
A People's History of the United States
HarperCollins · Paperback · November 17, 2015
THE CLASSIC NATIONAL BESTSELLER "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 Historian Howard Zinn’s A People’s History of the United States, a landmark work of social history, chronicles American history from the bottom up, throwing out the official narrative taught in schools—with its emphasis on great men in high places—to focus on the street, the home, and the workplace.
We earn from qualifying purchases.
- Who it’s for
- A serious, readable challenge to the usual national story.
- Themes
- social history, marginalized voices, grassroots movements
- Pacing
- Steady
Nearest books
Matched by what the books are about, then ordered by what their readers also loved.
CasteIsabel Wilkerson56% match
Lies My Teacher Told MeJames W. Loewen65% match
The Soul of AmericaJon Meacham60% matchShares Civil Rights and 20th-Century America
You Can't Be Neutral on a Moving TrainHoward Zinn, Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor74% matchShares Civil Rights
Vietnam Wars 1945-1990Marilyn Young58% matchShares 20th-Century America
Myth AmericaKevin M. Kruse, Julian E. Zelizer61% matchShares 20th-Century America
The Greatest Sentence Ever WrittenWalter Isaacson57% match
For younger readers: A Young People's History of the United States, Volume 2, A Young People's History of the United States, Volume 1, A Young People's History of the United States
Start with three books, and this one can be the first.
Members get a new edition every morning: a route out from their books to essays, research and talks, with the reason for each.
Start with this bookAbout this book
THE CLASSIC NATIONAL BESTSELLER "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 Historian Howard Zinn’s A People’s History of the United States, a landmark work of social history, chronicles American history from the bottom up, throwing out the official narrative taught in schools—with its emphasis on great men in high places—to focus on the street, the home, and the workplace.
Continue reading
Known for its lively, clear prose as well as its scholarly research, it 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, the working poor, and immigrant laborers. As Zinn shows, many of our country's greatest battles—the fights for a fair wage, an eight-hour workday, child-labor laws, health and safety standards, universal suffrage, women's rights, racial equality—were driven by powerful social movements carried out at the grassroots level, against bloody resistance. Covering Christopher Columbus's arrival through President Clinton's first term, A People’s History of the United States features insightful analysis of the most important events in our history. This edition also includes an introduction by Anthony Arnove, who wrote, directed, and produced The People Speak with Zinn and who coauthored, with Zinn, Voices of a People’s History of the United States. But what does American history look like when told not by the victors, but by the people on the streets, in the factories, and on the frontiers? - History from Below: Instead of focusing on presidents and generals, Zinn tells America's story from the viewpoint of the street, the home, and the workplace. - Challenging Official Narratives: Discover the hidden history of the United States, from Columbus's arrival to the Clinton administration, through a narrative that questions traditional textbook accounts. - Marginalized Voices: Experience the country's greatest battles in the words of America's women, factory workers, African Americans, Native Americans, and immigrant laborers. - A Critical Look at U.S. History: Zinn provides an insightful analysis of the fights for a fair wage, an eight-hour workday, and racial equality, showing how they were waged against bloody resistance.
Why this clicks
Come here for
- revisionist national history
- classroom-ready sweep
Expect
- layered historical argument
- clear, instructive prose
Where it sits
| Social History | 81% |
|---|---|
| Civil Rights | 39% |
| 20th-Century America | 37% |
Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.
Publisher categories
- Leadership
- Civil War Era
- World History
- Social History
Show all 8 publisher categories
- Democracy
- World Politics
- Women in Politics
- Social Psychology
- Authors
- Howard Zinn
- Publisher
- HarperCollins
- Published
- November 17, 2015
- Format
- Paperback
- Theme
- social history · marginalized voices · grassroots movements
- Reading lane
- Leadership