Howard Zinn's Peoples' History of the United States is a book that can and has revolutionized peoples consciousness about the true history of the United States of America. How much poorer we would be without that comprehensive work of history that thread together the truth about Columbus and his treatment of the Caribbean natives, the class divisions within the 13 colonies, slave revolts, the atrocities against Native Americans by that man honored on the $20 dollar bill, President Andrew Jackson etc.. And also the history or the civil rights and labor movements, and how working people have organized and fought back to push America in the direction of social justice and living up to her highest most humanistic ideals; and his argument and example that it is common people in the street of their communities who make history. Thank you Howard Zinn! Presente!
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I had the chance to see him speak a couple of years before he died. He was surprisingly old-looking -- my idea of him had been formed by publicity photos on book jackets -- and, even more surprisingly, hopeful and vigorous. It was a terrific experience. The People's History will always be a desert island book for me.
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