Looked into it tonight and found some info, reviews and excerpts. The premise seems sound enough but from what I've read it sounds suspiciously like the conclusion falls right into a line drawn from proto-anarcho-socialist Peter Krotopkin all the way to modern dickhead Michael Moore: that all wealth and government is created at the behest of a malevolent rich white male conspiracy to take over the world. This is just silly.
But I have ordered a copy to read, as I may be drawing an incorrect conclusion form the scant material I've read so far. A good excerpt fromthe book is here, and you can find detailed reviews and the book itself for sale here.
Phaedrus
But I have ordered a copy to read, as I may be drawing an incorrect conclusion form the scant material I've read so far. A good excerpt fromthe book is here, and you can find detailed reviews and the book itself for sale here.
Phaedrus
Lander....Great movie, and I know it gets mentioned in there.
I read "A People's History" recently, and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to anyone.
Obviously, Zinn is about as liberal as one can get, without resorting to violence. That doesn't mean you have to share his political bearings and ideologies to get something from his book though. Just know from the outset that he's not there to present both sides of the story.
I found it to have a refreshing and different perspective on U.S. history. Instead of "history" comprising of the actions of a few leaders, and their overall effects on the nation, it presented a historical view point of the masses and of how different classes and groups did not share the common historical perspective which was mass-produced and universally taught in American schools.
He did exhaustive research for this book, which was 20 years in the making. It gets you thinking and asking questions. It focuses on the overall picture and how people's way of life has been shaped by history.
Without turning this into a book report, that's my take. The book has something for everyone and is definately "must read."
I read "A People's History" recently, and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to anyone.
Obviously, Zinn is about as liberal as one can get, without resorting to violence. That doesn't mean you have to share his political bearings and ideologies to get something from his book though. Just know from the outset that he's not there to present both sides of the story.
I found it to have a refreshing and different perspective on U.S. history. Instead of "history" comprising of the actions of a few leaders, and their overall effects on the nation, it presented a historical view point of the masses and of how different classes and groups did not share the common historical perspective which was mass-produced and universally taught in American schools.
He did exhaustive research for this book, which was 20 years in the making. It gets you thinking and asking questions. It focuses on the overall picture and how people's way of life has been shaped by history.
Without turning this into a book report, that's my take. The book has something for everyone and is definately "must read."
The one good point that Zinn DOES make-- even if you disagree with him-- is that historians cannot possibly research and report on their field without getting certain opinions and passions involved.
And rightfully so, how mundane would history be without a viewpoint?
Give him that much, at least he states his prejudice...
And rightfully so, how mundane would history be without a viewpoint?
Give him that much, at least he states his prejudice...
