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Not So!: Popular Myths About America From Columbus to Clinton
In sailing westward in 1492, did Columbus defy the prevailing belief that the Earth was flat? Was Thomas Paine an atheist? Was Truman plucked from obscurity to be FDR's running mate in 1944? Are presidential campaigns nowadays far dirtier than they were in the past? Is Hillary Clinton the most active or influential First Lady ever? Not so, says Paul Boller, in this delightfully informative look at some of the most common myths and misconceptions about the American past.
As he did in his bestselling They Never Said It , Boller provides us with a cornucopia of historical correction, debunking myths that range from the trivial--for instance, George Washington did not have false teeth made of wood (they were made of ivory)--to the pernicious (FDR did not know in advance that the Japanese planned to bomb Pearl Harbor). We learn that most educated people in Columbus's day knew the world was round (it was Washington Irving who first portrayed Columbus as defying a coterie of flat-earthers); that Washington's famous Farewell Address was mostly written by Alexander Hamilton; that the Pledge of Allegiance was penned by Francis Bellamy, a devout socialist, in 1892 (and it was intended as a paean to big government); that Thomas Paine was not an atheist, but a deist (as were Washington, Jefferson, and Franklin), and his Age of Reason attacked both organized religion and atheism; that Truman was far from an obscure politician in 1944 (he had been on the cover of
Time in 1943 for his Senate work uncovering waste and fraud in the war industries, and a Look magazine poll placed Truman among the ten figures who had contributed the most to the war effort); that presidential campaigns in the old days were more vituperative than recent ones; and that several First Ladies were more influential than Hillary Clinton, most notably Eleanor Roosevelt and Edith Wilson (the latter played a crucial role in her husband's administration from 1919 to 1921, after he suffered a massive stroke). Boller doesn't simply debunk each myth, but instead provides us with much fascinating history surrounding each case, so that the reader is treated to intriguing discussions of many singular episodes in American history, including the Kennedy assassination, the McCarthy hearings, the events leading up to Pearl Harbor, and Watergate. And finally, if the book provides many eye-opening surprises and amusing passages, there is also a serious side of Boller's exploration of
American myth. As he shows, much misinformation has been cooked up for political or ideological reasons. By debunking these tales, Boller warns us to question what we hear and what we think we know about America and about our leaders, past and present.
The chronicles of American history are strewn with legends, fables, folklore, misconceptions, and outright lies. Patriotism has set many a tall tale in motion, but so have political partisanship and ideological zeal. For everyone who loves history--or the truth--Paul Boller has given us a candid and absorbing look at the American past that helps us get a good sense of where we have been and who we are as a people.
As he did in his bestselling They Never Said It , Boller provides us with a cornucopia of historical correction, debunking myths that range from the trivial--for instance, George Washington did not have false teeth made of wood (they were made of ivory)--to the pernicious (FDR did not know in advance that the Japanese planned to bomb Pearl Harbor). We learn that most educated people in Columbus's day knew the world was round (it was Washington Irving who first portrayed Columbus as defying a coterie of flat-earthers); that Washington's famous Farewell Address was mostly written by Alexander Hamilton; that the Pledge of Allegiance was penned by Francis Bellamy, a devout socialist, in 1892 (and it was intended as a paean to big government); that Thomas Paine was not an atheist, but a deist (as were Washington, Jefferson, and Franklin), and his Age of Reason attacked both organized religion and atheism; that Truman was far from an obscure politician in 1944 (he had been on the cover of
Time in 1943 for his Senate work uncovering waste and fraud in the war industries, and a Look magazine poll placed Truman among the ten figures who had contributed the most to the war effort); that presidential campaigns in the old days were more vituperative than recent ones; and that several First Ladies were more influential than Hillary Clinton, most notably Eleanor Roosevelt and Edith Wilson (the latter played a crucial role in her husband's administration from 1919 to 1921, after he suffered a massive stroke). Boller doesn't simply debunk each myth, but instead provides us with much fascinating history surrounding each case, so that the reader is treated to intriguing discussions of many singular episodes in American history, including the Kennedy assassination, the McCarthy hearings, the events leading up to Pearl Harbor, and Watergate. And finally, if the book provides many eye-opening surprises and amusing passages, there is also a serious side of Boller's exploration of
American myth. As he shows, much misinformation has been cooked up for political or ideological reasons. By debunking these tales, Boller warns us to question what we hear and what we think we know about America and about our leaders, past and present.
The chronicles of American history are strewn with legends, fables, folklore, misconceptions, and outright lies. Patriotism has set many a tall tale in motion, but so have political partisanship and ideological zeal. For everyone who loves history--or the truth--Paul Boller has given us a candid and absorbing look at the American past that helps us get a good sense of where we have been and who we are as a people.
288 pages, Paperback
First published October 5, 1995
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
November 13, 2024
Very enjoyable reading for one who likes history. But for anyone who knows anything about history, most of these "myths" should not be myths. For example, does anyone still believe that Columbus had to challenge the idea that the world was flat? As Boller points out, the educated people at that time did believe that the world was round, not flat. Incredible to believe that there is a flat earth society today, although perhaps not so incredible...And does anyone believe that the framers of the Constitution believed in democracy? Of course, they didn't--they only wanted white male property owners to vote. The Constitution became democratized by various amendments, except--we still have the Electoral College, which is a denial of democracy in the election of the president.
One interesting chapter is on the War of 1812. Boller dispels the myth that we never lost a war until Vietnam. Despite the victory of the Battle of New Orleans, we did not exactly win that war. But he forgets to mention the Korean War. Did we win that one? Technically, the war is not over...
Most of the myths concern the presidents--and, of course, politics. He dispels the myth that Lincoln was a homosexual. I don't think that ever became a popular myth (?), but, interestingly, he argues that James Buchanan, "the bachelor president," was most likely our first gay president, but, of course, not openly so. Boller writes from a conservative perspective, so it's interesting that he writes that it's a myth that Watergate was blown out of all proportion by Nixon's enemies. I like the quote from Republican Arizona Sen. Barry Goldwater: "There are only so many lies you can take and now there has been one too many. Nixon should get his ass out of the White House-today!" Wonder what he would say about Trump?
One important point is that the author promulgates one of the biggest myths of all--that Kennedy was killed by Oswald as the lone assassin. The "fact" that a single bullet zigged and zagged and caused all the damage as it supposedly did defies physics--and common sense. I have to agree with Texas Governor John Connally who said he was not hit by the same bullet as Kennedy. He said, "I do not for one second believe the conclusions of the Warren Commission."
This book does not go beyond Clinton's first term. So, of course, he misses some myths--that there was no cover-up of 9/11 and that the electronic voting machines in Ohio gave an accurate count of the votes in that state in the 2004 election (a Congressional report stated there were massive voter irregularities in Ohio, which gave George W. Bush his reelection). Boller also misses a lot of myths of American history, including the Civil War (he says nothing about the myth that Robert E. Lee was one of the greatest generals in our history!). He covers very little about womens' history (he does discuss some of the First Ladies) and African American history--and labor history. Given all that, it was an enjoyable read and can help spark some discussion about American history.
One interesting chapter is on the War of 1812. Boller dispels the myth that we never lost a war until Vietnam. Despite the victory of the Battle of New Orleans, we did not exactly win that war. But he forgets to mention the Korean War. Did we win that one? Technically, the war is not over...
Most of the myths concern the presidents--and, of course, politics. He dispels the myth that Lincoln was a homosexual. I don't think that ever became a popular myth (?), but, interestingly, he argues that James Buchanan, "the bachelor president," was most likely our first gay president, but, of course, not openly so. Boller writes from a conservative perspective, so it's interesting that he writes that it's a myth that Watergate was blown out of all proportion by Nixon's enemies. I like the quote from Republican Arizona Sen. Barry Goldwater: "There are only so many lies you can take and now there has been one too many. Nixon should get his ass out of the White House-today!" Wonder what he would say about Trump?
One important point is that the author promulgates one of the biggest myths of all--that Kennedy was killed by Oswald as the lone assassin. The "fact" that a single bullet zigged and zagged and caused all the damage as it supposedly did defies physics--and common sense. I have to agree with Texas Governor John Connally who said he was not hit by the same bullet as Kennedy. He said, "I do not for one second believe the conclusions of the Warren Commission."
This book does not go beyond Clinton's first term. So, of course, he misses some myths--that there was no cover-up of 9/11 and that the electronic voting machines in Ohio gave an accurate count of the votes in that state in the 2004 election (a Congressional report stated there were massive voter irregularities in Ohio, which gave George W. Bush his reelection). Boller also misses a lot of myths of American history, including the Civil War (he says nothing about the myth that Robert E. Lee was one of the greatest generals in our history!). He covers very little about womens' history (he does discuss some of the First Ladies) and African American history--and labor history. Given all that, it was an enjoyable read and can help spark some discussion about American history.
August 22, 2018
I was taught at a young age that the best way to learn history are to read first hand accounts. Books like this show why that should still be done today. Our history textbooks have long been whitewashed and dumbed down to sweeping generalizations. Two items in the book will certainly cause debate. JFK's assassination and the Sally Hemmings family tree. Since this book was published more research and DNA tests have come out about Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemmings. So his view on that one may no longer be as accurate as printed here. I am not about to touch the JFK shooting as there are plenty of books and theories out there to fill a library.
Each topic is an essay. Some are just a few pages long while others, like Watergate and Nixon, are much longer because there is so much evidence to cover. Heavily footnoted with references on where information came from. It starts with George Washington and ends with Bill Clinton. It hits on many an item that were considered public scandals of their time that are still being taught today with no or little background to explain them.
I found the format so easy to read and his style was interesting without coming across like a school lecture. He tries hard to write objectively but has a few comments as you get closer to our time. Mostly comments because he can see how a certain history may be repeating itself. I would highly recommend this to anyone interested in learning more detail of our history. Some I remember laughing at when they hit. Things like should the President of the United States return salutes of military personnel? Well, technically no and he explains the symbolic reasons for it. It was Reagan that changed it because it was more photographic. But for over 200 years it was not done to be symbolic of the separation of the military rule from a civilian rule (even if the civilian is Commander in Chief). That has come up with every president since Bill Clinton. The mass media just loves dividing us over stupid crap without their doing any homework on precedent don't they?
Anyway, history buffs, this is one to add to your library list.
Each topic is an essay. Some are just a few pages long while others, like Watergate and Nixon, are much longer because there is so much evidence to cover. Heavily footnoted with references on where information came from. It starts with George Washington and ends with Bill Clinton. It hits on many an item that were considered public scandals of their time that are still being taught today with no or little background to explain them.
I found the format so easy to read and his style was interesting without coming across like a school lecture. He tries hard to write objectively but has a few comments as you get closer to our time. Mostly comments because he can see how a certain history may be repeating itself. I would highly recommend this to anyone interested in learning more detail of our history. Some I remember laughing at when they hit. Things like should the President of the United States return salutes of military personnel? Well, technically no and he explains the symbolic reasons for it. It was Reagan that changed it because it was more photographic. But for over 200 years it was not done to be symbolic of the separation of the military rule from a civilian rule (even if the civilian is Commander in Chief). That has come up with every president since Bill Clinton. The mass media just loves dividing us over stupid crap without their doing any homework on precedent don't they?
Anyway, history buffs, this is one to add to your library list.
May 16, 2013
I do love a good debunking, and this book has it in spades. As ol' Sam Clemens said, "It ain't what you don't know that gets you into trouble. It's what you know for sure that just ain't so."
June 20, 2019
Basically a good book, but the author overuses big words to the point that he is pretentious. An egregious example is this sentence on page 232: "But the President whom most historians today regard as the nation's greatest -- George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Franklin Roosevelt -- came in for especially fulgurous obloquy and contumely." I was unfamiliar with each of the last three words, and I had to look them up. There was no need to include them, and there are many other instances of obscure vocabulary being used in the book.
January 14, 2018
This book is broken up into short chapters of various American myths and partial myths. Some of the chapters are good with solid historical facts, while others are probably false. The research for this book is spotty and heavily biased. For a book that supposedly debunks myths, it contains a lot of bad information.
January 2, 2026
written in 1995 this allegedly historical writing is full of Christian apology and lacking any diligent fact finding, so disappointed.
February 18, 2015
Got McCarthy all wrong. The red scare was real. Read M. Stanton Evans' book. I guess it is hard to let go of some myths. Especially those that stand so prominently in the progressive imagination.
I'm coming to realize that the true parts are all things anyone mildly interested in history already know about. The rest are revisionist fantasies.
I'm coming to realize that the true parts are all things anyone mildly interested in history already know about. The rest are revisionist fantasies.
August 2, 2012
An interesting read. My only real problem with the book is that I felt that anyone with a fairly basic understanding of american history probably knows that about 50% of the "myths" covered in the book are false. But definitely worth a quick read for some of the more obscure topics and anecdotes.
March 19, 2009
Maybe it was because I already had read similar books and knew the same old myths, but even so the book was written tediously and was a bore to read. Skipped most of it.
November 22, 2010
An entertaining read that helped clear the cobwebs from some of America's myths and half-truths.
May 18, 2013
The author debunks some of the most famous myths and common misperceptions about history, from colonial America to Clinton. Educational, fun.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews