Recieved the item as stated. Item was in condition as stated and arrived in a timely fashion. Very satisfied and amazon is quite fast with it's shipping as well.

Nothing wrong with the book quality, the contents were revisionist krap. Threw the book away. Amazon provided a quality book, just the inside sucked.

This is a wonderful book of the history of the US from 1492 to the present. This is not your usual history. Howard Zinn picks key incidents which shaped America, and looks at them from very different points of view. For example, Westward Expansion is seen from the position of the Native Americans. The Civil War and Abraham Lincoln's opinions of slavery are viewed through the eyes of slaves and freed men. Mr. Zinn has written the history of America from an alternative perspective, often at odds from the one we have learned or are still being taught in public and private schools across this land. This a real, living history, told through the eyes of individuals who are not Presidents, Congressmen, or business moguls. The voices are average citizens, whose points of view have in many cases been buried under the accepted "mythology" of historical events. Mr. Zinn puts a real face on our history. In many cases, the stories do not at all conform to what we think we know. This book is a wonderful tool to engage young people in American History and spark lively debates. History comes alive here.

I bought a copy of this book for myself and copies for my grandchildren.
Is it a biased interpretation of US history? Yes, but if you study history with an open mind you quickly realise that all recorded history is biased.
Does it challenge conventional interpretations and at times unveil facts that portray the US in a bad light? Again, yes it does but why do so many reviewers seem to fear or find this offensive?
Personally I believe that investigating alternative viewpoints is an important learning tool. No matter what the subject is.
To quote George Santayana, "Those that forget the past are condemned to repeat it".
If we as individuals or as a nation are to progress and improve we must continue to learn and apply what we learn from history.

Really makes you stop and think. Objectivity has been in short supply when teaching American history in schools.

As soon as I received my book I had to use it, and I must say it's been more than I expected, the reading is easy and understandable for a non native speaker like me. Professor Zinn shows history from the point of view of the "nobodies", the forgotten ones, which gives the reader a wider view of the real history of the United States, not everything is "freedom" and "democracy" my friends... I am sure I am going to enjoy this book a lot!

This book presents a history of the United States that is not taught in schools or universities. It provides a history of our country from the views and experiences of regular people, such as blacks, women, and laborers.

Wonderful book, arrived in perfect condition, imparts the truth about our history, which we never learned in school.

Howard Zinn died a few weeks ago, and on NPR, David Horowitz was asked to comment on his death. I have never heard less charitable comments about the recently deceased. Curiosity piqued, I googled "Howard Zinn" "David Horowitz" and found links to David Horowitz' website where I found words about Zinn that made Horowitz' comments to NPR seem very measured indeed. Since I consider Horowitz to be a knee-jerk conservative fanatic, I thought, "Wow, Zinn must be pretty good stuff!"

So I purchased A PEOPLE'S HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES, I have just finished reading it, and now I can recommend it. Zinn is up front about his bias in the book's introduction. On his website, David Horowitz accused Zinn of being a Stalinist, which is preposterous, but Zinn would proudly label himself a socialist. However, Zinn means it with a degree of ideological purity not to be found in this world. It is the dream of a pure socialist society that Zinn unabashedly longs for (a society, I might add, that would embody more truly Christian values than we find today in this, our "Christian nation", as some call it), and he wastes no time pointing out that the U.S.A. has never approached his ideal. Zinn makes no bones of his distaste for capitalism.

I am not a socialist, and I disagree with much of Zinn's philosopy; why would I recommend such a biased book? I recommend it because, as Zinn points out at the beginning, all accounts of history are biased, and this account has the virtue of not being the whitewashed, sanitized version we all learned in public school. This is not a comfortable book to read if you are a privileged white male. It is not a happy book for any reader, but the course of history hasn't been particularly happy. This book will not make you proud to be an American. Many times I found myself saying, "But, wait, we're not as bad as..." However, Zinn's aim isn't to compare America to other countries; it is to describe us as we are and as we have been. Yes, from a point of view with a decided bias, but a point of view that has merit and is worth considering.

A PEOPLE'S HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES was first published in 1980, and the original chapters are the strongest. The final version published before his death continues the history through the events of 9/11/2001, but some of the later chapters don't seem to be quite as cogent; at times, Zinn seems to have to strain to make his point. And small factual errors creep in; he describes an anti-nuclear protest in 1999 taking place at the Trident submarine base in Bangor, Maine.

If you are going to read only one book on American history, should it be A PEOPLE'S HISTORY? No. And that's the point. If you are going to read only one book on American history, save yourself the trouble and read Danielle Steele or Tom Clancy instead. A balanced view of history requires more than one point of view, but too often the only point of view we get is the orthodoxy. Read lots of books of American history, but if you plan to read only a handful, then A People's History of the United States should be one of them.

This should be required reading for all High School US History students. Gives a whole new look at what is being taught or isn't being taught today...

everyone should have the opportunity to read this history book. a realistic view of history from the winners and loosers. must say does not put humankind in a good light. it opens your mind more.

The reason this book is both popular and unpopular is because it is the complete antithesis to the historical myth making prevalent in cultures and societies and necessary for groups and classes within it, who seek to solidify and perpetuate order and privilege. This book is like therapy in the sense that it turns the mirror back onto ourselves. We are all too willing to see the crimes and abuses of other nations and their leaders, but it proves much harder to face the serious national crimes (genocide, slavery, racism, imperialism, sexism, class warfare, child labor, suppression of free and dissident speech) of our own national conscience, especially when it is edited out, passed over or partly told. I found the most powerful part of the book was about US/Indochinese foreign policy and the domestic abuses of the the 1960's under the Johnson and Nixon Administrations. The history in this part of the book eerily paralleled recent history. The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution and the public justifications for continuing the war in Vietnam ('staying the course') read like a playbook for the run up to and subsequent war in Iraq (except Cheney, Rumsfeld learned a lot between their time in the Nixon/Ford Administrations and 2003). Professor Zinn lived a lot of that part of US history and, therefore, I am willing to forgive the lack of footnotes (if it is even necessary to forgive). I think this book is great, because it does so much to fill in a large part of the American story that had been neglected. Also, it is told with conviction and the desire for justice in the telling of that national story.

In the movie, Goodwill Hunting, Matt Damon, critizing Robin Williams' history book told him he (Robin) "you should read The People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn. It will blow your mind." And that's what happened, it blew my mind. What an incredible story told by an idealistic person from the people's point of view. I was completely unaware of a lot of important things that happened in our country. I must admit I was a bit sad after reading the book to think about how our country was run and is being run. If we had honest politicians that really did what was best for the people of our country, the USA would be heaven on earth. Even with it's problems America is still the best place in the world to live, but it could be heaven on earth. A rivetting read. I couldn't put it down.

I have learned so much for this book. It's really opened my eyes to our true history. Every American should read it.

I ordered a book about a month ago for the first time from this site and my credit card is charged for it but didn't receive my order. So I guess I am going to cancel the charge on my credit card.

This book is most enlightening. It's hard to read a lot of it at one sitting because of the outrage it engenders.

The book delivery occured in a few days and in excellent condition. I have no complaints. This is an extremely valuable book for those who want to understand the darker history of the United States and how we got where we are today. It is a difficult read for those who have never ventured outside the usual historical accounts for our country. The content seems to be well researched. The author presents information that will be difficult, if not impossible, for some readers to accept. If you decide to purchase this book, then attempt to read it with an open mind.

First, let me say that I agree with those who say Zinn makes a valid point about the atrocities committed against the indigenous peoples of North America. Fine, point taken. American history should be taught accurately, and it was not all sunshine and lollypops. However, it is clear that Zinn writes from a left-leaning political perspective. This type of writing has no business being the only textbook in a high school, or in my case college, US History class. Where are the counter-arguments? If the author is to be believed, the United States has done nothing but commit crimes against humanity. This book is a crime against my intelligence. The achievements of our Founding Fathers are overlooked as though they were just a passing moment in our history that had no real relevance. Yes, Columbus was a murderer, no doubt. Our history, like every other nation on earth, is not perfect. But our nation deserves to be better represented than it has been by this America basher that tries to disguise himself as an historian. True historians have a responsibility to teach the truth, the WHOLE truth, not just the parts that promote their own political agendas and personal bias'. I can only hope I am never stuck in another history class that forces me to read more of his work. I don't think my patriotic stomach could handle it.

Looking forward to reacquainting myself with Zinn - It has been a long time - book arrived on time, but torn!! Don't see any recourse other than returning, but that is such a frigging hassle.. It would be nice if I could actually contact someone.. but, I cannot find a way to fix that, so I guess I will do the old scotch magic tape.

Otherwise, really glad to have the book back!

This author has written many books that appeal to the Socialist leaning people of our country.
Be aware of hi. In his book, 'Soho Marx', he gives his account as to why Karl Marx was so great.
Look what Zinn's thinking has done to Argentina since the early 1900's.
Stay far from this author.

I have remarked elsewhere on the poverty of information about the `making and doing' of the non-ruling classes, their social concerns, and their hopes and aspirations in America in my own high school history classes in the early 1960s. Such locally important events as the creation of the all-black 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Regiment (led by Robert Gould Shaw) during the American Civil War and the case of the executed anarchist martyrs, Sacco and Vanzetti, never got onto the radar. This despite the fact that I passed, at one point, the Saint-Gaudens memorial plague in front of the State House to the 54th almost every day and grew up within a stone's throw of where the major events in the Sacco and Vanzetti case took place. All that I know, or almost all that I know, about the micro-history of the American experience (and internationally, as well) came from painfully digging out the information from many scattered sources during my younger political days.

A lot of good things happened in the 1960s, or at least well-intended things that we can proudly stand on, and the dramatically increased interest in getting the "people's" story out was one of them. And that is where one of the best examples, the late Boston University Professor Howard Zinn, and his book under review, "A People's History Of The United States" come in. In addition to his up-front radical political activist perspective on the political issues of the day Professor Zinn wrote a number of books, and many articles, about various aspects of the American experience that had been ignored or neglected by those earlier historians who concentrated on the movements of ruling elites, their predilections and their follies or on great events, minus the underclasses that bore the brunt of those policies. The most important, of course, is "A People's History".

Under one roof, and in one place Professor Zinn's "A People's History" can act as a primer for those who are interested in the underside of history, and, like Zinn, doing something about it. Of course there is more investigation to do, but that is why I used that word primer. Professor Zinn and I were mainly political opponents within the left. However every young reader, every young searcher for the meaning of the American experience, and every just plain thoughtful budding historian owe the professor a debt of gratitude. Hats off to Professor Zinn.

What an excellent book! I ordered it because I had the pleasure of hearing Howard Zinn on Bill Moyers program prior to his recent death. It is a history written from an entirely different viewpoint than any text book history that I am aware of.

It is what I would call "anti-establishment" and probably much closer to an accurate account of what really happened. It is well worth reading.

Donn Smithe

No surprise that a Peoples History generates such an emotional and partisan response. Zinn's presentation of history is a story of the side less mentioned, the dire consequinces and the economic motivation for the political actions taken that shaped our current state of affairs. And since all of us humans have a vested interest in having our history be as we think it is, we tend to fall into defending or condemning that which does not confirm our illusions.

No one denies that all the events Mr. Zinn describes did not take place. The only criticism is how much of this or that consequince happened. Did a half a million or a million people die as a consequince of this or that should not be the issue. It happened. Was that country called this or that in 1600 is a question that dismisses the fact that political decision were made, by these people, for these reasons, this is what we are told, and this is the price we paid, and these are the people who paid that price.

The events themselves, although not necesarily substantiated with footnotes, all did take place. And no one has argued that the motivation for our historical progression, as depicted, and the resulting actions are false.

If you are looking for a "fair and balanced" view of American History, although disturbing and a drudge to get through, this is a good read. It will leave you with a better and a more fair and balanced political reality. Reserve your jugdment. Read the book it will help everyone make better political decision.

The fact is, like it or not, these events happened and their motivation is downplayed and their consequinces do not get mentioned in the traditional historical presentation.

Is he a communist? Is he a socialist? Does that matter? That is a question whose answer does not take anything away from this serious and worthwhile historical work.

I ordered the book right before Christmas for an added gift for my grandson, not thinking I'd get it anytime before Christmas or even a week after. I got the book a day or two after Christmas! I was surprised, to say the least. It came with 2 dollars and a note from the seller that she thought it was a bit less than perfect and she was sending along the 2 dollars to make up for her bad rating! I was shocked! That had never happened to me before! I thought it was delightful and very "Christmas-sy!!" Thanks for having such a wonderful service! Carly

When thinking about Howard Zinn's "A People's History of the United States, I am reminded of E.H. Carr's seminal work "What is History?" whereby he stated: "The belief in a hard core of historical facts existing objectively and independently of the interpretation of the historian is a preposterous fallacy, but one which it is very hard to eradicate". As Carr famously stated, millions of people had crossed the Rubicon, but only Julius Caesar's crossing in 49 BC has been given normative value by historians. For those familiar with the philosophical treatment of historical understanding in Tolstoy's War and Peace, this sentiment will ring true. A People's History is designed to give voice to those millions who passed the rubicon but never found their way into the annuals of history.

A couple of points. This book was intended to be a supplement as opposed to a strictly chronological account of history that will give you the bullet points for the most important people, dates and events. [sic] It is not meant to be a replacement for a more standardized textbook.

Secondly, Zinn did not hate America, and he in fact stated:

"I want young people to understand that ours is a beautiful country, but it has been taken over by men who have no respect for human rights or constitutional liberties. Our people are basically decent and caring, and our highest ideals are expressed in the Declaration of Independence, which was that all of us have an equal right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The history of our country, I point out in my book, is a striving, against corporate robber barons and war makers, to make those ideals a reality-and all of us, of whatever age, can find immense satisfaction in becoming part of that."

Regardless of your political position, between the Great Recession and the Iraq war, there is a relevance to this sentiment that cuts across political lines.

Now, what one will notice in the bulk of the one star reviews is the sense that either the reviewer has not read the book, they copied and pasted their criticism from another source or they have strictly given the book one star because it does not conform with their view of reality. "Blame America first", "socialism", "communism", "Marx, "liberal propaganda", you can easily get the gist of the talking points because many American conservatives apparently got the same memo in dismissing anything they don't agree with. The disservice they do to themselves and the sphere of ideas in the outright dismissal of any perspective which does not conform to their own is truly sad. When someone gives a book one star merely for not conforming to their view of reality,they have obviously lost the plot.

In university I knew many conservative history professors who liked and used Zinn's work. They believed it was important to incorporate and deal with the claims that Zinn made. You cannot whitewash history and blindly stick by the most comforting narrative. That does not mean that one should agree with Zinn's conclusions or think that he has a monopoly on the truth. Zinn himself would not have wanted that.

For those who claim Zinn is a socialist or any other kind of -ist, that he is not completely objective, they have obviously never done any research. Pure positivism was dismissed long ago. Even Max Webber started that our subjective bias comes in the moment we choose to study something, for by seeing the subject matter as valuable, we have placed a normative value on it. There is no pure value objectivity, stating one's position and bias from the outset is what responsible social scientists do these days. A dryly academic text with an obvious bias concealed by a detached form of writing gives a falsely omniscient perspective whose reality is psychological but not objective. However they write, they are just a person, and without expressing their biases it will inevitably turn up in their work without necessarily being obvious. This is far more dangerous than what Zinn does in stating his bias from the outset. So it is a red herring to dismiss Zinn for having a perspective. We all have one and it will come into whatever we do.

There is no knowable, objective reality (for humans) living in the Platonic world of perfect forms. History was a puzzle of immeasurable size that was blown apart and the pieces scattered over the cosmos. The vast majority of the pieces are gone, never to return. We are stabbing at an imperfect speculation, not ultimate truth when we engage in historical study. Any physicist will tell you that the particle wave duality of light has pretty much closed the book on the notion that we can objectively, perfectly know anything.

This book is important because the poison of partisan politics has come to dominate even the dialogue of academic research. If the sole criterion for giving a book one star is the notion that you don't agree with its thesis, then you obviously live in a fragile world and are incapable of being challenged intellectually. This book is of the upmost importance for the conservative to read and digest. In developing a coherent narrative of the United States, you need to wrestle with its sins and determine, despite our historical shortcomings and transgressions, what is it that makes this imperfect union the pinnacle of nation states if one agrees with that prospect. For the liberal, you should not view Zinn's work as the last word on anything, but rather use it as a stepping stone to further develop your own historical understanding and consider how well has American done on a relative scale in light of the political, societal and human failings that have marred all human civilizations. This book is well worth the challenges it presents, and should be a 5 star treat for the conservative who loves his country and wants to develop the most cogent and nuanced argument as to why that is the case despite those unsettling realities to be found in this book as well as the liberal who wants to give voice to his disaffection with certain aspects of American society and the reasons why we need to change it. This is not another tool in the mindless and poisonous Manichean bifurcation of American politics. It is a vehicle to help you strengthen and deepen your understanding of US history, regardless from which direction you are coming. Recommended to all who are interested in the journey of learning as opposed to a presupposed outcome that serves a vested interest.

Excellent reading. I had read parts of his book before and recommend everyone read this. Mr. Zinn was a remarkable man and will be missed

I find it disturbing that this book is being used in classrooms accross the United States. Zinn manages to condemn everything about the history of the United States and villify the people who built this great country. I don't believe that Karl Marx was the greatest man that ever walked the planet as Zinn does or that capitalism is an evil that needs to be crushed, but I can't fault the book for the ideals that Zinn idolizes. I can fault the book for shoddy phrases such as "everyone knows that...." or "it seems like they wanted to.......". If this is to be a history book or....gasp...a history TEXT, he really should have tried to stick to the facts and not constantly interject his communist/socialist bias into every nook and cranny that he possibly could. This wad of paper should more precisely be labeled "Propaganda".

Zinn first published this book in the late 1980s, but updated it into the 2000s (post 9/11). This certainly isn't the information you learned in your history books, and it doesn't put America in a very positive light for how its government has treated the least of its peoples (Native Americans, blacks, women, Mexicans, labor movements, etc.). A sobering look at where we started and where we have ended up. Do we really want what we have now?

The true history of the United States as taught by Howard Zinn should be standard
fare for all students in American schools beginning in the upper Elementary grades
and should be burned into the conciousness of all High school students. Only in this way can a democratic nation guide itself.

Popular history as currently taught and when this 80 year old was in Elementary school may be entertaining but it conveys lies and a cover up of what our illustrious nation has really done to those who opposed it.

Professor Zinn should be given the same rank and respect as the greatest of all
educators. His book is a great start on the road to unwinding the lies we have all been tricked into believing. I recommend it to all students of truth.

Mr. Zinn is an avowed communist and has never denied it. To have American history re-written by someone like him is a sin. Best American history book is written by Paul Johnson, an English scholar who loves and admires America.


Marian Diamond, Ph.D.

This book turned me into a socialist and maybe thats why the right wing likes to clumsily trash it at every opportunity. A People's history lays bear the fact that America is not one nation with united common interests but instead is a nation of class conflict and struggle. This book gives hope that we can fight to make the world a better place as we stand on the shoulders of giants. Howard Zinn is for me one of the tallest. Thank You.

I read this book expecting a fair treatment of history. Instead, I found that the book was a dishonest, highly liberally biased work of propaganda. Knowing that this book is inflicted on young people in our schools angers me, because any professor who chooses this book clearly has an anti-US agenda.

This book is a horrible distortion of the facts. If you have a background in history and clearly understand what went on, you may want to read this book just to learn how thoroughly the left is distorting the truth to young, impressionable minds.

For those many reviewers of this book who regard this book as a "new," "fair," or "revealing" treatment of history, I respectfully advise that they do much more learning independently before accepting this dishonest travesty at face value.

American Thinker has published a wonderful article about this book:
[...]

Writing a book about true downtrodden Americans and how they overcame odds, would be a service.

Making this the central narrative of America, and implying, no screaming, that America is a terrible place run by corporations and crushing these little guys (when nowhere since the Big Bang have little guys had it better), is a lie, and a treasonous act. The kvelling over this whining liar by the Left is just sickening.

Matt Damon sounds smart when he's reading a script in GWH, but in reality, he's chosen his hero in a typical know-nothing hollywood show of naive stupidity and disdain for liberty.

I bought this book as a Christmas present for my brother. He is enjoying it very much and I plan to borrow it from him when we has finished it.

I gave this book to my daughter for Christmas, and although it was not the gift that I spent the most money on, she was ecstatic that I understood her well enough to pick this book for her. She totally loved the honesty and alternate perspective on a subject that she knows well (she is a history teacher).

After seeing him on Bill Moyer's Journal, I gave a copy of Howard Zinn's history lesson to my relatives for Christmas. Like so many, I'd only heard the Corporate version of our History. Now I know the rest of the story.

The author of this book had an agenda to make the United States look like a bad virus inflicting itself on an unsuspecting world. For him all the ills of the world were caused by American greed, imperialism, war-mongering, jingoism, and egocentrism. Oh, I almost forgot -- our nationalistic sins as well. I do not recommend reading this purported history, except to compare it to more objective histories and historians.

Zinn comes across as just another uber leftist trying to re-write history, his assessments shouldn't be taken seriously.

Make learning history the stimulating examination it should be by reading this book along with The Politically Incorrect Guide to American History or 33 Questions About American History You're Not Supposed to Ask by Thomas E. Woods Jr PHD.

The social activist Zinn provides an extreme left-leaning view of U.S. history. The Historian Woods provides a captivating analysis of history just as provocative as Zinn with a conservative slant.

If you read one of these books, read them both and get ready for the other fascinating sides of history you may not even have heard.

In order to warm yourself this winter, buy as many copies of this book, make a big pile, and apply a copious quantity of lighter fluid and ignite! Read one copy first, of course, if you want to know why America is in trouble and why so many of our kids are depressed.

MATT DAMON AND OTHER LEFTIE AIR-HEADS MAY CONSIDER HOWARD ZINN A HISTORIAN, BUT IN REALITY HE WAS A SOCIALIST WHO SUCCEEDED IN HAVING THIS BOOK BECOME REQUIRED READING IN SOME PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES (WITH HELP FROM AGING HIPPIE EDUCATORS). IN THEIR UNIVERSE, THE U.S. IS AN IMPERIALIST AGGRESSOR AND THE CAUSE OF ALL THE WORLD'S ILLS. THIS IS WHAT ZINN'S BOOK IS REALLY ABOUT AND THIS PREMISE, WHEN FOISTED ON UNSUPECTING STUDENTS ,OR THEIR PARENTS, SHOULD BE REBUKED. WHY SHOULD LEFT-WING PROPROGANDA BE ALLOWED TO GO UNCHALLANGED?

Our daughter had to read this for school and she hated it! My husband was a history major in college and he didn't like it either. She described Zinn as very liberal, he put down the Americans that she had been educated to respect, and painted a very bleak picture of American colonization and history. She said he seemed very unpatriotic. We explained to her that different people have different views of our country's history, but it is very difficult to read things that go against everything that you believe in.

This book is a classic, and played a very important role in the turn to more social history that hit the United States in the late Seventies and has dominated ever since. It takes a grass roots approach to understanding historical change; and if there is common theme running through the book it is that historical action can nearly always be seen as caused by social movements rather than political leaders. Often the social movements force one of the parties to change even when they agree on things. Easy truisms are constantly interrogated: for example, Zinn deftly presents the argument that The Progressive Era was not really a period of genuine populist reform but rather was coopted by business elites to enforce a more rational, capitalist order using the government as the ally of business and not its antagonists. However, dont be confused. This book will always let you know what the traditional interpretation is before letting you in on another view.

Do not be confused by those who claim that this is some groundless book of raw ideology. On the contrary, Zinn's arguments are soundly backed with healthy selections from very established and even staid texts. A look through his bibliography will quickly silence the shrill rightists who question the book's academic integrity. Yes it is a book for generalists. And there is nothing wrong with that! Especially when it so clearly presents the themes that still haunt us today.

Like what. What I mean by that last comment is that this is a book that, makes the new reader or historical rookie have tons of AHA moments: oh that's how it works today. Yes this is a book of social history but it is so important in understanding the politics of today, that it is basically the key to all current events. Take for example Zinn's masterful description of Bacon's Rebellion in Colonial Virginia (1676). Without in the least oversimplifying, Zinn shows how the landed elites hoisted race over class as the trump card that would maintain their privilege in the face of dangerous class resentment. Ta Da new light is shed on the use of "Wedge Issues" in moving both Wall Street parties so far to the right since around 1978.

This book is history you will use!

Zinn's emphasis is social history and he played a role in the turn away from political history to social history as a means of addressing previous limitations. Now however the time has come to turn back to political history. The emphasis on Social History has become almost tyrannical at times. The past fifty years of US political history has become almost a miasma for the citizen interested in explaining current events. "Conspiracy Theory" is used so much because many are completely ignorant of even the most basic realities of political history that have increasingly relied on the actions of US intelligence agencies. Russ Baker, who has written for The New York Times, The Washington Post, and served as an editor at The Columbia Journalism Review shows us the sub rosa political world that has been dismissed for too long in his amazing book about the Bush family and their long connections to the US intelligence and business communities , Family of SecretsFamily of Secrets: The Bush Dynasty, America's Invisible Government, and the Hidden History of the Last Fifty Years

If two things happen this book could change history. Recently this book finally escaped its cover. What I mean by this is that the cover of this book and much of the public presentations made by the author, have too often shied away from the dynamite inside, in my opinion. More Recently, however, word seems to be finally leaking out about just what kind of engine is under that hood! Specifically, I am referring to the content about George H. W. Bush relating to his activities in and around Dallas (Texas) on 11-22-63, and also his activities around Watergate and how the author fits these activities into a newly emerging, yet by no means unfounded or unsubstantiated, new critical lens for interpreting Watergate. Recently this book went as high as top 100 before selling out. When it becomes available again it is quite possible the word of mouth could take it considerably higher in public awareness. Once this happens, the nature of the revelations inside will be impossible to repress from the public sphere. As H.W. Bush enters the homestretch of his years, we might witness something virtually unprecedented in US political history: a politically timely and relevant open debate about the contributions of a U.S. President, in which elite opinion is finally contested by a truly different viewpoint, one with implications so profound that the very credibility of the taste-makers becomes open to question.

For that is the often unstated essential question of this book: at every page the reader is rocked with new material so shocking and "meta" in its implications, that one is constantly asking oneself: which is more of a revelation, the revelation itself, " or the fact that this is the first time I have ever learned of it? And then one begins to ask why one did not hear of it before; and then one reexamines the impeccable credentials of Mr. Baker. Soon it is not difficult to see why such elite papers as the Los Angles Times would give such a vitriolic and myopic review of this remarkably condensed and smoothly presented research. Such a review is little more than a paltry self-defense of these papers' own noxious deference to the Bushs' and the power networks that they represent.

We are living in a time when there is so very little exploration of worlds between nominal power-- the three branches, lobbyists-- and structural power as in corporations and intelligence causalities. The words conspiracy theory are everywhere because there is no mediated "between" world that connects the dashboard and the engine of real power.

In other words journalists are worse than ever, and we are living in a time of propaganda that is arguabley worse than that experienced during the Soviet Union. Unmediated trash is a more efficient brainwash than a party line ever was.

This book is so great because it is about just that "between" world-- between the H.W. Bush the pol, and the sub rosa Bush that was the divng board onto the Bay of Pigs, between the Senate Candidate, and an organizer of The Faceless behind the crime of the century. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.It along with
James W. Douglass JFK and the Unspeakable are far and away the two most important publications of 2009 .JFK and the Unspeakable: Why He Died and Why It Matters. JFK and the Unspeakable: Why He Died and Why It MattersCase Closed>CIA just dont look for a review on the cover of Newsweek. Its up to us to let citizens know, if we want citizens to still exist.

I read this book over twenty years ago as part of a college course in American history. To say that this book is bias is an understatement of monumental proportion. I read in another review that this book was used in an advanced placement high school class. I guess I shouldn't be shocked at anything in our education system today but that does shock me. The level of one-sidedness Zinn displays is so extreme that in my opinion it does not qualify as an educational history book. This book should be designated as political and Zinn's politics are in the uber, loony left camp of the blame American first crowd. Simply put the book is utter rubbish.

Howard Zinn's ground-breaking "A People's History of the United States" remains a work in progress as new authors add to the complex work of revealing the long suppressed true history of the country. One such work is Russ Baker's superb "A Family of Secrets" a "people's history" of the Bush family that shows, through impeccable research and investigative reporting, how the Bush family, with its ties both to the Nazi Party and Hitler and the CIA, has managed to insinuate itself on the country. It is my understanding the Howard Zinn was reading "A Family of Secrets" at the time of his death, so it is approprate that those who have appreciate Zinn's work should join with him in reading this astounding work by Russ Baker. Much of America's "establishment" history leaves out the kind if indispenable informatiom provided in "Family of Secrets" that Zinn undoubtedly appreciated.

[...]

Read it as a companion piece to "A People's History of the United States."You will not be disappointed.

I eagerly dove into this book, expecting to find a more balanced view of American history than at least used to be available to mass audiences. What about the native Americans, the immigrants, the blacks, the average women, etc? Would this be a more complete view of our history? I would be sorely disappointed. The author doesn't even try to be balanced, or to look at all viewpoints. It could be called A Communist, or Socialist History of the United States. Having read hundreds of contemporary first-person accounts of US history from the 18th century to present, including many from the common man (or woman), I wondered where their voices were. It became clear the author has an agenda, and just isn't interested in portraying life in America for anybody but those he champions. A rather odd, negative view of our land. I got 400 pages into it, and just couldn't stomach any more of it. While I learned a few things, it degenerated into covering a very narrow slice of America which doesn't do justice to the title.

Arguably, one of the more accessible books of its kind, Howard Zinn restores the history of the United States to its rightful owners, the people. A People's History of the United States is the only work of its kind that tells America's narrative from the perspective of women, workers, African Americans, Native Americans, poor, as well as immigrant labor. Popular for its accessible and clear writing as well as its scholarly grounding, Zinn uses a wide range of sources that include Barbara Ehrenreich (Zinn, Peoples History 662). Zinn writes, "According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Census Bureau, in 1998, one of every three working people in the United States had jobs paying at or below the federal poverty level. The writer Barbara Ehrenreich spent a year working at various jobs - house cleaner, waitress, factory worker - and reported (in her book Nickeled and Dimed) that jobs such as those left workers unable to afford housing or medical care, or even adequate food" (Zinn, Peoples History 662). While Ehrenreich was busy doing this study, according to Zinn, the Clinton Administration was busy getting NAFTA passed and implementing its contradictory and uneven platform falling short of providing opportunities and exporting jobs to Mexico (Zinn, People's History 658).

I have heard nothing but frightening things about this book. History "stories" about the evil United States.

Please beware that this book is an opinion, and not factual. Research History for yourself and research this author and his political views.

I have elected to purchase several books at one time, therefor I have not gotten to this book yet. It is quite large so is not easy to misplace. There service of this seller was excellent; it was as advertised and I have been informed that it is a must read book..This I will do, then proceed to shoot the TV in a fit of rage, just as I have a few others in my library. Over all I would give this shipper five stars.

This could be subtitled, "Why I hate the United States."

All you have to know about the writer's thoughts on America, was voiced in his 2001 appearance on Iranian TV.

A mere couple of weeks after the WTC Attacks, old "Zinny" was saying basically the United States deserved what happened on September 11.

In all of his writing, about the only thing positive he has to say about the United States, that he otherwise loathes, is that it's a place where conflict can happen.

His stance is beyond say any early 20th Century infatuation with Socialism, it's more akin to a love for the chance that actual Communism may take place in America.

He writes about the wrongs in America, which of course there were, but in total isolation to the times in which they happened.

His coverage of slavery in America makes it seem a uniquely American action. There is never any mention of other nations that engaged in it, how many African nations/tribes themselves were engaged in the practice, and other things that would place the evil in the context that serious study demands.

No,with the writer, it's all America's fault, only America's fault, and just another example of how wicked the USA really is.

Do not buy this hateful book.