Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime & FREE Returns

FREE delivery Friday, May 20 if you spend $25 on items shipped by Amazon. Order within 45 mins

Only 1 left in stock - order soon.

As an alternative, the Kindle eBook is available now and can be read on any device with the free Kindle app. Want to listen? Try Audible.

[{"displayPrice":"$23.80","priceAmount":23.80,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"23","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"80","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"Hy59g%2BxX8s%2BKGCMG5qJ8PtyplLbxyoUNLNvYkVvBGFsdq%2BPY6l4bzvMuQN42bSY9IBbYOVA4ah%2F1pzOIdgOQHU9MC95nRAX453aljP4A1PGkxc7BwjVt9GgPfu3vJY9tSYhavpECNAymrUxekjvI39LZPwdAxkbi%2Bks5SE5JmbHpKQb6VMhbPGr9FEl8PLSU","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW"},{"displayPrice":"$8.69","priceAmount":8.69,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"8","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"69","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"X%2BWB%2BxDmYbI9VQ0NfFjVvDfWuqUN2pvZ%2B8rBDx5Mq2NhU0i84PudLLlO1nZZox3qpKgAb15xyXdeezogZBbluH2Q1MB%2FKTFU2mCIc9mJNZ7KLqiS7eK2i0Ju%2FVTqUh6xdb37MzzMuRGSBhHl9uRtHW2HdcB%2BeRo3z99bp0e9E6thHPjBJ%2Fnvttljb0RFVwB0","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"USED"}]

$$23.80 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details

Secure transaction

Ships from

Amazon

Sold by

TheSilkRoadStore

Details

Ships from

Amazon

Sold by

TheSilkRoadStore

Return policy: Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt

Add a gift receipt for easy returns

Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime

FREE delivery Friday, May 20 if you spend $25 on items shipped by Amazon. Order within 45 mins

Or fastest delivery Thursday, May 19

Used: Acceptable | Details

Sold by -OnTimeBooks-

Fulfilled by Amazon

Share <Embed>

Have one to sell?

Sell on Amazon

Other Sellers on Amazon

Added

Not added

$24.51
+ $3.99 shipping

Sold by: abundance_of_books

Added

Not added

$29.00
& FREE Shipping. Details

Sold by: CORDER TRADE LLC

Added

Not added

$29.00
& FREE Shipping. Details

Sold by: Monday_Store

Flip to back Flip to front

Listen Playing... Paused You're listening to a sample of the Audible audio edition.
Learn more

See all 3 images

Follow the Author

Howard Zinn

A People's History of the United States Paperback – August 2, 2005

by Howard Zinn (Author)

11,980 ratings

Part of: Modern Classics (4 books)

See all formats and editions

Price

New from

Used from

Kindle

"Please retry"

$13.99

—

Audible Audiobook, Unabridged

"Please retry"

$0.00

Free with your Audible trial

Hardcover

"Please retry"

$27.69

$22.72

$13.97

Paperback

"Please retry"

$13.29

$9.67

$5.72

Paperback, August 2, 2005

$23.80

$15.00

$1.71

Great on Kindle

Great Experience. Great Value.

Enjoy a great reading experience when you buy the Kindle edition of this book. Learn more about Great on Kindle, available in select categories.

View Kindle Edition

There is a newer edition of this item:

A People's History of the United States
$13.29
(11,980)
In Stock.

Enhance your purchase

“It’s a wonderful, splendid book—a book that should be read by every American, student or otherwise, who wants to understand his country, its true history, and its hope for the future.” —Howard Fast, author of Spartacus and The Immigrants

“[It] should be required reading.” —Eric Foner, New York Times Book Review

Library Journal calls Howard Zinn’s iconic 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.” Packed with vivid details and telling quotations, Zinn’s award-winning classic continues to revolutionize the way American history is taught and remembered. Frequent appearances in popular media such as The Sopranos, The Simpsons, Good Will Hunting, and the History Channel documentary The People Speak testify to Zinn’s ability to bridge the generation gap with enduring insights into the birth, development, and destiny of the nation.

Print length

729 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Harper Perennial Modern Classics
Publication date

August 2, 2005
Dimensions

5.31 x 1.23 x 8 inches
ISBN-10

0060838655
ISBN-13

978-0060838652
See all details

Frequently bought together

+
+

Total price:

To see our price, add these items to your cart.

Some of these items ship sooner than the others.

Show details Hide details

Choose items to buy together.

by Howard Zinn Paperback
$23.80 Get it as soon as Friday, May 20 FREE Shipping on orders over $25 shipped by Amazon
Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
Sold by TheSilkRoadStore and ships from Amazon Fulfillment.
by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz Paperback
$12.79 Get it as soon as Friday, May 20 FREE Shipping on orders over $25 shipped by Amazon
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
by James W. Loewen Paperback
$13.99 Get it as soon as Friday, May 20 FREE Shipping on orders over $25 shipped by Amazon
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.

Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
3,678
Paperback
116 offers from $5.70
Chris Harman
355
Paperback
63 offers from $12.58
James W. Loewen
3,482
Paperback
113 offers from $3.30
Larry Schweikart
1,056
Paperback
85 offers from $7.88
Howard Zinn
1,385
Paperback
in Teen & Young Adult 19th Century United States History
116 offers from $1.99
Mary Grabar
841
Paperback
36 offers from $14.71

Popular Highlights in this book

What are popular highlights?

African slavery lacked two elements that made American slavery the most cruel form of slavery in history: the frenzy for limitless profit that comes from capitalistic agriculture; the reduction of the slave to less than human status by the use of racial hatred, with that relentless clarity based on color, where white was master, black was slave.
Highlighted by 2,873 Kindle readers
And in such a world of conflict, a world of victims and executioners, it is the job of thinking people, as Albert Camus suggested, not to be on the side of the executioners.
Highlighted by 2,818 Kindle readers
In two years, through murder, mutilation, or suicide, half of the 250,000 Indians on Haiti were dead.
Highlighted by 2,543 Kindle readers
“The cry of the poor is not always just, but if you don’t listen to it, you will never know what justice is.”
Highlighted by 2,154 Kindle readers

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Known for its lively, clear prose as well as its scholarly research, A People's History of the United States is the only volume to tell America's story from the point of view of -- and in the words of -- America's women, factory workers, African-Americans, Native Americans, working poor, and immigrant laborers.

This P.S. edition features an extra 16 pages of insights into the book, including author interviews, recommended reading, and more.

About the Author

Howard Zinn (1922–2010) was a historian, playwright, and social activist. In addition to A People’s History of the United States, which has sold more than two million copies, he is the author of many books, including the autobiography You Can’t Be Neutral on a Moving Train, The People Speak, and Passionate Declarations.

Start reading A People's History of the United States on your Kindle in under a minute.

Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Harper Perennial Modern Classics (August 2, 2005)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 729 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0060838655
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0060838652
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.35 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.31 x 1.23 x 8 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #97,146 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #187 in Democracy (Books)
- #3,747 in United States History (Books)

Customer Reviews:
11,980 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.

Howard Zinn

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

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.

Photographer Photo Credit Name: Robert Birnbaum.

Customer reviews

5 star		83%
4 star		9%
3 star		4%
2 star		1%
1 star		3%

How customer reviews and ratings work

Reviews with images

See all customer images

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Razz

A Victim's History of the United States

Reviewed in the United States on June 30, 2019

Verified Purchase

Being a patriotic American and amateur historian, I was wary of the book as it came recommended to me by an anarchist friend of mine. But, being fair and trying to see all points of view on subjects, I told him I would read it. I bought a copy on Amazon which arrived very much highlighted within, but no matter. The book was pretty much what I expected and most of it I was already aware of through my independent studies and reading of history. Nothing positive is written here so it is nowhere near a "complete" picture of history. If you are looking for justification of being a victim of society and government, this book might be for you. If you want to stay hung up on all of the injustices that have occurred in the past instead of trying to be appreciative of what opportunities you have right now before you, then this book may be for you. If you are a Communist, this book may be for you. The fact is, the US has made great strides over time in trying to correct injustices of the past so that people can make the most of their lives today. I don't think much of Howard Zinn's conclusions, agenda or goals in writing his versions of history. I fear that millions of our young have been brainwashed by Zinn's drivel. I can't believe that something like this would be required reading in any learning institution. I much rather prefer Larry Schweikart's follow up to this book, "A Patriot's History of the United States".

1,120 people found this helpful

Helpful

Justyne

This book is full of bias, dishonesty and hatred...

Reviewed in the United States on November 14, 2018

Verified Purchase

Bought this book for a history class. Started reading but couldn’t believe the bias and blatant disregard for honesty I found in this book so I decided to just drop the class.

1,269 people found this helpful

Helpful

MinDada

Don't call yourself educated unless you have read this.

Reviewed in the United States on September 1, 2018

Verified Purchase

I am a retired educator with two Masters degrees from reputable universities. As broad as my education has been, I would not call myself truly well-educated without having read this classic adjunct to the typical canon presented at most institutions of higher learning. I have bought multiple copies over the years, as I tend to give them away to people who I think may be ready to open themselves to one of the most well-documented and unflinching historical records of the United States.

851 people found this helpful

Helpful

Travis Bughi

This book actually starts off really great! Zinn starts out warning the reader he will ...

Reviewed in the United States on May 1, 2018

Verified Purchase

In short summary, this book is basically propaganda and should be renamed "All rich people must die." But let me get into the details.

This book actually starts off really great! Zinn starts out warning the reader he will not be taking a neutral stance and says he will view history only from the oppressed. He then starts off doing just that, watching the invasion of the Americas from the point of view of the natives, the revolution from the poor, slavery from those enslaved, etc etc etc. All good stuff, and I really enjoyed these parts. It was a great look into all the atrocities that have been dealt in the name of civilization, and a fresh remainder of the human cost to get us where we are today. It was also a solid reminder that just because something is law, or generally accepted, doesn't mean it is right, and we need to constantly challenge our perspectives.

But then, something really sinister happened. Zinn slowly but surely slid this book from a history of the oppressed to outright propaganda against anyone rich and anything capitalist.

It starts slowly, around the point where the poor felt taken advantage of by the rich as America was being colonized. My BS meter started ringing as I noted how Zinn would change how he described the poor and the rich. The poor were always broken down into individuals, with history and struggles aplenty, and there transgressions against each other deflected to others. Meanwhile, the rich and powerful were always described in blocks, as one mass thinking-breathing unit that plotted and schemed to keep the poor down. Let me provide some examples of both.

Apparently, according to Zinn, poor whites only discriminated against blacks because the rich told them to. Apparently, according to Zinn, poor whites invading Indian land was only due to rich people forcing them to. Apparently, according to Zinn, non-land owning whites were only given the right to vote so the rich could keep exploiting them. Apparently, according to Zinn, all the reforms passed to give workers the right to vote around the 1900 mark was only down so to stop the poor from rioting so the rich could continue exploiting everyone. Apparently, according to Zinn, everything any rich or powerful person ever did in their life was done as a concentrated act of evil to hurt those without money. It's insane the mental hoops this guy jumps through to make good acts, like giving workers rights and people the vote, seem like nothing but a evil tool used by the wicked rich to hurt people! I mean, come on!

The level of bias grows and grows as the book goes on, until about 50% I just hit the end of my tolerance. At this point, all the fighting the workers have been doing for rights and respect in the workplace is starting to bear fruit, and Zinn calls every win an evil deed JUST because it keeps the "capitalist system" propped up.

I mean, I know that sounds like a dumb thing to say, but he really does this. A rising middle class? A buffer for the rich to keep the poor down! The right to vote? A tool to make the poor complacent! Racism? Engineered by the rich to keep the poor divided! Are you poor and did something bad? Guess who Zinn feels is really to blame . . .

So I'm just done. Call me a wicked capitalist, but I just can't see how touching money suddenly sucks out all your humanity and hooks you into the rich-and-powerful hive mind, deserving of death. And I certainly don't want to waste my time reading a book by a guy who's trying to force that viewpoint on me, under the guise of a "history" book.

1,753 people found this helpful

Helpful

Amazon Customer

Had the great honor to have had a semester of U

Reviewed in the United States on April 6, 2018

Verified Purchase

Had the great honor to have had a semester of U.S. History with Dr. Zinn, my freshman year of college. I was the only African American student in the class, and I was affected greatly from hearing him speak daily on the intricacies of what was and what wasn't in the seminal history of the country: that which is the congealed narrative of a master race or that of those affected by the impudence of power. Moreso, power run amok. Howard was my mentor, and my friend. Don't buy a summary. Read the book. I still have the textbook he assigned me.

1,089 people found this helpful

Helpful

Mad scientist

Slanted

Reviewed in the United States on June 4, 2019

Verified Purchase

I would not recommend this book. It's not the history that I studied. It appears to have a "slant" towards a world view that is not classically liberal but rather progressive.

406 people found this helpful

Helpful

Pat

this book is a great contribution to the "People's" actual history of the United ...

Reviewed in the United States on July 15, 2018

Verified Purchase

This book is so important for the national discussion. And, this book is a great contribution to the "People's" actual history of the United States. I just received this book as a resource - I could not put it down. I took a break to see if Howard Zinn is alive and how I might meet him. Unfortunately, all that we have are his Books, Plays, Interviews and Reflections. Being a playwright has certainly influenced his historical writings and style in this book. History is a story and he tells that story with great detail and courage. In addition, his truth is the truth of all of America since his perspective is from the viewpoint of the Indians when Columbus landed, the factory workers, women, African-Americans... This is a must read.

266 people found this helpful

Helpful

C. Guevara

Completely bias, definitely not true American history

Reviewed in the United States on August 7, 2019

Verified Purchase

This book is heavily biased (socialist views) and omits or flat out lies about important historical facts. Sadly this is becoming the norm. If you want a real history book, you'll have to go back about 50 yrs to a non-revised edition.

185 people found this helpful

Helpful

Top reviews from other countries

Professor Hussain

'Land of the free', more like the land of the brainwashed.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 26, 2018

Verified Purchase

Everyone needs to read this book. To say it is eye-opening would be an understatement. It is one of the rare history books that tells the truth about America. The genocide of the Native Americans, slavery, exploitation of the poor whites, government controlled by the corporations, wars fought purely for business interests, plus much much more. There is also this myth that America's politicians have only recently being influenced by corporations, money and greed when in fact the truth is they have been corrupt from the very beginning. Jefferson, Washington, Adams were not any different from the current crop, they were all crooks. Howard Zinn is a truly remarkable and brave man for having the courage to write such a masterpiece.

30 people found this helpful

Amazon Customer

The history of the US with no punches pulled.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 27, 2020

Verified Purchase

What a disgraceful one it is to, mind you the UK's social history is not much more edifying than theirs.
Only that their treatment of their people has been more brutal than our's has been.
It is absolutely ridiculous spending over fifty percent of their GNP on arms, mind you what do we need two aircraft carriers for? and then building up the national debt by importing goods from China that could be produced in the US, and therefore creating more jobs.
And creating more money to be available for spending on welfare, and the infrastructure of the country.

9 people found this helpful

Benjamin Frankly

"Everybody knows the dice were loaded, everybody knows the bad guys won........"

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 13, 2016

Verified Purchase

Beginning with Columbus' in 1492, Howard Zinn gives us a history of Amerika from below. From the framing of the constitution the game has been rigged in favour of the elite, the rich, the political establishment and business - especially BIG business. A relentless struggle of poor rich folk against the huddled masses by any means possible, including murder, secret surveillance, ballot rigging and vested interest lawmaking.I knew some of the history before reading this addictive account, but much of it was new to me. Immigrants from the Mayflower onwards, regardless of ethnicity, ruthlessly exploited for their labour and denied decent wages, housing and working conditions. The struggle continues to this day,and every day the USA becomes more and more polarised.
"I wonder who they are, the men who really run this land........."

22 people found this helpful

Michael McKenna

Impressive but depressing!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 17, 2019

Verified Purchase

I have always taken the view that a summary but valid means of assessing a country is to view the numbers of people trying to get in as opposed to the reverse.
As an Irish person, this has enabled a more positive view of my country in recent decades.
And so I have always been positively disposed towards the US, a country I have visited many times and been in probably half the states.
This book provides a convincing and totally more negative perception.
And definitely worth reading!

9 people found this helpful

Kindle Customer

The America we are not meant to know about

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 25, 2019

Verified Purchase

This is perhaps one of the most important histories of America, showing the reality of a brutal, corporate led semi militarized state that underlies its projected image of freedom, democracy and the American success story. This is essential corrective reading for anyone who is interested in America and in understanding it's political development.

8 people found this helpful

See all reviews

Buy new: $23.80$23.80 FREE delivery: Friday, May 20 on orders over $25.00 shipped by Amazon. Ships from: Amazon Sold by: TheSilkRoadStore

Buy used: $8.69

Other Sellers on Amazon

Follow the Author

A People's History of the United States Paperback – August 2, 2005

There is a newer edition of this item:

Enhance your purchase

Frequently bought together

Customers who viewed this item also viewed

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

About the Author

Product details

About the author

Howard Zinn

Customer reviews

Reviews with images

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Top reviews from other countries

Buy new:

$23.80

FREE delivery: Friday, May 20 on orders over $25.00 shipped by Amazon.

Ships from: Amazon

Sold by: TheSilkRoadStore

Buy used:

$8.69