challenging people to expand their thinking on America's past and encouraging them to consider how their own histories might read.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Seal Press (April 10, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1580051197
• ISBN-13: 978-1580051194
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 5.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #855,135 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining, December 15, 2010

By 

Michele L. Possessky (Pa) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Autobiography of a Blue-Eyed Devil: My Life and Times in a Racist, Imperialist Society (Paperback)

I just have to laugh at some of the reviews on this book. Yes, the book is very opinionated but that's what makes the book fun to read. Do I agree w/ everything that is said NO, but I enjoyed reading someone else's point of view. The book if nothing else taught me to open my eyes, not everything you are told or taught is the complete truth. Give the book a try.

12 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars eye opening book, September 20, 2005

By 

Laura Studebaker "wulfemother" (Oak Park, IL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Autobiography of a Blue-Eyed Devil: My Life and Times in a Racist, Imperialist Society (Paperback)

this is one of the most thought provoking books i've read in a very long time. her writing style is intelligent yet very accessable, i have a hard time reading a non-fiction book all the way through if it's not required reading, and this book i was so engrossed in i read it straight through cover to cover in about a week. i think everyone should read this, it might piss you off, you might find fault with some things she says but it's one of the books that makes you re-examine your beliefs, take a look beyond the obvious.

in response to the other reviewer who said history classes are not taught through a historic lense, that may be true for many college and university classes especially if the school tends to be liberal, i think what the author was talking about was specifically history taught in elementary, middle and high school, why else do they still teach that Columbus and all the other conquistadores as heroes that were exploring new lands as apposed to the mass murders and thieves that they reallly were.

10 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars At Times Difficult To Read But An Essential Viewpoint, November 13, 2006

By 

Sal Paradise "ethanallen95" (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Autobiography of a Blue-Eyed Devil: My Life and Times in a Racist, Imperialist Society (Paperback)

This book was at times difficult to read as any book indictive of both American Domestic and Foriegn policy. History is not a pretty and noble rehash of heroic figures and landmark events. It is ugly and brutal, and the people who are called heroes are usually either not as heroic as we make them out to be or total villians. And the truth is something that we tend to overlook in favor of a continued fantasy. I found the most of the reviews to this book are reactionary and defensive. America isn't good to every American, you go into any military hospital, any street corner and see that. Inga isn't the first white author to voice her opinions and facts about American hedgemony and operational racism. Anybody read Derrick Jensen's The Culture of Make Believe? Anybody read any books by Howard Zinn, Noam Chomsky? People don't read enough and what we do read mostly is crap that further advances our misconceptions about what's really going on. And "Amerikkka" term has been in use for years so it's not so "scandalous" It was actually the title of bad 70's movie. But of course if you don't know something you speculate or go with emotion. Whether you agree with Inga or not, you have to read and at least be aware of a different point of view. And don't believe everything you hear, see, or even read. Another point that Inga makes. She doesn't care if you believe her or not, or accept some of the truths she points out. Yes there is still police brutality, Yes our government and system is geared towards people with lots of money and the "right" racial background. Yes there is rampant homophobia, Yes Black and Latino men are heavily discriminated against and it's systematic. By acknowledging these very real problems we can all work towards resolving them. But what I see mostly, (the past reviews) are people burying their heads in the sand and saying everything is all right when it isn't. For certain people this is easy to do, for myself and other minorities, we do not have this luxury.