History as Mystery (Paperback)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Parenti (Democracy for the Few, etc.) argues that history is written by the victors, and he doesn't like it one bit. That's mostly because, as a progressive, his sympathies lie largely with history's losers. Historians, Parenti insists, have promoted gross miseducation across the board, abandoning "what really happened" in favor of a "pro-business, anti-labor" view of history. In his effort to "set things right," he turns, first, to the writings of historical textbooks, blaming "the powers that be"Ahistorians, publicists, publishers, Publishers Weekly, the culture at largeAfor sustaining a "mainstream orthodoxy." Parenti then turns to Christianity's suppression of paganism, seen microscopically in Constantine's silencing of Porphyry, to conclude that, as with all hegemonies, Christian teaching and preaching is really just an "ideological justification for the worldly interests of a ruthless slaveholding class." The problem is that Parenti is a much better complainer than he is an explainer. He's at his best when he localizes his argument in a chapter that takes on the "strange death" of President Zachary Taylor. Only there is the mysterious process by which speculation transforms into official record given ample analysis. Parenti wants a people's history, not just another account of the "gentrification of history." Yet the actual story here is slanted, jumbledAtailored to fit Parenti's all-too-familiar contentions, illustrated at times with bullet points. (Sept.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Parenti, a self-styled "progressive" thinker, seems to be telling us that history is written by the winners. How original! This one-sided emotional screed repeatedly sets up straw men and then knocks them down. For example, Parenti asserts that the Catholic Church often propped up the oppressive status quo during the Middle Ages. Does any serious student of history need to be reminded of that generally accepted assertion? In his dogmatic insistence on finding a proslavery conspiracy behind the death of Zachary Taylor, Parenti crosses over from paranoia to absurdity. Yet, this is a book worth reading. For objective scholars, it provides a window to the workings of a mind hog-tied by ideology. The general reader may find that some of the less extreme speculations provide interesting food for thought. In any case, this book serves as a useful reminder that the paranoid style in politics is alive and well at both ends of the political spectrum. Jay Freeman --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: City Lights Publishers (January 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0872863573
• ISBN-13: 978-0872863576
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #537,242 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Deserves to be a classic, December 29, 1999

By	Drew Hunkins (Milwaukee, Wisconsin) - See all my reviews

This an absolutely sensational book that deserves to be read by a wider audience than it will probably get. Parenti touches on traditionally taboo subjects and sheds a whole lotta light on them. His section on the religious inquisition is outstanding along with the analysis of how powerful mainstream intellectuals have white washed the death of Zachary Taylor. If you have time to read only one history book all year make this the one.

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars And the truth shall set you free, January 6, 2000

By	The Reverend (Denver, CO) - See all my reviews

I've read several of Parenti's other books, and I avidly absorb Chomsky, Zinn, etc. So the fact that I was thrilled to get this book for Christmas (from my Mom, who no doubt didn't look inside or she'd have been horrified by the critique of the Church) should come as no surprise. Parenti writes in a very comfortable style that is more accessible than Chomsky while retaining a very academic approach. I think this makes his work far more readable for the average person and certainly for people who are just approaching the field of progressive thought (such as my wife) and aren't ready for for the more analytical style of Chomsky. The subject matter I was quite familiar with before reading it, but it was nice to be able to reference the footnotes and have easy access to supporting documentation for my arguments with people who believe anything they see on TV. Thanks for a wonderful book, as usual, Michael!

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting, August 30, 2001

By	C. Ammons (Pittsburgh PA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Readers of Zinn, Chomsky, Herman etc will find little new in reading this as other works by Parenti but this takes away little in the entertainment of the read. Like other Parenti books 'History As Mystery' is filled with many delightful facts rarely mentioned in mainstream history and scholarship. Aside from the distasteful apologetics of lenninism and the soviet union much of what Parenti says is highly accurate and relevant. The most novel chapter I feel was the one on Zachary Taylor being poisoned. Parenti makes a strong case for this being a possibility but does not do a good job linking this to the 'bias of modern historians.'
I have to admit however that I was somewhat dissapointed in 'History as Mystery.' I found little value in two chapters discussing the oppressiveness of the catholic church in the middle ages, and although the chapter on 'pyschopolitics' is highly amusing it is somewhat dated. A better Parenti book to read I feel would be 'Against Empire' which does a wonderful job debunking the ideas that the 'US only cares about world democracy' and that empires are artifacts of the ninteenth century. I got this book for 5$ at a used bookstore. Although not the best (in rhetoric or information) radical book I feel it was worth the cost!