Howard Zinn on War

by Howard Zinn, Marilyn B. Young (Introduction)

Howard Zinn began work on his first book for his friends at Seven Stories Press in 1996, a big volume collecting all his shorter writings organized by subject. The themes he chose reflected his lifelong concerns: war, history, law, class, means and ends, and race. Throughout his life Zinn had returned again and again to these subjects, continually probing and questioning yet rarely reversing his convictions or the vision that informed them. The result was The Zinn Reader. Five years later, starting with Howard Zinn on History, updated editions of sections of that mammoth tome were published in inexpensive stand-alone editions. This second edition of Howard Zinn on War is a collection of twenty-six short writings chosen by the author to represent his thinking on a subject that concerned and fascinated him throughout his career. He reflects on the wars against Iraq, the war in Kosovo, the Vietnam War, World War II, and on the meaning of war generally in a world of nations that can’t seem to stop destroying each other. These readings appeared first in magazines and newspapers including the Progressive and the Boston Globe, as well as in Zinn’s books, Failure to Quit, Vietnam: The Logic of Withdrawal, The Politics of History, and Declarations of Independence. Here we see Zinn’s perspective as a World War II veteran and peace activist who lived through the most devastating wars of the twentieth century and questioned every one of them with his combination of integrity and historical acumen. In his essay, "Just and Unjust War," Zinn challenges us to fight for justice "with struggle, but without war." He writes in "After the War (2006) that while governments bring us into war, "their power is dependent on the obedience of the citizenry. When that is withdrawn, governments are helpless." In Howard Zinn on War, his message is clear: "The abolition of war has become not only desirable but absolutely necessary if the planet is to be saved. It is an idea whose time has come."

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Politics, War, Philosophy, Essays, Military Fiction

272 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 30, 2000

About the author

Howard Zinn was an American historian, playwright, philosopher, socialist intellectual and World War II veteran. He was chair of the history and social sciences department at Spelman College, and a political science professor at Boston University. Zinn wrote more than 20 books, including his best-selling and influential A People's History of the United States in 1980. In 2007, he published a version of it for younger readers, A Young People's History of the United States.

Zinn described himself as "something of an anarchist, something of a socialist. Maybe a democratic socialist." He wrote extensively about the civil rights movement, the anti-war movement and labor history of the United States. His memoir, You Can't Be Neutral on a Moving Train (Beacon Press, 1994), was also the title of a 2004 documentary about Zinn's life and work. Zinn died of a heart attack in 2010, at the age of 87.

Reviews

[L · Rating 3 out of 5]

p45 "There is no flag large enough to cover the shame of killing innocent people for a purpose which is unattainable."

[Guillermo Galvan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The collection of essays by WWII veteran turned peace activist and history professor, Howard Zinn, in Howard Zinn On War is indispensable to any person seeking to understand the vulgar reality of war. What makes his essays powerful is his reinterpretation of a history we’ve all been brought up to believe. The spirit of Zinn’s writing is urged on by the same moral conviction that reinterpreted Christopher Columbus from a noble explorer to the more accurate description of a genocidal expansionist. Zinn applies this sense of historical integrity to the subject of war. The disgracing of nationally admired myths to their truthful representation is always painful, enlightening, and fiercely resisted. Zinn takes the highly unpopular stance that there is no such thing as a just war.

Zinn attacks the justification of atrocities committed under the guise of patriotic duty and self-deception. “When you plant a bomb in a discotheque, the death of bystanders is deliberate; when you drop bombs on a city, it’s accidental. We can ease our conscience that way, but only by lying to ourselves. Because, when you bomb a city from the air, you know, absolutely know, that innocent people will die.” His investigations reveal a history of unnecessary atrocities done to make political statements. Millions of people killed in various instances for the sake of making points vain as crude machismo. This is the inevitable outcome in all wars.

I would like to go into every point discussed in this book. Each essay slays another little “Christopher Columbus” regarding precision bombing, defense of democracy, terrorism, and our government’s claim to fighting tyranny. These reflections would be too lengthy for simple review. Zinn maintained a 45 year friendship with Noam Chomsky who referred to him as one of the great historian and activists of a generation. Zinn has a lifetime career as a fighter for civil rights and anti-war through non-violent protest and civil disobedience. I highly recommend a documentary of his life entitled You Can’t Remain Neutral on Moving Train (it is available in its entirety on youtube). His life will serve as an example for people everywhere in the struggle for a more peaceful world.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Arn3lF...

[Public Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was excellent. Reading Howard Zinn's People's History of the United States had a huge impact on me - it changed my intellectual outlook for the better. I would put this book right up there with People's History. I admire how Zinn is able to marshal facts to carefully support his arguments and then patiently dismantle counterarguments so effectively. This man was a national treasure - a fine writer and a great mind.

I have one issue I must address - though this is not Howard Zinn's fault in any way. In many blurbs you will see Zinn referred to as a bombardier in World War 2. The implication is that we should give Zinn's anti-war criticism more credibility because he has served his country and fought in a war. One might tease out a further implication that criticizing war is a weak or cowardly act and that some writers are immunized from this by proving that they are brave in combat. I think it's rare for someone who is pro-war to be criticized for their lack of service, but common for those who are anti-war. It is a fair point. Yet if both sides can criticize the other with the riposte "what do you know, you've never served" where does that leave us? It's only about one percent of Americans who actually volunteer serve in the military today. Are they the only ones who are qualified to talk about war? I doubt anyone would make such an argument with a straight face, but the fact is: I don't need to go to war to know that war it is hell.

[Ismail · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing -

[Autumn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for anyone who cares about and/or is interested in America's participation in war and/or war itself. Mostly because this is the side of history and the war that very few talk about and all sides should be discussed, even if one does not agree with them.

[John Benson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a collection of essays that Howard Zinn, a historian, wrote from 1962-2006. This is a powerful collection of anti-war essays.

[Sham Al-Ghazali · Rating 4 out of 5]

“There is no flag large enough to cover the shame of killing innocent people”

It’s been nine years since Howard Zinn passed away, he was a veteran who became a pacifist and this book is filled with anti-war essay literature

6/10, and only because I believe nonviolence will get most of us killed, but I love this book

Zinn starts the book by recollecting his earliest memories of trauma/violence, and explains how in each circumstance the perpetrator whether a person or government, believed their violence was just. Zinn does well in this book to question the idea of just and unjust wars, we see how fascist Germany was challenged by Britain a country that at the same time was conspiring genocides of its own, the US war front still had domestic segregation and much more. He does well to recollect the painful violence that the USA has inflicted all over the world whether it’s my country the past four decades, the napalm it has dropped on Vietnam, Hiroshima and Nagasaki and so much more. Even domestically with the bombing of Tulsa killing black Americans. However I struggled with his branding of the Soviet Union, who without we would never have defeated a fascist Nazi regime and would all be speaking German right now. Furthermore, I enjoyed his essay on Machiavellian theory and how he connected Kissinger in all of it. Most of the essays in this were great however I just simply CAN NEVER agree that nonviolence will get us anywhere

[B Sarv · Rating 4 out of 5]

As I continue to be embarrassed by the way I submitted to being brainwashed for the majority of my life I find it challenging to learn over and over how the United States has failed to face up to its history. One of the major failures is learning how past wars were touted as exceptional events in US history when in actuality they generally made the rich much richer and the poor cannon fodder. Prof. Zinn’s series of essays importantly goes beyond just causing one to be embarrassed by demonstrating how people are misled by placing the human toll in clear terms; terms overlooked by the mass media, educators and even more so the death cults in the boardrooms and shareholder meetings across the country.

[marty marenstein · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book. I finished it same day I downloaded it. I would recommend this to friends who find a number of authors who focus on politics to be dry or overly verbose. I think Howard Zinn having had direct personal involvement in a number of demos or protests during, esp,the era which predated the civil rights act and also directly following it adds a level of sincerity to the rhetoric that would be quite easy for one to use,but in reality means little if one were present when others were having their civil rights denied to them and who stood there and did absolutely nothing.

[Michael Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent collection of essays covering Zinn’s attitudes and feelings about war. Basically, he is against it, and I don’t mean that frivolously. He has personal experience with war, and enough knowledge of historical war, including its reasons, implications, and horrors, that his opinion is utterly compelling.

[Jaci · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although I enjoy the information presented, and the thoughts of Zinn, he definitely comes across more snarky and angry in this book than in the other of his I read and really enjoyed (People's History of the US). Not a terrible read, but at times I wish he'd just calm down and simply convey his point clearly and articulately like I know he is capable of doing.

[Aren LeBrun · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read it

[Kim Zinkowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you have not read Zinn, please do! A sobering look at the U.S. and it's imperialist ways.

[Strick · Rating 5 out of 5]

An outstanding perspective on war"

[Brianna Kline-Costa-Chavez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it. Love Howard Zinn and his takes. And I love how much time these articles spanned. It shows he's BEEN saying this

[Cherie · Rating 3 out of 5]

While this is old, sadly much of this is still relevant. Important. Could be great to use for a history class, in sections.

[Gina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one gets boring toward the end because the essays get too long. I like Zinn better when he keeps things brief, which he did for the first 2/3 of the book.

[KaWoodtiereads · Rating 5 out of 5]

A profound collection of essays dating from the 60s to the present about the horror that is war and how we should stand against it.

[Chowning · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of these essays I have read before, some I had not. I particularly enjoyed his writing on Machiavellianism in US foreign policy.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not the most coherent collection, but great to read some short pieces from a worldview without compromise.

[Brice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very thought-provoking. Hadn't read much Zinn before this, so On War was all new to me.

[Michael Cook · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really good collection of essays illustrating his anti-war stance and it's interesting to know that he opposed war in Iraq as early as 1998.