legna
02-03-2003, 10:21 PM
<strong><em>A Peoples History of the United States 1492 – Present</em> Howard Zinn</strong>
History is not a subject that is popularly read for enjoyment. The majority of people today associate history with the dry dull textbooks of their high school history classes, and the memorization of people, places and dates. History is also largely misunderstood. It is seen as Generals and battles; exploration and conquest. Howard Zinns’ A Peoples History of the United States is an enjoyable and refreshing new approach to teaching history. It includes not only the events that are commonly known, but also those we may not hear much about, and from the perspective of those who often are ignored.
Howard Zinn has not produced a simple tell-the-facts history book. He has an agenda, as do most historians. No matter what you are taught, or by whom, it will always have a taint of that persons ideology- or even society's ideologies. A theme understated in the book, is his rally against the government – or those in power - taking advantage of the common people. We see his political bent most plainly in the afterward, where he speaks out against the ‘government’, ‘national interest’ or the ‘common good’. This view is also seen more often in the later chapters of the book, when talking about more recent administrations. However his main intent is to tell the stories we commonly know from the view of those who are largely overlooked, downtrodden and poor, Indians and blacks. Those we rarely hear about in our school studies. This unheard view of history is the real driving force behind A Peoples History, rather than any of Zinn’s political views.
There is no history written without bias, and this book is no exception. While this can be seen as a negative slant on the book, the fact that Zinn is honest about his bias- in fact states it plainly- shows that he is not trying to present his work as ‘nothing but the facts’. “I had no illusions about objectivity, if that meant avoiding a point of view. I knew that a historian was forced to choose, out of an infinite number of facts what to present, what to omit.” This un-hidden bias lets the reader absorb Zinn’s points, yet view it objectively, that his version is not the only version of events.
While the author is intent on re-telling history from a different perspective, he automatically loses part of his intended audience by assuming that all readers have knowledge of American history. He is not consistent with his retelling, delving deeply into certain events, and barely mentioning others assuming that the reader will already know about them. This assumption can often loose readers who do not have an in-depth knowledge of American history. People reading the book as a first look at American history will miss out on crucial events. Events such as Bacons Rebellion, which are touched on and used as a jumping point for a further event (in this case the development of tension before the American Revolutionary war), but never fully explained. However it would be impossible to include all the events in history within one book. Zinn has neglected events that he feels he can shine no new light on, so as to expose other events- such as the tenant uprisings of 1839.
Modern historians are less ‘lop-sided’ in their evaluation of historical events. There is more known today about American Indians, Blacks and Women, then at any other time in history. However History is still taught from the view of those in power- Washington, Columbus – and it still glosses over war and atrocities for the price of national pride. If you were to take a census of what people thought was the major cause of the Civil War, a huge majority would quote ‘the end of slavery’. While this issue was part of the Civil War it was not, as mistakenly taught, the primary issue. Zinn’s aim is to dispel misconceptions about common history, and tell the other side of the story- that Lincoln wasn’t really about ending slavery; the revolution wasn’t about freedom, it was about land. The reader will not always agree with the story as Zinn has written it, (would American elites really encourage a revolution?) but it will leave them questioning their beliefs.
Zinn’s purpose in this book is a noble one. To present history from the view of those who suffered through it. However he has not completely fulfilled this mission. There are very few stories that are actually told through the eyes of those who were there. In this type of history you would expect to see stories written if not in first person, than from the eyes of those who were there. The book treats events in an almost lofty manner, telling them from above and associating no emotion with the telling. In many ways, this prevents Zinn from fully telling the story he wants to tell. However, we certainly do see events from a different perspective, if not from the first person.
While the prose and style of the book is cleverly designed to cause you to forget you are reading a non-fiction book, the fact remains that Howard Zinn has ideas that are valuable to a sound knowledge of historical events. It is certainly not a book to take as gospel, and the serious student – or even just the knowledge seeker- would be wise to consult other textbooks to gain a full perspective. But A Peoples History does provide a nice counter balance to the commonly found textbook on American History. His focus on events not commonly mentioned (Tenant rebellions, Indentured servitude, mass-genocide committed by Columbus) makes this a book that adds to any textbooks teachings, rather than replaces it.
While not a solid book with a biased lean, political undertones and skipped over events; Howard Zinn’s A Peoples History of the United States is a book that should be pursued in peoples quest for knowledge of history. It will cause you to question your closely held beliefs and ultimately challenge you to find the truths behind the stories. Even for those who are not looking for a new lesson in American History, this book provides an intriguing read, and a fix for the misconception that reading history can’t ever be enjoyable.
Rating
8 1/2 out of 10.
View the Book (http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?userid=2WGZX05LKV&isbn=0060937319&itm=1)
History is not a subject that is popularly read for enjoyment. The majority of people today associate history with the dry dull textbooks of their high school history classes, and the memorization of people, places and dates. History is also largely misunderstood. It is seen as Generals and battles; exploration and conquest. Howard Zinns’ A Peoples History of the United States is an enjoyable and refreshing new approach to teaching history. It includes not only the events that are commonly known, but also those we may not hear much about, and from the perspective of those who often are ignored.
Howard Zinn has not produced a simple tell-the-facts history book. He has an agenda, as do most historians. No matter what you are taught, or by whom, it will always have a taint of that persons ideology- or even society's ideologies. A theme understated in the book, is his rally against the government – or those in power - taking advantage of the common people. We see his political bent most plainly in the afterward, where he speaks out against the ‘government’, ‘national interest’ or the ‘common good’. This view is also seen more often in the later chapters of the book, when talking about more recent administrations. However his main intent is to tell the stories we commonly know from the view of those who are largely overlooked, downtrodden and poor, Indians and blacks. Those we rarely hear about in our school studies. This unheard view of history is the real driving force behind A Peoples History, rather than any of Zinn’s political views.
There is no history written without bias, and this book is no exception. While this can be seen as a negative slant on the book, the fact that Zinn is honest about his bias- in fact states it plainly- shows that he is not trying to present his work as ‘nothing but the facts’. “I had no illusions about objectivity, if that meant avoiding a point of view. I knew that a historian was forced to choose, out of an infinite number of facts what to present, what to omit.” This un-hidden bias lets the reader absorb Zinn’s points, yet view it objectively, that his version is not the only version of events.
While the author is intent on re-telling history from a different perspective, he automatically loses part of his intended audience by assuming that all readers have knowledge of American history. He is not consistent with his retelling, delving deeply into certain events, and barely mentioning others assuming that the reader will already know about them. This assumption can often loose readers who do not have an in-depth knowledge of American history. People reading the book as a first look at American history will miss out on crucial events. Events such as Bacons Rebellion, which are touched on and used as a jumping point for a further event (in this case the development of tension before the American Revolutionary war), but never fully explained. However it would be impossible to include all the events in history within one book. Zinn has neglected events that he feels he can shine no new light on, so as to expose other events- such as the tenant uprisings of 1839.
Modern historians are less ‘lop-sided’ in their evaluation of historical events. There is more known today about American Indians, Blacks and Women, then at any other time in history. However History is still taught from the view of those in power- Washington, Columbus – and it still glosses over war and atrocities for the price of national pride. If you were to take a census of what people thought was the major cause of the Civil War, a huge majority would quote ‘the end of slavery’. While this issue was part of the Civil War it was not, as mistakenly taught, the primary issue. Zinn’s aim is to dispel misconceptions about common history, and tell the other side of the story- that Lincoln wasn’t really about ending slavery; the revolution wasn’t about freedom, it was about land. The reader will not always agree with the story as Zinn has written it, (would American elites really encourage a revolution?) but it will leave them questioning their beliefs.
Zinn’s purpose in this book is a noble one. To present history from the view of those who suffered through it. However he has not completely fulfilled this mission. There are very few stories that are actually told through the eyes of those who were there. In this type of history you would expect to see stories written if not in first person, than from the eyes of those who were there. The book treats events in an almost lofty manner, telling them from above and associating no emotion with the telling. In many ways, this prevents Zinn from fully telling the story he wants to tell. However, we certainly do see events from a different perspective, if not from the first person.
While the prose and style of the book is cleverly designed to cause you to forget you are reading a non-fiction book, the fact remains that Howard Zinn has ideas that are valuable to a sound knowledge of historical events. It is certainly not a book to take as gospel, and the serious student – or even just the knowledge seeker- would be wise to consult other textbooks to gain a full perspective. But A Peoples History does provide a nice counter balance to the commonly found textbook on American History. His focus on events not commonly mentioned (Tenant rebellions, Indentured servitude, mass-genocide committed by Columbus) makes this a book that adds to any textbooks teachings, rather than replaces it.
While not a solid book with a biased lean, political undertones and skipped over events; Howard Zinn’s A Peoples History of the United States is a book that should be pursued in peoples quest for knowledge of history. It will cause you to question your closely held beliefs and ultimately challenge you to find the truths behind the stories. Even for those who are not looking for a new lesson in American History, this book provides an intriguing read, and a fix for the misconception that reading history can’t ever be enjoyable.
Rating
8 1/2 out of 10.
View the Book (http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?userid=2WGZX05LKV&isbn=0060937319&itm=1)