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A People's History of American Empire
Since its landmark publication in 1980, A People’s History of the United States has had six new editions, sold more than 1.7 million copies, become required classroom reading throughout the country, and been turned into an acclaimed play. More than a successful book, A People’s History triggered a revolution in the way history is told, displacing the official versions with their emphasis on great men in high places to chronicle events as they were lived, from the bottom up.
Now Howard Zinn, historian Paul Buhle, and cartoonist Mike Konopacki have collaborated to retell, in vibrant comics form, a most immediate and relevant chapter of A People’s History: the centuries-long story of America’s actions in the world. Narrated by Zinn, this version opens with the events of 9/11 and then jumps back to explore the cycles of U.S. expansionism from Wounded Knee to Iraq, stopping along the way at World War I, Central America, Vietnam, and the Iranian revolution. The book also follows the story of Zinn, the son of poor Jewish immigrants, from his childhood in the Brooklyn slums to his role as one of America’s leading historians.
Shifting from world-shattering events to one family’s small revolutions, A People’s History of American Empire presents the classic ground-level history of America in a dazzling new form.
Now Howard Zinn, historian Paul Buhle, and cartoonist Mike Konopacki have collaborated to retell, in vibrant comics form, a most immediate and relevant chapter of A People’s History: the centuries-long story of America’s actions in the world. Narrated by Zinn, this version opens with the events of 9/11 and then jumps back to explore the cycles of U.S. expansionism from Wounded Knee to Iraq, stopping along the way at World War I, Central America, Vietnam, and the Iranian revolution. The book also follows the story of Zinn, the son of poor Jewish immigrants, from his childhood in the Brooklyn slums to his role as one of America’s leading historians.
Shifting from world-shattering events to one family’s small revolutions, A People’s History of American Empire presents the classic ground-level history of America in a dazzling new form.
288 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2008
227 people are currently reading
5874 people want to read
About the author
Paul M. Buhle
74 books61 followersNow retired as Senior Lecturer at Brown University, Paul Merlyn Buhle is the author or editor of 35 volumes including histories of radicalism in the United States and the Caribbean, studies of popular culture, and a series of nonfiction comic art volumes.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 330 reviews
December 22, 2010
So, if there is a god, he/she/it/they doesn't hold my intellect in very high esteem.
He/she/it/they must think I'm an idiot.
See, a while back, I reserved Bill Bryson's A Short History of Nearly Everything, and what I ended up arriving on the holds shelf was the children's version, complete with funny illustrations to try and walk teenagers through the theory of relativity. Now, I thought I had placed a hold on A People's History of the United States, and I ended up with this graphic novel.
It's quite possible I just suck at placing holds.
Anywho, I'll start with this graphic novel, and then launch into my rant. This is an adaptation of Howard Zinn’s A People’s History of the United States into graphic novel form. The art was aight, but nothing to write home about, and that’s pretty much how I felt about the whole adaptation: the form doesn’t add much in the way of substance, although I’m sure this makes it more likely that some people intimidated by the pictureless tome would read this.
Speaking of, here’s a picture of a cute baby panda, in case your attention was drifting.
I may be making shit up, but I’ve gotten a sense that conservatives dismiss Howard Zinn as a partisan who does nothing but poo-poo the U.S. of A., portraying it as politically corrupt. However, the same people who dismiss him for this join the Taxed Enough Already party, even though the party has no tea, nor any dancing or spiked punch. So, let us be consistent for a minute: IS the government overriding our freedoms or not? It doesn’t magically become invasive when a democrat’s in office, and then become Smokey the Safety Bear when a republican’s in office. These parties BOTH support constant foreign wars that are motivated by partially empirical motives. These parties BOTH supported big checks for the big banks as soon as they started whining. These parties BOTH agree on a lot of the big issues, and I think most of us disagree with both parties on these issues—or would, if these issues weren’t ignored by the media.
That said, even if you know you reject socialism as a political structure, you should read this book. (In whichever form you prefer.) Even if you don’t agree with some of Zinn’s positions, that doesn’t make the research he’s done invalid, nor does it make the facts he discusses false. This is a history book that challenges a lot of the assumptions taken by the history textbooks we’re forced to read in schools. Zinn believes the U.S. is accountable for its actions in Vietnam, World War I, and…well, ALL of its actions. This doesn’t mean he hates this country. It means he refuses to be blinded by nationalism. If we wear blinders regarding our own nation’s actions, why on earth would we expect to NOT be taken advantage of by those in power? When we look at the history of any other country, in any other time period, we can see intrigue, corruption, and a power structure that disfavors the poor. Why would we assume without research that the same thing isn’t happening in the U.S. right now?
It is.
Howard Zinn was one of our great historians, because he challenged the mainstream and saw his job as more than teaching history: he was a social activist that fought against injustices. It’s for his books that he’ll be remembered hundreds of years from now, but it’s for the whole of his life that I will say this:
Howard Zinn was badass.
He/she/it/they must think I'm an idiot.
See, a while back, I reserved Bill Bryson's A Short History of Nearly Everything, and what I ended up arriving on the holds shelf was the children's version, complete with funny illustrations to try and walk teenagers through the theory of relativity. Now, I thought I had placed a hold on A People's History of the United States, and I ended up with this graphic novel.
It's quite possible I just suck at placing holds.
Anywho, I'll start with this graphic novel, and then launch into my rant. This is an adaptation of Howard Zinn’s A People’s History of the United States into graphic novel form. The art was aight, but nothing to write home about, and that’s pretty much how I felt about the whole adaptation: the form doesn’t add much in the way of substance, although I’m sure this makes it more likely that some people intimidated by the pictureless tome would read this.
Speaking of, here’s a picture of a cute baby panda, in case your attention was drifting.
I may be making shit up, but I’ve gotten a sense that conservatives dismiss Howard Zinn as a partisan who does nothing but poo-poo the U.S. of A., portraying it as politically corrupt. However, the same people who dismiss him for this join the Taxed Enough Already party, even though the party has no tea, nor any dancing or spiked punch. So, let us be consistent for a minute: IS the government overriding our freedoms or not? It doesn’t magically become invasive when a democrat’s in office, and then become Smokey the Safety Bear when a republican’s in office. These parties BOTH support constant foreign wars that are motivated by partially empirical motives. These parties BOTH supported big checks for the big banks as soon as they started whining. These parties BOTH agree on a lot of the big issues, and I think most of us disagree with both parties on these issues—or would, if these issues weren’t ignored by the media.
That said, even if you know you reject socialism as a political structure, you should read this book. (In whichever form you prefer.) Even if you don’t agree with some of Zinn’s positions, that doesn’t make the research he’s done invalid, nor does it make the facts he discusses false. This is a history book that challenges a lot of the assumptions taken by the history textbooks we’re forced to read in schools. Zinn believes the U.S. is accountable for its actions in Vietnam, World War I, and…well, ALL of its actions. This doesn’t mean he hates this country. It means he refuses to be blinded by nationalism. If we wear blinders regarding our own nation’s actions, why on earth would we expect to NOT be taken advantage of by those in power? When we look at the history of any other country, in any other time period, we can see intrigue, corruption, and a power structure that disfavors the poor. Why would we assume without research that the same thing isn’t happening in the U.S. right now?
It is.
Howard Zinn was one of our great historians, because he challenged the mainstream and saw his job as more than teaching history: he was a social activist that fought against injustices. It’s for his books that he’ll be remembered hundreds of years from now, but it’s for the whole of his life that I will say this:
Howard Zinn was badass.
March 1, 2017
I highly appreciate Howard Zinn, and thought I would know most of what was in the book. No, in fact there were quite a number of things that were either new or that expanded my knowledge.
I have been very interested lately in that fork in the road taken in the 1890's when Teddy Roosevelt, William Randolph Hearst and others successfully argued for the imperialism road. This book expanded my knowledge of the US war in Cuba and in the Philippines.
Also included is a fascinating section on Zoot Suits and Jitterbug music, and how that music and the subsequent R & B music, scared authorities due to how it brought together white, black and brown youth.
Finally, it was personally interesting to learn of Howard Zinn's role in the efforts to de-segregate Public libraries in the Atlanta, Georgia area in the early 1960's and the price he paid.
I have been very interested lately in that fork in the road taken in the 1890's when Teddy Roosevelt, William Randolph Hearst and others successfully argued for the imperialism road. This book expanded my knowledge of the US war in Cuba and in the Philippines.
Also included is a fascinating section on Zoot Suits and Jitterbug music, and how that music and the subsequent R & B music, scared authorities due to how it brought together white, black and brown youth.
Finally, it was personally interesting to learn of Howard Zinn's role in the efforts to de-segregate Public libraries in the Atlanta, Georgia area in the early 1960's and the price he paid.
May 29, 2010
I didn't put it down because I disagreed with the presentation of history (although I do think it is a bit harsh). I put it down because it is a large book filled with a single version of historical events. While I do not think that the author is anti-America or anti-American, he is certainly anti-establishment, anti-expansionist, and rather bitter. He served in the military, which gives him more right to be upset with American foreign policy and military action (in my opinion). If I sat down with the intention to read about one side of the debate's view of every conflict in which Americans acted more like terrorists and conquerors, then I would probably really enjoy this. The art is interesting and the panels are fairly varied. I just wasn't in the mood to read such an extreme view of history (even though I do agree that America needs to be more careful with how it deals with foreign nations). We probably should have learned to discontinue some of the patterns of violence and retaliation, but this is an awful big book to just say that.
November 29, 2020
"Το να ελπίζεις σε δύσκολους καιρούς δεν είναι ανόητα ρομαντικό.Είναι βασισμένο στο γεγονός ότι η ανθρώπινη ιστορία δεν είναι μόνο μια ιστορία σκληρότητας,αλλά και μια ιστορία συμπόνοιας,θυσίας,θάρρους,καλοσύνης."
Το παρόν βιβλίο έρχεται να "συμπληρώσει" άτυπα το ήδη υπάρχον και αναλυτικό ομότιτλο έργο του μεγάλου ιστορικού Howard Zinn.Είναι η εικονογραφημένη,σύντομη ωστόσο, ιστορίας μιας αυτοκρατορίας που επηρεάζει τις ζωές όλου του πλανήτη.
Είναι αναγκαίο να γνωρίζουμε την ιστορία των ΗΠΑ για να κατανοήσουμε καλύτερα και όλα όσα συμβαίνουν μέχρι σήμερα τόσο στη Δύση,όσο και στην Ανατολή.
Προτείνω να διαβαστεί βέβαια πρώτα το ολοκληρωμένο ιστορικό έργο του Zinn και μετά το παρόν graphic novel.
Το παρόν βιβλίο έρχεται να "συμπληρώσει" άτυπα το ήδη υπάρχον και αναλυτικό ομότιτλο έργο του μεγάλου ιστορικού Howard Zinn.Είναι η εικονογραφημένη,σύντομη ωστόσο, ιστορίας μιας αυτοκρατορίας που επηρεάζει τις ζωές όλου του πλανήτη.
Είναι αναγκαίο να γνωρίζουμε την ιστορία των ΗΠΑ για να κατανοήσουμε καλύτερα και όλα όσα συμβαίνουν μέχρι σήμερα τόσο στη Δύση,όσο και στην Ανατολή.
Προτείνω να διαβαστεί βέβαια πρώτα το ολοκληρωμένο ιστορικό έργο του Zinn και μετά το παρόν graphic novel.
August 5, 2019
Howard Zinn is not afraid to point out the darker moments in American history. This graphic novel highlights some of those moments. These moments are shared so that readers may be aware of how America has not lived up to its potential in order that they may make changes to improve its future. The final message is hopeful, as long as citizens remain vigilant. The only negative point for me is that the art could have been better.
July 23, 2010
A real disappointment. As a historian, probably I was hoping for too much, but I thought that the attempt to mix history and graphics could be interesting. It was not. Graphically the book was bland, historically it was highly tendentious, and as a work of literature it was poorly written and executed. Zinn is not a nuanced historian, this is understood from the get-go, but his flaws in distorting and simplifying a complex past for explicit political purpose are even more pronounced here because a graphic history is by necessity simplified. Skip this, and read Zinn's A People's History of the United States, which is a good corrective to the triumphalist, nationalist history Americans most often are fed, but be sure to leaven even that book with other historical perspectives.
June 22, 2017
When I picked it up, I thought it would be a good way to discover Zinn's vision of History, since I read bits and pieces of it before but no complete work. Well... Though being a leftist myself, I hope this is not a good example of Zinn's thought.
All I've read in this book was heavily biased; the premise is clearly that the USA have tried for the last century to establish a world empire, through aggressive trade strategies, "liberation" wars, etc. It is undeniable, yes.
But it is presented through often unsubstantiated claims, with facts just thrown to the reader without any background or analysis -- as with the depression of 1896, called "the greatest the US ever known, but whose causes are not explained at all. These claims and facts are mixed with parallels that are at best uninteresting, at worst highly suspicious, for instance the anecdote that Sandino's watch was stolen by his murderers, just like it was done with Che Guevara... 1- who cares? 2- how is that relevant? 3- what do you imply by this parallel?
Add to this a good deal of hypocrisy, with Zinn telling the story of how he became a radical leftist by seeing the way the US behaved during WW2, but completely omitting the fact that he got his higher education thanks to the GI Bill; there's nothing wrong with criticizing the country that educated you, but it is more honest to present all faces of your relation to said country.
The absence of context is also quite problematic, as it sometimes makes the events look very different from what they were; the use of napalm in Royan for instance is presented as being a random act of cruelty, while it was part of a general, long-lasting battle against remaining nazi forces, just like in Brest and other cities of France. Another example of that it the sinking of the Lusitania, of which Zinn says "but what the general public didn't know is that the ship was filled with ammunitions and war supply", as if it lessened the fact that, by sinking this ship, the Germans killed close to 1.200 civilians...
Some events are also surprisingly ommitted, the Korean War for instance -- which might have been more interesting imperialism-wise than Zinn's private life and childhood -- or the support given to many far-right terrorist movements in Europe through the "stay-behind" policy (Gladio in Italy for instance, or the Grey Wolves in Turkey).
Finally, one of the worst issues of the book in my opinion is the complete lack of critical point of view on those who oppose American imperialism. Of course, those in the CIA and the Army who massacred civilians, staged coups and overthrew legitimately elected governments are evil and despicable. But Sandino is shown killing a man just because his man insulted him, and the act is presented as a mere "scandal" that forced Sandino to leave his country -- that was a f*cking murder, for Christ's sake, not just a scandal! Same goes with Khomeini, who is quoted saying that the American system is bad because it would give women the right to vote -- and this opinion goes completely unchallenged by the very men who pretend to be all for equal rights and democracy!
In short: a debatable and heavily biased view of History and historical facts; a highly unthrilling writing; and an under-average drawing, that often looks like a really poor imitation of Tardi's drawing.
All I've read in this book was heavily biased; the premise is clearly that the USA have tried for the last century to establish a world empire, through aggressive trade strategies, "liberation" wars, etc. It is undeniable, yes.
But it is presented through often unsubstantiated claims, with facts just thrown to the reader without any background or analysis -- as with the depression of 1896, called "the greatest the US ever known, but whose causes are not explained at all. These claims and facts are mixed with parallels that are at best uninteresting, at worst highly suspicious, for instance the anecdote that Sandino's watch was stolen by his murderers, just like it was done with Che Guevara... 1- who cares? 2- how is that relevant? 3- what do you imply by this parallel?
Add to this a good deal of hypocrisy, with Zinn telling the story of how he became a radical leftist by seeing the way the US behaved during WW2, but completely omitting the fact that he got his higher education thanks to the GI Bill; there's nothing wrong with criticizing the country that educated you, but it is more honest to present all faces of your relation to said country.
The absence of context is also quite problematic, as it sometimes makes the events look very different from what they were; the use of napalm in Royan for instance is presented as being a random act of cruelty, while it was part of a general, long-lasting battle against remaining nazi forces, just like in Brest and other cities of France. Another example of that it the sinking of the Lusitania, of which Zinn says "but what the general public didn't know is that the ship was filled with ammunitions and war supply", as if it lessened the fact that, by sinking this ship, the Germans killed close to 1.200 civilians...
Some events are also surprisingly ommitted, the Korean War for instance -- which might have been more interesting imperialism-wise than Zinn's private life and childhood -- or the support given to many far-right terrorist movements in Europe through the "stay-behind" policy (Gladio in Italy for instance, or the Grey Wolves in Turkey).
Finally, one of the worst issues of the book in my opinion is the complete lack of critical point of view on those who oppose American imperialism. Of course, those in the CIA and the Army who massacred civilians, staged coups and overthrew legitimately elected governments are evil and despicable. But Sandino is shown killing a man just because his man insulted him, and the act is presented as a mere "scandal" that forced Sandino to leave his country -- that was a f*cking murder, for Christ's sake, not just a scandal! Same goes with Khomeini, who is quoted saying that the American system is bad because it would give women the right to vote -- and this opinion goes completely unchallenged by the very men who pretend to be all for equal rights and democracy!
In short: a debatable and heavily biased view of History and historical facts; a highly unthrilling writing; and an under-average drawing, that often looks like a really poor imitation of Tardi's drawing.
July 21, 2009
I don't dispute that much of what is presented here is factual. I would however dispute that ALL of the facts are being presented. I understand that those who believe in "radical" politics feel that their viewpoints have been massively underrepresented - but that doesn't give you a pass on dealing with historical facts that don't support your overarching thesis.
This is a polemic on American imperialism rather than an alternative look at American history... and that impression is reinforced by the pamphleteer-style art that you find in the graphic novel.
While I appreciated hearing Zinn's story & personal connections both to WW2 and the Vietnam protest movement, I feel like a couple of things happen with those elements of the book:
1. It gives Zinn an opportunity to make his point without dealing with the whole history of either war.
2. It is painfully obvious that Zinn exalts in his friendships & associations with Father Berrigan & Daniel Ellsworth... that being on the stage of history around North Vietnam, the Pentagon Papers & the sit-ins in Atlanta validate his viewpoint on American history.
Again, I don't deny that horrific things have been using American power for the benefit of American business... but I think it is simplistic to blame the last 120 years of world history on American imperialism.
This is a polemic on American imperialism rather than an alternative look at American history... and that impression is reinforced by the pamphleteer-style art that you find in the graphic novel.
While I appreciated hearing Zinn's story & personal connections both to WW2 and the Vietnam protest movement, I feel like a couple of things happen with those elements of the book:
1. It gives Zinn an opportunity to make his point without dealing with the whole history of either war.
2. It is painfully obvious that Zinn exalts in his friendships & associations with Father Berrigan & Daniel Ellsworth... that being on the stage of history around North Vietnam, the Pentagon Papers & the sit-ins in Atlanta validate his viewpoint on American history.
Again, I don't deny that horrific things have been using American power for the benefit of American business... but I think it is simplistic to blame the last 120 years of world history on American imperialism.
November 16, 2013
A lovingly constructed version of Zinn's A People's History of the United States: 1492 to Present that leaves me wanting to dive into Zinn's entire bibliography. With Zinn as the ever-present narrator (with guest lectures from the likes of Mark Twain, OMG), I was thoroughly entertained, and informed. I had never understood the Spanish-American War before, for whatever reason. But, laying it out in a graphic novel format finally brought me understanding, along with increased understanding of conflicts in the Philippines, and Iran-Contra, and sooooo many other instances of American assholery.
I still think some of the art is a little shitty. The layout is A+ work, and the content, of course, is wonderful. I don't know, some of the art just looked cheap or underdeveloped. However, the overwhelming majority was beautifully done, and incorporated historical photos that helped to cement the chronology and history.
Buy this title from Powell's Books.
I still think some of the art is a little shitty. The layout is A+ work, and the content, of course, is wonderful. I don't know, some of the art just looked cheap or underdeveloped. However, the overwhelming majority was beautifully done, and incorporated historical photos that helped to cement the chronology and history.
Buy this title from Powell's Books.
December 16, 2008
starting with mad magazine, then to the "big book" series, moving onto the "beginners" series, then onto other types of graphic novels and interpretations, the genre and pop-education in general has fascinated me for awhile. This is an amazing addition to the genre, although as a pop-ed tool, the rhetoric may be a bit too much for many people not versed in radical theory, ideology, or thought. i considered getting this for my dad for xmas, but then realized he may be a bit turned off from it and not read it or dismiss it. i felt it could have used a bit more of an intro rather than jumping right into the pool.
with that said, i really loved it and got sucked in, wishing only that it was longer or that i got to see graphic interpretations of some of my favorite stories that had to be left out.
with that said, i really loved it and got sucked in, wishing only that it was longer or that i got to see graphic interpretations of some of my favorite stories that had to be left out.
February 6, 2018
If you have enjoyed Zinn’s A People’s History of the United States, then A People’s History of an American Empire is just as enjoyable. Like the latter, it will piss you off but in a Howard Zinn appreciating way. Appreciating in the sense of an actual account of America’s past and not some anti-intellectual writing in service of the State to white-wash its history of crimes. The content in this book was a 5, the same rating his first book received but I’m giving this one a 3 due to the vibrant comics form. I really enjoyed the book and the comic nature but to give a comic related book a 5 would feel I’m doing an injustice to his first book or any 5 rating book for that matter. Regardless, I highly recommend this book to any lover of history. A must have in every man’s library.
October 4, 2009
Yes, a lot of horrible things were done in the name of the US. But after a few chapters the tone of this book became "only bad things have been done in the name of the US".
July 31, 2020
Πρόκειται για μια εικονογραφημένη μεταφορά του βιβλίου « η ιστορία του λαού της Αμερικής» του Ζινν.
Δεν ξέρω αν είναι η ακριβής μεταφορά του βιβλίου, ούτε αν τα γεγονότα που παρατίθενται είναι τα πραγματικά. Σίγουρα πάντως είναι κοντά στην αλήθεια. Και αυτός είναι ο λόγος που δεν βαθμολόγησα με 5 αστέρια.
Το βιβλίο είναι η ιστορία του επεκτατισμού της αμερικανικής κυβέρνησης και των λόμπι.
500 χρόνια διακρίσεις, ψέμματα, αδίστακτοι εξουσιαστές και ανήμποροι να αντιδράσουν εξουσιαζόμενοι. Οχι πάντα όμως, υπάρχουν και κάποιες περιπτώσεις που ο απλός λαός μπορεί να φέρει την αλλαγή (με πολύ κόπο,πόνο,αίμα ακόμα τη ζωή του). Και εκεί στέκεται ο Ζινν. Μας λέει ότι μόνο με αυτόν τον τρόπο μπορούμε να αλλάξουμε τη ζωή μας και να την κάνουμε πραγματικά ελεύθερη.
Ινδιάνοι, Μεξικό, Φιλιππίνες, παγκόσμιοι, Βιετνάμ, Λατινική Αμερική, μέση Ανατολή εκτός των τειχών.
Ρατσισμός, εκμετάλλευση, ψέμματα, προπαγάνδα εντός αυτών..
Το μόνο σίγουρο ότι θα διαβάσω και το πρωτότυπο βιβλίο για να βγάλω ασφαλή συμπεράσματα..
Καλή ανάγνωση σε όλους
Δεν ξέρω αν είναι η ακριβής μεταφορά του βιβλίου, ούτε αν τα γεγονότα που παρατίθενται είναι τα πραγματικά. Σίγουρα πάντως είναι κοντά στην αλήθεια. Και αυτός είναι ο λόγος που δεν βαθμολόγησα με 5 αστέρια.
Το βιβλίο είναι η ιστορία του επεκτατισμού της αμερικανικής κυβέρνησης και των λόμπι.
500 χρόνια διακρίσεις, ψέμματα, αδίστακτοι εξουσιαστές και ανήμποροι να αντιδράσουν εξουσιαζόμενοι. Οχι πάντα όμως, υπάρχουν και κάποιες περιπτώσεις που ο απλός λαός μπορεί να φέρει την αλλαγή (με πολύ κόπο,πόνο,αίμα ακόμα τη ζωή του). Και εκεί στέκεται ο Ζινν. Μας λέει ότι μόνο με αυτόν τον τρόπο μπορούμε να αλλάξουμε τη ζωή μας και να την κάνουμε πραγματικά ελεύθερη.
Ινδιάνοι, Μεξικό, Φιλιππίνες, παγκόσμιοι, Βιετνάμ, Λατινική Αμερική, μέση Ανατολή εκτός των τειχών.
Ρατσισμός, εκμετάλλευση, ψέμματα, προπαγάνδα εντός αυτών..
Το μόνο σίγουρο ότι θα διαβάσω και το πρωτότυπο βιβλίο για να βγάλω ασφαλή συμπεράσματα..
Καλή ανάγνωση σε όλους
May 11, 2022
Το ξαναδιαβασα, αυτη τη φορα παρεα με το γιο μου.
"και το να ζουμε οπως πιστευουμε οτι θα επρεπε να ζουν οι ανθρωποι...αυτο ειναι μια υπεροχη νικη."
"και το να ζουμε οπως πιστευουμε οτι θα επρεπε να ζουν οι ανθρωποι...αυτο ειναι μια υπεροχη νικη."
April 10, 2011
This is a retelling of A People's History of the United States: 1492 to Present in comic book form, with an emphasis on American foreign policy that downright imperial. And we're not talking classic American soft power here, where we send Coke and McDonald's in order to get people to buy American products in an effort to spread our cultural values. Rather, we're talking about a cynical examination of American international actions like the Spanish-American war, Manifest Destiny, Iran Contra, and other incidents that make the good old US of A look less than savory.
I agree with Zinn's politics, for the most part. Zinn has an agenda, and he's clear about it. As such, it's the responsibility of the reader to take what he says with a grain of salt. But that aside, he does paint a pretty bleak picture of the USA's human rights record, one that We Americans like to pretend that we don't have many human rights violation, except for a few isolated incidents. What Zinn points out is that our violations are not restricted to a few isolated incidents, but rather are a systemic abuse, repeated over and over throughout history. If American policy results in significant human rights violations in nearly every decade, can we really claim to be the white knights that we like to pretend we are? Perhaps we owe it to ourselves to really evaluate our foreign policy and tell ourselves the truth.
That said, this book is still a long, long way from perfect. I've never read Zinn's People's History, so I'm afraid I can't compare this volume to it. But whatever I would think about the parent title, this comic rendering has its issues. There's an extreme cult of personality surrounding Zinn in this book, which is ironic considering that Zinn spends so much iconoclastic effort tearing down politicians and generals. The image of Zinn, an old white guy, lecturing to an anonymous audience from a podium is repeated frequently, and without any kind of acknowledgement of just how strange this is in relation to the idea that this is "a people's history." Heck, some of the book is even autobiographical, in a way that seems very, very odd and stuck on there haphazardly. Perhaps the book should be called "Howard Zinn's History of American Empire?" Or "A People's History of American Empire and of Howard Zinn?" It certainly feels that way.
And this cult of personality issue ties into a larger issue. Zinn's point in this book does not seem to be that the reader should think for herself, but rather that we should switch from the dictated version of history that we were taught in school to Zinn's more radical version. A lot of time is spent tearing down the old history and establishing a new point of view, but the evidence given is extremely one-sided. I'm no expert on most of these topics, but there are omissions that I caught, and points that the standard history espouses that are never addressed. The history that comes out of this book is not necessarily fuller, it's just a different viewpoint. So, for all of Zinn's criticism of the mainstream, his history is still not telling the whole story. And thus, it's implied that being dogmatic about history that isn't the problem, it's that we follow the wrong dogma.
Finally, the comic art itself is lacking. It has a bit too much Sunday funnies feel, with stilted paneling and art that begins to feel repetitive. The caricatures are good, but the whole book is lacking soul. In some ways, this feels like Zinn said "I want to bring my work to more people, so I'm going to make it more accessible. And what's more accessible than comic books?" So, a comic book gets made, but somewhere in the process, the things that make a good comic book get lost. Maybe Zinn or somebody else in the process who was unfamiliar with making comics micromanaged the process too much, or maybe the studio didn't take enough liberties with the pacing and story, or maybe the dialogue wasn't cut down enough. Whatever happened, the comic turned out firmly mediocre.
And so although you have a story that needs to be told, it is told in a misleading fashion, and the telling is flubbed. This isn't a book I'd recommend.
I agree with Zinn's politics, for the most part. Zinn has an agenda, and he's clear about it. As such, it's the responsibility of the reader to take what he says with a grain of salt. But that aside, he does paint a pretty bleak picture of the USA's human rights record, one that We Americans like to pretend that we don't have many human rights violation, except for a few isolated incidents. What Zinn points out is that our violations are not restricted to a few isolated incidents, but rather are a systemic abuse, repeated over and over throughout history. If American policy results in significant human rights violations in nearly every decade, can we really claim to be the white knights that we like to pretend we are? Perhaps we owe it to ourselves to really evaluate our foreign policy and tell ourselves the truth.
That said, this book is still a long, long way from perfect. I've never read Zinn's People's History, so I'm afraid I can't compare this volume to it. But whatever I would think about the parent title, this comic rendering has its issues. There's an extreme cult of personality surrounding Zinn in this book, which is ironic considering that Zinn spends so much iconoclastic effort tearing down politicians and generals. The image of Zinn, an old white guy, lecturing to an anonymous audience from a podium is repeated frequently, and without any kind of acknowledgement of just how strange this is in relation to the idea that this is "a people's history." Heck, some of the book is even autobiographical, in a way that seems very, very odd and stuck on there haphazardly. Perhaps the book should be called "Howard Zinn's History of American Empire?" Or "A People's History of American Empire and of Howard Zinn?" It certainly feels that way.
And this cult of personality issue ties into a larger issue. Zinn's point in this book does not seem to be that the reader should think for herself, but rather that we should switch from the dictated version of history that we were taught in school to Zinn's more radical version. A lot of time is spent tearing down the old history and establishing a new point of view, but the evidence given is extremely one-sided. I'm no expert on most of these topics, but there are omissions that I caught, and points that the standard history espouses that are never addressed. The history that comes out of this book is not necessarily fuller, it's just a different viewpoint. So, for all of Zinn's criticism of the mainstream, his history is still not telling the whole story. And thus, it's implied that being dogmatic about history that isn't the problem, it's that we follow the wrong dogma.
Finally, the comic art itself is lacking. It has a bit too much Sunday funnies feel, with stilted paneling and art that begins to feel repetitive. The caricatures are good, but the whole book is lacking soul. In some ways, this feels like Zinn said "I want to bring my work to more people, so I'm going to make it more accessible. And what's more accessible than comic books?" So, a comic book gets made, but somewhere in the process, the things that make a good comic book get lost. Maybe Zinn or somebody else in the process who was unfamiliar with making comics micromanaged the process too much, or maybe the studio didn't take enough liberties with the pacing and story, or maybe the dialogue wasn't cut down enough. Whatever happened, the comic turned out firmly mediocre.
And so although you have a story that needs to be told, it is told in a misleading fashion, and the telling is flubbed. This isn't a book I'd recommend.
December 20, 2016
The first thing that I feel obliged to tell everyone is that this is a much easier read than I every anticipated. A challenging and thought provoking read certainly, but compared to many other political (and none political) comics I have struggled to slog through, this one was extremely accessible. The panels are even a bit on the too big side really, but this means the art and text were extremely clear and easy to follow. The text blocks never got too overly-long, and the pacing kept things moving at a fairly engaging level.
Focusing in on the art first, the choice to intermingle cartoons with historical photographs really grounded the work for me. This is certainly one of the strong points of nonfiction graphic novels, and does not work nearly as well in text focused works. The choice to apply some sort of photoshop filter to most of these photographs however, was generally not successful. While it certainly helped the visual flow for some pages, more often than not it made the pages seem rushed and cheap.
Digging deeper into the subject matter of the book, I guess I should add the disclaimer that I am (at this point in my life) the sort of person who believes the sorts of things that Zinn is dishing out. So reading this was definitely preaching to the choir. That said, I do think that this book has a lot of merit so I will try and explain in as object a way as possible why I still think that everyone should read this book.
First of all, I think that even if you ultimately disagree with this book, it provides a counter explanation for a history I would say we probably all already know about. While some may say that Zinn needs more of a balanced perspective, I would argue that not all books need to be all things to all people. Most history classes cover the material from this book from the "politically correct" perspective. Therefor, rehashing main stream ideologies would be a complete waste of time in most cases. Life is short, Zinn is very up front and honest about his agenda and aims to provide the thinking individual with a more balanced perspective of the world overall.
Secondly, I would like to reiterate the fact that Zinn is totally up front with his agenda. Every single book you read has an agenda of some kind, even if sometimes the author themselves is not aware of it! Zinn is certainly not sneaking around and pretending to tell you one thing and indoctrinating you with another. In contrast to many more accepted works, being this obvious is a way in which he opens himself up to much more criticism.
Thirdly, in the face of some of this very criticism I would like to point out that Zinn does in fact provide us with a fairly lengthy bibliography. It might have been nice to incorporate it more into the book's narrative, but putting it all in the back and sorting it out by chapter is certainly not unusual. Also, most of the agenda put forward by this book is in fact backed up by documented facts. Facts that are certainly not as well publicized as some other facts and half-facts, but almost nothing in this book is pure speculation, contrivance, or unsubstantiated conspiracy theory. Studies, research and investigations have been done into most of these actions and turned up the narrative that Zinn is presenting to us.
Fourthly, I once again really appreciate how vulnerable and humble Zinn is throughout, particularly with how much more personal this book is than some of his other history books. His giving a speech was a very nice way of framing things and talking about his own mistakes really humanized him and made him more relatable. I also continue to appreciate people who are confident enough in their own opinions that they don't need to degrade and look down their noses at their critics. Even when it came to some seriously evil people, the book focuses more on letting people's actions speak for them rather than spending a lot of time tearing people down in a more personal, sneaky and/or subjective way.
And to conclude, I will say again, I think that pretty much everyone should read this. Even if you don't end up agreeing. This book is very thought provoking and challenging. No one should hold to beliefs blindly.
Focusing in on the art first, the choice to intermingle cartoons with historical photographs really grounded the work for me. This is certainly one of the strong points of nonfiction graphic novels, and does not work nearly as well in text focused works. The choice to apply some sort of photoshop filter to most of these photographs however, was generally not successful. While it certainly helped the visual flow for some pages, more often than not it made the pages seem rushed and cheap.
Digging deeper into the subject matter of the book, I guess I should add the disclaimer that I am (at this point in my life) the sort of person who believes the sorts of things that Zinn is dishing out. So reading this was definitely preaching to the choir. That said, I do think that this book has a lot of merit so I will try and explain in as object a way as possible why I still think that everyone should read this book.
First of all, I think that even if you ultimately disagree with this book, it provides a counter explanation for a history I would say we probably all already know about. While some may say that Zinn needs more of a balanced perspective, I would argue that not all books need to be all things to all people. Most history classes cover the material from this book from the "politically correct" perspective. Therefor, rehashing main stream ideologies would be a complete waste of time in most cases. Life is short, Zinn is very up front and honest about his agenda and aims to provide the thinking individual with a more balanced perspective of the world overall.
Secondly, I would like to reiterate the fact that Zinn is totally up front with his agenda. Every single book you read has an agenda of some kind, even if sometimes the author themselves is not aware of it! Zinn is certainly not sneaking around and pretending to tell you one thing and indoctrinating you with another. In contrast to many more accepted works, being this obvious is a way in which he opens himself up to much more criticism.
Thirdly, in the face of some of this very criticism I would like to point out that Zinn does in fact provide us with a fairly lengthy bibliography. It might have been nice to incorporate it more into the book's narrative, but putting it all in the back and sorting it out by chapter is certainly not unusual. Also, most of the agenda put forward by this book is in fact backed up by documented facts. Facts that are certainly not as well publicized as some other facts and half-facts, but almost nothing in this book is pure speculation, contrivance, or unsubstantiated conspiracy theory. Studies, research and investigations have been done into most of these actions and turned up the narrative that Zinn is presenting to us.
Fourthly, I once again really appreciate how vulnerable and humble Zinn is throughout, particularly with how much more personal this book is than some of his other history books. His giving a speech was a very nice way of framing things and talking about his own mistakes really humanized him and made him more relatable. I also continue to appreciate people who are confident enough in their own opinions that they don't need to degrade and look down their noses at their critics. Even when it came to some seriously evil people, the book focuses more on letting people's actions speak for them rather than spending a lot of time tearing people down in a more personal, sneaky and/or subjective way.
And to conclude, I will say again, I think that pretty much everyone should read this. Even if you don't end up agreeing. This book is very thought provoking and challenging. No one should hold to beliefs blindly.
January 5, 2022
Sad to rate this low because I don't know how they could have gotten around the issues I had with it. Overall I would recommend this, but if I had half stars I would give it 3.5. I bought this as a gift for my aunt and uncle. They are like your typical democrats who aren't super political. There are several military members on that side of the fam, and they are big fans of Hamilton which should be enough information. One day my aunt randomly texted me that she wanted to read A People' History of the United States by Howard Zinn. I was shocked! Not Reading is one of her personality traits (which is fine we all have different ways of learning), so that really surprised me right off the bat, but of all books to request! I was so excited I offered to do it book club style, because I myself have been meaning to read that.
I saw this graphic adaptation and I thought it might be a good Christmas gift. I don't think she really has any experience reading comics either, but sometimes I find that if I consume information in multiple formats (like listening to a podcast on the matter or watching a documentary and reading the book or watching a fictional movie then watching a documentary about the same event) it sticks in my mind better. I read it before giving it to her and I spent most of reading trying to imagine what it would be like for her to read.
The upside is there is soooo much information packed in here, and the downside is there is sooo much information packed in here. I don’t really know how else they could have laid it out because by definition the US empire is like a spiderweb kaleidoscope and it would be impossible to simply lay things out in chronological order. On top of that, the book is kindof a graphic adaptation of a people’s history by Howard Zinn, but it also includes his lectures and info about his life. I think the presentation is supposed to be that of a lecture he is giving and we are hearing the info. Idk if I liked that device but I also am cutting the editors some slack because it’s really really impossible to neatly format a work like this.
Similarly, they have to rapid fire every single topic. We start with the internal colonization of the indigenous people of the americas, then we learn about cuba, and the philippines and the spanish american war, then WW1, brief interlude chronicling Zinn’s childhood and how he became radicalized, WW2, interlude on the postwar music scene, the civil rights movement, the vietnam war, the iran contra affair, the pentagon papers, operation AJax, and throughout we are getting tie ins to the war on Terror. Aren’t you exhausted! This is all vital information, but as an example I am currently listening to a 20 hour podcast that covers the ~10 pages about Cuba we get here. I started thinking maybe this would be perfect to show someone who doesn’t know that much about these parts of history, but maybe it’s better for someone who already broadly knows about all of this and here we can see the whole zoomed out view.
One thing I thought was really effective was the little “ZINNformation” panels. These are inserted to make a parallel to more recent events. On page 164 we learn about the gulf of Tonkin, which was used as the pretext to get into the Vietnam War. the Zinnformation panel reminds us that the same playbook was used in the early 2000s, but instead of naval vessel attacks in vietnam we had WMDs in Iraq. I thought these were excellent to illustrate the fact that they are all operating from the same playbook. This is the thing that I would like my loved ones to come away from the book understanding, and these panels do a wonderful job in drawing those connections.
I wasn’t in love with the art style, but I think the artists knew that it can be tricky to convey such dark topics in a cartoon style (I firmly believe this can be done to great effect tho, I haven’t read Maus but have heard nothing but praise, and the work of Joe Sacco is very cartoony but VERY effective). To get around this, there are many actual photographs inserted among the drawings. The photos are usually of atrocities and many are fairly famous, like the child running from the napalm or pics from abu grahib. There are so many photos of people hanging, being tortured torture and many photos piles of bodies in ditches. I think this is a good thing because we can’t look away or sanitize reality.
The negative reviews of this book that aren’t about the formatting or art style make me sooooo sad lol, I guess if he’s biased I have identical biases, but at the same time what is the argument against any of the information presented here? It’s all been proven to be true. Also, it’s pretty clear that this is meant to be an alternative to the history we learn in schools. I haven’t read any of Zinn’s actual work but at least here he came off as a social democrat and not even intensely radical. All the photos of bodies in mass graves are real. Time and time again the United States has waged wars or proxy wars to gain access to materials and cement their position. It’s to the point where, if this book were fiction, I would say this is getting repetitive and the plot should be changed up!
My Obaachan, who grew up in Japan and came to the US at 30, had always idealized the United States. She was a huge fan of Jimmy Carter, and as a result my aunt also has great respect for him. I wondered what she would think about this, as this book makes it clear that Jimmy continued the exact same foreign policy line as those before and after him. (page 207– Jimmy Carter was elected president in 1976 on populist promises that he would cut the pentagon budget and end arms sales to oppressive regimes. His very first budget increased funding to the Pentagon by 10 billion dollars :) ) I am many years into complete and utter disillusionment with the democratic party, but I feel like someone who isn’t would either have a very rude awakening or double down to avoid cognitive dissonance.
It is a painful experience to realize how much horror your own country is responsible for, especially for someone who feels attached to it. I personally do not understand how anyone can learn the basic facts of US history and still feel proud of this country. I mean even without all of this knowledge literally slavery and its aftereffects alone should be enough. I don’t see how you can think we have a democracy when the people did/do not get a say in who runs the CIA or what type of shenanigans they get up to. The book shows how time and again there is massive popular resistance to war, but the wars are waged anyway. The chapter in the prisons for people avoiding the draft also demonstrated striking hypocrisy (92-95). Religious freedom is literally in the first amendment, and yet many of the people in the jail were from religious sects like the Mennonites whose religion forbade joining the war. The entire book shows several instances where freedom of the press is suppressed, and freedom of expression via protest is stamped out by killing and arresting people every time!! How can anyone not see the hypocrisy?
Like I said I’ve been long disillusioned but I tried to read this through the eyes of someone who actually believes in the American Project. I don’t expect I’m going to make my aunt a communist or anything, but I do think that every citizen should be aware of the contents in this book. Though it is a bit jumbled and glosses over a lot, there’s not really a good way to encompass every single thing that needs to be said. I still haven’t read A People’s History but I am looking forward to it.
I saw this graphic adaptation and I thought it might be a good Christmas gift. I don't think she really has any experience reading comics either, but sometimes I find that if I consume information in multiple formats (like listening to a podcast on the matter or watching a documentary and reading the book or watching a fictional movie then watching a documentary about the same event) it sticks in my mind better. I read it before giving it to her and I spent most of reading trying to imagine what it would be like for her to read.
The upside is there is soooo much information packed in here, and the downside is there is sooo much information packed in here. I don’t really know how else they could have laid it out because by definition the US empire is like a spiderweb kaleidoscope and it would be impossible to simply lay things out in chronological order. On top of that, the book is kindof a graphic adaptation of a people’s history by Howard Zinn, but it also includes his lectures and info about his life. I think the presentation is supposed to be that of a lecture he is giving and we are hearing the info. Idk if I liked that device but I also am cutting the editors some slack because it’s really really impossible to neatly format a work like this.
Similarly, they have to rapid fire every single topic. We start with the internal colonization of the indigenous people of the americas, then we learn about cuba, and the philippines and the spanish american war, then WW1, brief interlude chronicling Zinn’s childhood and how he became radicalized, WW2, interlude on the postwar music scene, the civil rights movement, the vietnam war, the iran contra affair, the pentagon papers, operation AJax, and throughout we are getting tie ins to the war on Terror. Aren’t you exhausted! This is all vital information, but as an example I am currently listening to a 20 hour podcast that covers the ~10 pages about Cuba we get here. I started thinking maybe this would be perfect to show someone who doesn’t know that much about these parts of history, but maybe it’s better for someone who already broadly knows about all of this and here we can see the whole zoomed out view.
One thing I thought was really effective was the little “ZINNformation” panels. These are inserted to make a parallel to more recent events. On page 164 we learn about the gulf of Tonkin, which was used as the pretext to get into the Vietnam War. the Zinnformation panel reminds us that the same playbook was used in the early 2000s, but instead of naval vessel attacks in vietnam we had WMDs in Iraq. I thought these were excellent to illustrate the fact that they are all operating from the same playbook. This is the thing that I would like my loved ones to come away from the book understanding, and these panels do a wonderful job in drawing those connections.
I wasn’t in love with the art style, but I think the artists knew that it can be tricky to convey such dark topics in a cartoon style (I firmly believe this can be done to great effect tho, I haven’t read Maus but have heard nothing but praise, and the work of Joe Sacco is very cartoony but VERY effective). To get around this, there are many actual photographs inserted among the drawings. The photos are usually of atrocities and many are fairly famous, like the child running from the napalm or pics from abu grahib. There are so many photos of people hanging, being tortured torture and many photos piles of bodies in ditches. I think this is a good thing because we can’t look away or sanitize reality.
The negative reviews of this book that aren’t about the formatting or art style make me sooooo sad lol, I guess if he’s biased I have identical biases, but at the same time what is the argument against any of the information presented here? It’s all been proven to be true. Also, it’s pretty clear that this is meant to be an alternative to the history we learn in schools. I haven’t read any of Zinn’s actual work but at least here he came off as a social democrat and not even intensely radical. All the photos of bodies in mass graves are real. Time and time again the United States has waged wars or proxy wars to gain access to materials and cement their position. It’s to the point where, if this book were fiction, I would say this is getting repetitive and the plot should be changed up!
My Obaachan, who grew up in Japan and came to the US at 30, had always idealized the United States. She was a huge fan of Jimmy Carter, and as a result my aunt also has great respect for him. I wondered what she would think about this, as this book makes it clear that Jimmy continued the exact same foreign policy line as those before and after him. (page 207– Jimmy Carter was elected president in 1976 on populist promises that he would cut the pentagon budget and end arms sales to oppressive regimes. His very first budget increased funding to the Pentagon by 10 billion dollars :) ) I am many years into complete and utter disillusionment with the democratic party, but I feel like someone who isn’t would either have a very rude awakening or double down to avoid cognitive dissonance.
It is a painful experience to realize how much horror your own country is responsible for, especially for someone who feels attached to it. I personally do not understand how anyone can learn the basic facts of US history and still feel proud of this country. I mean even without all of this knowledge literally slavery and its aftereffects alone should be enough. I don’t see how you can think we have a democracy when the people did/do not get a say in who runs the CIA or what type of shenanigans they get up to. The book shows how time and again there is massive popular resistance to war, but the wars are waged anyway. The chapter in the prisons for people avoiding the draft also demonstrated striking hypocrisy (92-95). Religious freedom is literally in the first amendment, and yet many of the people in the jail were from religious sects like the Mennonites whose religion forbade joining the war. The entire book shows several instances where freedom of the press is suppressed, and freedom of expression via protest is stamped out by killing and arresting people every time!! How can anyone not see the hypocrisy?
Like I said I’ve been long disillusioned but I tried to read this through the eyes of someone who actually believes in the American Project. I don’t expect I’m going to make my aunt a communist or anything, but I do think that every citizen should be aware of the contents in this book. Though it is a bit jumbled and glosses over a lot, there’s not really a good way to encompass every single thing that needs to be said. I still haven’t read A People’s History but I am looking forward to it.
August 31, 2015
A COMPLETE LOAD OF MANIPULATIVE CRAP!
This is in no way a book of history. It is a political hatchet job expounding a twisted and carefully calculated downward spin on American history. The thought that this book is being used as a textbook in various schools does a lot to explain the warped view of history, politics and culture that is oozing out of so many of America's colleges. A self-professed social activist, Zinn described himself as "something of an anarchist, something of a socialist. Maybe a democratic socialist." It is clear that he sought to infect coming generations with his Michel Moore-styled (agendized) accounting of events. This book is insidious and destructive. The version for younger reads would be better classed as "child abuse". My only solace is that I was able to buy a old, used copy at a secondhand bookstore for $2. I bit over-priced if you ask me.
WARNING: "In the years since the first edition of A People's History was published in 1980, it has been used as an alternative to standard textbooks in many high school and college history courses." What "History" book are your kids being required to read?
This is in no way a book of history. It is a political hatchet job expounding a twisted and carefully calculated downward spin on American history. The thought that this book is being used as a textbook in various schools does a lot to explain the warped view of history, politics and culture that is oozing out of so many of America's colleges. A self-professed social activist, Zinn described himself as "something of an anarchist, something of a socialist. Maybe a democratic socialist." It is clear that he sought to infect coming generations with his Michel Moore-styled (agendized) accounting of events. This book is insidious and destructive. The version for younger reads would be better classed as "child abuse". My only solace is that I was able to buy a old, used copy at a secondhand bookstore for $2. I bit over-priced if you ask me.
WARNING: "In the years since the first edition of A People's History was published in 1980, it has been used as an alternative to standard textbooks in many high school and college history courses." What "History" book are your kids being required to read?
August 30, 2013
I enjoyed this graphic adaptation of Zinn's work. The drawings were effective though not particularly special but the writing and the conceit of having Zinn deliver the entire book as part of a lecture, was compelling, and definitely hooked me in to keep reading avidly. This book covers all aspects of US imperialism, deception, arrogance etc. throughout history, from Vietnam to Central America, and beyond. Here is a listing of actions covered: Wounded Knee, Antonio Maceo & the Cuban Revolution, the Invasion of the Philippines, WWI & resistance to same, Sacco & Vanzetti, WWII/Atomic Age, Advent of R 'n' R, Civil Rights/Vietnam/war resistance/Wounded Knee II, Ellsberg & Pentagon Papers, Augusto Sandino & the Sandinistas/Covert War in Central America, Massacre @ El Mozote, Contra War, Iran/Contra, Overthrow of Mossadegh in Iran, Rise & Fall of Shah, Permanent War. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone wishing to learn without white-washing what the US has done to people that got in its way since at least the 19th Century.
April 4, 2019
This took me 8+ months to finish. My biggest gripe is that the art is incredibly cartoonish for such grim subject matter. I think the People's History longhand is a better way to go here.
September 7, 2021
What a completely biased piece of crap
March 17, 2018
You know what I really hated about this book? It wasn't the cheap shots at America, Capitalism, and the United States Marine Corps. I mean, I know who Howard Zinn is. As Jim Garrison says in Oliver Stone's JFK, "What do you expect from a pig but a grunt?"
No, what shocked me wasn't the mean cheap shots and lies. It was the sentimentality and hypocrisy. Because believe it or not, Howard Zinn and his punk grade school posse actually bend over backwards NOT to attack certain institutions. As tough as this "history" is on capital, it's very soft on the church.
Now, Karl Marx once said that religion is the opiate of the people. The bosses and the priests work together to keep a working man down. In that spirit, you'd think that a book like this would explore -- or at least acknowledge -- the symbiotic relationship between capitalism and religion. But it never happens! There's tons of feel-good stuff about Zinn's old buddy Father Daniel Berrigan, the maverick anti-war activist from the Vietnam era. There's nothing about Father Coughlin, the mean Irish anti-Semite from Detroit who ruled the radio airwaves during the Depression. Surely one man is just as representative of the church as the other?
But it's more subtle than that. The really fascinating chapter on Cuba's struggle for independence prior to 1898 shows the black peasants being exploited by Spanish landowners -- but where were the priests? The writers dig up a nasty quote from Winston Churchill, (who was just passing through as a young journalist) saying something like, "if Cuba gets independence and the blacks are part of the government, that could be really bad news for the civilized European nations!" I don't doubt that Churchill said that -- but why not a quote from the Bishop of Havana? Something like, "nobody is stealing the gold candlesticks off my altar so the poor can eat!" I mean, the cruelty of the Catholic church and the Spanish empire were hand in glove for about, oh, four hundred years.
But it's not just the Catholic church that gets a pass. Zinn and his toddler crew have nothing to say about Islam as a force for evil, either. For example, they talk about a "secret" treaty England and France signed in World War One, dividing up the whole Middle East among the imperial powers. Only they don't mention that at the time the Middle East was not free anyway. Most of it was still the property of the Ottoman Empire, built by conquest and violence in the name of Islam, which was just as dirty and corrupt as the British Empire or expansionist America. Zinn doesn't care. The Middle East was the Garden of Eden until the Americans came! He doesn't confront the fact that the vast majority of Muslims in the Middle East aren't interested in socialism, or democracy. They want to live in a world they can understand, which happens to be the world of the ninth century. He's correct (and surprisingly insightful) when he links the 911 hijackers with the "Ghost Dancers" of Wounded Knee. But he doesn't understand what the terrorists do understand quite clearly -- that his secular, rich kid socialism is only possible in a modern, corporate nation powered by oil and protected by the United States Marines. It's easy to compare George W. Bush to George Armstrong Custer. The problem is, to the holy warriors of Islam Howard Zinn is Custer too.
He's just too dumb to know it.
No, what shocked me wasn't the mean cheap shots and lies. It was the sentimentality and hypocrisy. Because believe it or not, Howard Zinn and his punk grade school posse actually bend over backwards NOT to attack certain institutions. As tough as this "history" is on capital, it's very soft on the church.
Now, Karl Marx once said that religion is the opiate of the people. The bosses and the priests work together to keep a working man down. In that spirit, you'd think that a book like this would explore -- or at least acknowledge -- the symbiotic relationship between capitalism and religion. But it never happens! There's tons of feel-good stuff about Zinn's old buddy Father Daniel Berrigan, the maverick anti-war activist from the Vietnam era. There's nothing about Father Coughlin, the mean Irish anti-Semite from Detroit who ruled the radio airwaves during the Depression. Surely one man is just as representative of the church as the other?
But it's more subtle than that. The really fascinating chapter on Cuba's struggle for independence prior to 1898 shows the black peasants being exploited by Spanish landowners -- but where were the priests? The writers dig up a nasty quote from Winston Churchill, (who was just passing through as a young journalist) saying something like, "if Cuba gets independence and the blacks are part of the government, that could be really bad news for the civilized European nations!" I don't doubt that Churchill said that -- but why not a quote from the Bishop of Havana? Something like, "nobody is stealing the gold candlesticks off my altar so the poor can eat!" I mean, the cruelty of the Catholic church and the Spanish empire were hand in glove for about, oh, four hundred years.
But it's not just the Catholic church that gets a pass. Zinn and his toddler crew have nothing to say about Islam as a force for evil, either. For example, they talk about a "secret" treaty England and France signed in World War One, dividing up the whole Middle East among the imperial powers. Only they don't mention that at the time the Middle East was not free anyway. Most of it was still the property of the Ottoman Empire, built by conquest and violence in the name of Islam, which was just as dirty and corrupt as the British Empire or expansionist America. Zinn doesn't care. The Middle East was the Garden of Eden until the Americans came! He doesn't confront the fact that the vast majority of Muslims in the Middle East aren't interested in socialism, or democracy. They want to live in a world they can understand, which happens to be the world of the ninth century. He's correct (and surprisingly insightful) when he links the 911 hijackers with the "Ghost Dancers" of Wounded Knee. But he doesn't understand what the terrorists do understand quite clearly -- that his secular, rich kid socialism is only possible in a modern, corporate nation powered by oil and protected by the United States Marines. It's easy to compare George W. Bush to George Armstrong Custer. The problem is, to the holy warriors of Islam Howard Zinn is Custer too.
He's just too dumb to know it.
March 31, 2022
I fully expected to breeze through A PEOPLE'S HISTORY OF AMERICAN EMPIRE in one sitting. I was so wrong! For the record, I am 74 years old. I've lived through at least half of the situations covered in the book. I am also 50 years past reading comic books. The 'graphic novel' format turned out to be distracting, forcing me to re-read some of the captions several times to separate the words from the images. It is a 'graphic' history book. One of the time-consuming aspects of reading this book was googling some of the facts, all of which were verifiable from legitimate sources. It is not a 'novel.' It is left leaning and will certainly find its way onto a banned book list somewhere in deep red America.
When I started reading A PEOPLE'S HISTORY OF AMERICAN EMPIRE, the United States, once again, seems on the brink of war… the war Americans and the world cannot afford… war with Russia. As Russian troops hover on the border of Ukraine, and Putin rattles the Russian saber, things look bleak indeed. Will this result in annihilation or another instance of American empire building with Ukraine falling under the heel of Washington?
From the time American children enter school, they are taught about American exceptionalism, my country always right, my country never wrong. The United States has been building empire since its inception. The Monroe Doctrine, manifest destiny, the Mexican-American War, the Indian wars are clear examples of empire building. Throughout its history, the US was exceptionally good at indiscriminately killing Native American women and children, exceptionally good at promoting the superiority of the white race, exceptionally good at kowtowing to rich businessmen no matter how they made their money or how badly they treated their employees, and exceptionally good at using war to exemplify patriotism. American exceptionalism can be boiled down to two words… violence and money.
A PEOPLE'S HISTORY OF AMERICAN EMPIRE does a good job of illustrating the hypocrisy of 'separation of church and state.' Empire building in the name of Christ was and is de rigueur. While preaching, the true religion of empire building was and is war profiteering.
There is no doubt that in this era of extreme political division in the United States, the left will read this book one way and the right exactly the opposite. This simplified history stands on its merits and will appeal to young people with its graphic presentation. It is a fitting history for a world where brevity rules.
When I started reading A PEOPLE'S HISTORY OF AMERICAN EMPIRE, the United States, once again, seems on the brink of war… the war Americans and the world cannot afford… war with Russia. As Russian troops hover on the border of Ukraine, and Putin rattles the Russian saber, things look bleak indeed. Will this result in annihilation or another instance of American empire building with Ukraine falling under the heel of Washington?
From the time American children enter school, they are taught about American exceptionalism, my country always right, my country never wrong. The United States has been building empire since its inception. The Monroe Doctrine, manifest destiny, the Mexican-American War, the Indian wars are clear examples of empire building. Throughout its history, the US was exceptionally good at indiscriminately killing Native American women and children, exceptionally good at promoting the superiority of the white race, exceptionally good at kowtowing to rich businessmen no matter how they made their money or how badly they treated their employees, and exceptionally good at using war to exemplify patriotism. American exceptionalism can be boiled down to two words… violence and money.
A PEOPLE'S HISTORY OF AMERICAN EMPIRE does a good job of illustrating the hypocrisy of 'separation of church and state.' Empire building in the name of Christ was and is de rigueur. While preaching, the true religion of empire building was and is war profiteering.
There is no doubt that in this era of extreme political division in the United States, the left will read this book one way and the right exactly the opposite. This simplified history stands on its merits and will appeal to young people with its graphic presentation. It is a fitting history for a world where brevity rules.
July 16, 2017
I've had difficulty with reading A People's History and I'm really glad that this comic adaptation exists. It combines some of the 20th century content with information from Zinn's memoir to depict a bunch of key chapters in modern American history. Despite the epilogue, it's hard for me to see much cause for hope. The book focuses on the parts of history that are too often overlooked in schools, which means it's relentlessly bleak and shows horror after horror that's been perpetrated by the US government.
I'm not sure what might've been lost in the adaptation to another medium, but I found some of the chronology confusing. The chapters are sort of in order, but to provide context, they sometimes jump backwards to explain how a particular person got into power. There are also a whole lot of names. Even though this is a lot less dense than a textbook, I think that I'd recommend reading chapters separately instead of trying to charge through the entire book.
There are some interesting art choices, including the incorporation of actual news photos in some panels. I didn't think the photos worked well because they were distractingly low-res and grainy.
I'm not sure what might've been lost in the adaptation to another medium, but I found some of the chronology confusing. The chapters are sort of in order, but to provide context, they sometimes jump backwards to explain how a particular person got into power. There are also a whole lot of names. Even though this is a lot less dense than a textbook, I think that I'd recommend reading chapters separately instead of trying to charge through the entire book.
There are some interesting art choices, including the incorporation of actual news photos in some panels. I didn't think the photos worked well because they were distractingly low-res and grainy.
November 25, 2018
This book starts with 9/11 and goes back to how America started to gain an empire before the turn into the 1900s. It's a startling read for anyone, like myself, who doesn't realize just how much the American government and army has done around the world towards other countries, other people. This graphic novel adaptation puts things in picture form that words alone can't do justice. It makes me want to read the actual book by Howard Zinn, and others, to find out the darker side of American history that isn't taught in schools. I encourage anyone who wants to do the same to start here and branch out. It's eye opening.
December 6, 2017
What a great Graphic Novel using history as its basis. This takes a lot of Howard Zinn work as the basis for a readable, understandable, and entertaining look at the growth of the United States, warts and all. As with all of his work, there are elipses that undermine some arguments because they don't present the entire picture. It seems to me he does this because there is so much done on the other side of many arguments that it gets lost in the discussion. This was given to me as a gift, and I really appreciate it. Historians need to be doing more of this kind of work to draw in people to the concept that history is more than just dates.
May 22, 2018
Tremenda cara B de la historia... En este comic se cuenta como los gobiernos de Estados Unidos represaliaron sistematica y brutalmente a lo largo de la historia movimientos obreros para defender intereses económicos de las élites. Aprendí mucho leyéndolo y pasé un buen rato.
August 16, 2021
Really great graphic novel adaptation of the Howard Zinn classic. Not for children, and does need some background knowledge going in if you are recommending this to people with not much history background.
November 24, 2018
A must read if you live in the United States. Condensed history that you need to know!
September 9, 2020
Talk about a throw down. This isn't the history we learned in school . . . I would classify this as a much-needed punch to the gut.
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