A People's History of the United States

Since its original landmark publication in 1980, 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 citizens. Looking at history “from the bottom up,” historian Howard Zinn shows that many of our country’s greatest battles — for a fair wage, an eight-hour workday, child-labor laws, health and safety standards, universal suffrage, women’s rights and racial equality — were carried out at the grassroots level, often against bloody resistance. From Columbus’s arrival through the 2000 election and the War on Terror, A People’s History of the United States features insightful analysis of the most important events in our history. Howard Zinn (1922-2010) was a historian, playwright, and activist. He wrote the classic A People’s History of the United States, which has sold more than two million copies and was featured in a documentary on the History Channel. His other writings include the play “Marx in Soho” and his autobiography You Can’t Be Neutral on a Moving Train. He received the Lannan Foundation Literary Award for Nonfiction and the Eugene V. Debs award for his writing and political activism. “One of the most important books I have ever read in a long life of reading ... It’s 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