Howard Zinn tells the American story from the bottom up. His history follows workers, women, Native Americans, enslaved people and immigrants rather than the presidents and generals above them.
Readical Key Points
- First published in 1980; this Harper Perennial edition was published in 2015 with an introduction by Anthony Arnove
- Begins with Columbus's arrival and follows the country through the lives of laborers, Black Americans, Native Americans, women, immigrants and the poor
- Subjects include slavery, the treatment of Native Americans, labor struggles, war and protest movements
- Described by its publisher as a classic national bestseller; includes a bibliography and index
- Paperback, 784 pages
Zinn argues that many of the country's hardest-won changes, including fair wages, the eight-hour day, child-labor laws, voting rights, women's rights and racial equality, came from grassroots movements that met fierce resistance. He builds the case largely from quotation, letting participants describe events in their own words. The chapters move in rough chronological order, each centered on people the author believes standard accounts leave out.
This 2015 Harper Perennial paperback carries Arnove's introduction. It suits students, teachers and general readers of social and labor history, including readers who want to weigh Zinn's interpretation against other accounts. Presidents appear in these pages. They are rarely the ones moving the story.
About the Author
Howard Zinn (1922-2010) was an American historian and activist who also wrote for the stage. His other books include the autobiography You Can't Be Neutral on a Moving Train, Passionate Declarations and The People Speak. Anthony Arnove, who wrote the introduction, co-authored Voices of a People's History of the United States with Zinn.
Condition: Brand New and Readical Ready.
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