Howard Zinn On History

(Paperback)

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Description

The second edition of Zinn's landmark writings on history brings together 27 short writings on activism, electoral politics, the Holocaust, Marxism, the Iraq War and the role of the historian, as well as portraits of Eugene Debs, John Reed and Jack London, showing how Zinn's approach to history evolved over nearly half a century while explaining his fundamental premise: that social movements - people getting together for peace and social justice - can change the course of history. Zinn selected these writings for their enduring cultural value.

Reviews

"The thing about Howard is that the history that he taught was not just about losing the official illusions about nationalism, about the heroic figures. It was about telling people to believe in themselves and their power to change the world." -Naomi Klein

"A welcome collection of essays and occasional pieces by the dean of radical American historians." -Kirkus Reviews, on The Zinn Reader

"Howard's life and work are a persistent reminder that our own subjective judgments of the likelihood of success in engaging human problems are of little interest, to ourselves or others. What matters is to take part, as best we can, in the small actions of unknown people that can stave off disaster and bring about a better world, to honor them for their achievement, to do what we can to ensure that these achievements are understood and carried forward."-Noam Chomsky

"Unlike many historians, he was not afraid to speak out about the difference between right and wrong." -Eric Foner, The Nation

Author Bio

The visionary historical work of professor and activist HOWARD ZINN (19222010) is widely considered one of the most important and influential of our era. After his experience as a bombardier in World War II, Zinn became convinced thatthere could no longer be such a thing as a just war, because the vast majority of victims in modern warfare are, increasingly, innocent civilians. In his books, including A Peoples History of the United States, its companion volume Voices of a Peoples History of the United States, and countless other titles, Zinn affirms the power of the people to influence the course of events.