Howard Zinn on History [Paperback]

Howard Zinn (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 5, 2000

Howard Zinn on History brings together Zinn's shorter writings on activism, electoral politics, the Holocaust, Marxism, the Iraq War, and the role of the historian, as well as portraits of Eugene Debs, John Reed, and Jack London, effectively showing how Zinn's approach to history evolved over nearly half a century, and at the same time sharing his fundamental thinking that social movements—people getting together for peace and social justice—can change the course of history. That core belief never changed.
Chosen by Zinn himself as the shorter writings on history he believed to have enduring value—originally appearing in newspapers like the Boston Globe or the New York Times; in magazines like Z, the New Left, the Progressive, or the Nation; or in his book Failure to Quit—these essays appear here as examples of the kind of passionate engagement he believed all historians, and indeed all citizens of whatever profession, need to have, standing in sharp contrast to the notion of "objective" or "neutral" history espoused by some.
"It is time that we scholars begin to earn our keep in this world," he writes in "The Uses of Scholarship." And in "Freedom Schools," about his experiences teaching in Mississippi during the remarkable "Freedom Summer" of 1964, he adds: "Education can, and should, be dangerous."

Editorial Reviews

Review

• "The thing about Howard is that the history that he taught was not just about losing the official illusions about nationalism, about the heroic figures. It was about telling people to believe in themselves and their power to change the world." --Naomi Klein
• "A welcome collection of essays and occasional pieces by the dean of radical American historians." --Kirkus Reviews, on The Zinn Reader
• "Howard's life and work are a persistent reminder that our own subjective judgments of the likelihood of success in engaging human problems are of little interest, to ourselves or others. What matters is to take part, as best we can, in the small actions of unknown people that can stave off disaster and bring about a better world, to honor them for their achievement, to do what we can to ensure that these achievements are understood and carried forward." --Noam Chomsky
• "Unlike many historians, he was not afraid to speak out about the difference between right and wrong." --Eric Foner, The Nation --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

About the Author

The visionary historical work of professor and activist HOWARD ZINN (1922–2010) is widely considered one of the most important and influential of our era. In his work, including A People’s History of the United States, its companion volume Voices of a People’s History of the United States, and countless other titles, Zinn affirms the power of the people to influence the course of events.

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Seven Stories Press (December 5, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1583220488
• ISBN-13: 978-1583220481
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,375,870 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Howard Zinn (1922-2010) was a historian, playwright, and activist. He wrote the classic A People's History of the United States, "a brilliant and moving history of the American people from the point of view of those ... whose plight has been largely omitted from most histories" (Library Journal). The book, which has sold more than two million copies, has been featured on The Sopranos and Simpsons, and in the film Good Will Hunting. In 2009, History aired The People Speak, an acclaimed documentary co-directed by Zinn, based on A People's History and a companion volume, Voices of a People's History of the United States.

Zinn grew up in Brooklyn in a working-class, immigrant household. At 18 he became a shipyard worker and then flew bomber missions during World War II. These experiences helped shape his opposition to war and passion for history. After attending college under the GI Bill and earning a Ph.D. in history from Columbia, he taught at Spelman, where he became active in the civil rights movement. After being fired by Spelman for his support for student protesters, Zinn became a professor of Political Science at Boston University, were he taught until his retirement in 1988.

Zinn was the author of many books, including an autobiography, You Can't Be Neutral on a Moving Train, the play Marx in Soho, and Passionate Declarations. He received the Lannan Foundation Literary Award for Nonfiction and the Eugene V. Debs award for his writing and political activism.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An Alternative Perspective of History, September 10, 2005

By 

R. DelParto "Rose2" (Virginia Beach, VA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Howard Zinn on History (Paperback)

Howard Zinn's approach to history comes directly from his own life experience. He saw the baby boom part of the twentieth century history evolve before his eyes with major events, such as the Civil Rights Movement and the further activism that occurred thereafter, and the effects of the war on Vietnam with archival work, to name a few. HOWARD ZINN ON HISTORY is a collection of essays and articles previously published in notable journals and magazines, such as the Midwestern Archivist and Saturday Review. Zinn examines topics that have affected him academically as well as personally, and appear somewhat out dated but timeless at the same time because of how much has progressed from the time he originally wrote the pieces.

The book may serve as a teaching tool for a political or American history classes because of its small format. It is the type of book that will raise questions for the casual history reader as well as the any history major. However, there are serious political overtones that resonate with the majority of the essays that may suggest Zinn's revisionist perspective on history, but he exposes the study of history and the sum of its parts. Zinn states: "The scholar may swear to his neutrality on the job, but whether he be physicist, historian, or archivist, his work will tend, in this theory, to maintain the existing social order by perpetuating its values, by legitimizing its priorities, by justifying its wars, perpetuating its prejudices, contributing to its xenophobia, and apologizing for its class order" (p. 167).

Zinn opens the door to history as well as an inquiry into how it is shaped and formed. He probes important topics that have often been overlooked, which raises important questions, what can be considered history, and how long does it take to be history?

1 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Does he even have an editor?, February 5, 2009

By 

M. Moore - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Howard Zinn on History (Paperback)

I have no background in history and do not pretend to know what I'm talking about in that regard. However, when it comes to grammar, I know what I'm doing - and Howard Zinn, apparently, does not. The chapter of this book that I was given (Chapter 8: On Presidential Liars) was the most horrendously written piece of work I've ever read. Please make note of the fact that I read high school essays frequently; I thought I'd seen it all. Apparently, I was mistaken. According to Mr. Zinn, the American people have been "deceived about" much more than we thought, and should all "deep anguish" over it.