Product Description

For much of his life, historian Howard Zinn has been chronicling American history from the bottom up, throwing out the official version taught in schools -- with its emphasis on great men in high places -- to focus on the street, the home, and the workplace.

Known for its lively, clear prose as well as its scholarly research, Zinn's A People's History of the United States is the only volume to tell America's story from the point of view of -- and in the words of -- its women, factory workers, African-Americans, Native Americans, working poor, and immigrant laborers. Here we learn that many of our country's greatest battles -- labor laws, women's rights, racial equality -- were carried out at the grassroots level, against steel-willed resistance. This edition of A People's History of the United States features insightful analysis of some of the most important events in this country in the past one hundred years.

Featuring a preface and afterword read by the author himself, this audio continues Howard Zinn's important contribution to a complete and balanced understanding of American history.

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #310656 in Books
• Published on: 2003-02-01
• Released on: 2003-02-04
• Formats: Abridged, Audiobook
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 7
• Binding: Audio CD

About the Author
Howard Zinn is a historian, playwright, and social activist. He was a shipyard worker and Air Force bombardier before he went to college under the GI Bill and received his Ph.D. from Columbia University. He has taught at Spelman College and Boston University, and has been a visiting professor at the University of Paris and the University of Bologna. He has received the Thomas Merton Award, the Eugene V. Debs Award, the Upton Sinclair Award, and the Lannan Literary Award. He lives in Auburndale, Massachusetts.

From AudioFile
This book is well read but wrongly titled. A better title would be a history of radicalism in modern America. Matt Damon's reading captures the spirit of the text. Like the book, Damon's voice has an edge to it. He expresses the author's outrage regarding the exploitation of certain groups in American history. He also communicates Zinn's admiration for the courage and determination demonstrated by protest leaders. While Damon reads the main text, Zinn reads the introduction and conclusion. His is not an actor's voice, but his reading is evenly paced and authentic sounding. M.L.C. © AudioFile 2000, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

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Customer Reviews

Fascinating perspective - perfect for a winter road trip
This book presents a decidedly bottom-up perspective on American history, and it'll make you question the motivations and hidden messages behind everything you learned in school. Zinn's book is particularly suited to book-on-tape - it's got a lot of detail, but the writing is clear and concise. You might be surprised at how great of a reader Matt Damon is! He brings just enough character to the voices of the primary sources. If you have a long road trip coming up, I would recommend this book to spark deep political thought and conversation.

A different perspective
Howard Zinn's A People's History of The United States is a fascinating book that reveals historys from a unique standpoint. While many school text books sugar-coat American history and downplay the faults of many key figures in our past, Zinn is brutally honest and reflects the past through the eyes of those who lived it. The book is laceed with eyewitness accounts and makes for an enjoyable and memorable read. While the vast ammount of detail can make the text a bit tetious at times, this book is a treasure for anyone looking to increase their knowlegde of the history of the United States.

The paperback is better
This is not as good as the text version. I didn't realize until after I bought it that it was selected "highlights from the 20th century," even though so much more is covered in the book. I'd strongly recommend reading the text version instead of listening to the audio.