Customer Reviews

A Young People's History of the United States, Volume 1: Columbus to the Spanish-American War

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1 star:		(2)

 

 

For so many groups of people who never got a chance to see themselves in history textbooks, Zinn's A Young People's History is a gem. Far from being "leftist" or "radical," his book tells this nation that it is ok to confront the less-than-humane paths America has taken on its quest for world recognition.

This book and its companion Volume 2 are the perfect introduction to US history. Based on Zinn's larger work, this focuses on a younger audience. It is informative and provides prospective that is different than the material taught in schools. Every child in the US should read these books.

I need to speak here to the review(s) attempting to discredit Howard Zinn's work and the assumptions that if you attempt to introduce an alternate perspective (or a range of different perspectives) counter to that of the dominant narrative that all of sudden that viewpoint is subject to "bias." It assumes, for one, that there is even such a thing as an "unbiased" historical account and it neglects that most of our "unbiased," "fair," "balanced," "truthful" historical accounts are actually written from a very particular cultural perspective that has been vested with the immense power to have their version elevated to the status of officialdom (ahem, it is after all called 'HIStory.' Oh, but there couldn't be any bias in that, right?). That Howard Zinn's account of history be any more biased and untruthful than more "official" versions of the story is laughable to me. All that Zinn was attempting to do with this book (and others) was introduce a different story told from the perspectives of those whose voices and experiences have not been allowed to penetrate the fortress walls of "the cannon." Is opening alternate and multiple vistas to our children really so threatening? What are we afraid they will learn? Heaven forbid they be critical and engaged citizens in our society!!

As with all of Mr. Zinn's works, this series is clearly written and thorough. Mr. Zinn's writing is very readable, it is always reminiscent of his own pace and phrasing as he speaks. I had been hoping for something like this for a long time. I have given away quite a few copies of The People's History of the United States, but was at a loss for what to do for younger readers. It was proposed by a friend that these books are so constructed and easy to read and understand that maybe even one of the still-confused right-wing supporters might be able to finally get it. In the U.S.A. all most people get is a highly inaccurate and mythologized public school American History education. It is no wonder that they fall victim to Fox news and the propaganda machine of the present regime. They have no frame of reference to weigh facts and spin. They might even actually believe that "They hate us for our "freedoms" and other laughable sound bites. Events do not occur in a vacuum. Truthful history is all we have to clarify and help us learn to prevent the mistakes of the past. The young are our hope so they must be informed.

My 15 year old needed this book for her Honors American History class over the summer. Couldn't find it anywhere! Thanks to Amazon, we got it quickly and she read it within a week, finished her 4 page report on it in no time at all.

This is NOT a history book. Facts are ommitted, opinions made to sound like facts. An attempt to brainwash American youth. Trust students to form their opinions by providing all the facts, which this book clearly DOES NOT!
As an Elementary Social Studies Teacher I am disguisted.

This book presents a biased and inaccurate history of the US. In Zinn's eyes America is the source of evil in the world. This is historical revisionism and political correctness at its worst. Instead of this, I would recommend "A Patriot's History of the United States" by Schweikart.