Une histoire critique des États-Unis

by James W. Loewen, Nate Powell

Dans Une histoire critique des États-Unis, James W. Loewen fait revivre l'histoire étatsunienne dans toute sa complexité et son ambiguïté. En commençant par l'histoire de la découverte par Christophe Colomb des Amériques, et en passant par des personnages comme Helen Keller, et des histoires comme celle du premier Thanksgiving, il n'hésite pas à poser un regard sur le 11 septembre et la guerre d'Irak. Loewen propose une critique révélatrice et une merveilleuse réécriture de l'histoire américaine telle qu'elle devrait - et pourrait - être enseignée.

Genres: Graphic Novels, History, Nonfiction, Historical, Comics, American History, Graphic Novels Comics

265 pages, Paperback

Published January 9, 2025

About the author

A professor of sociology, James W. Loewen earned his bachelor's degree at Carleton College in 1964, and his master's (1967) and doctorate (1968) degrees from Harvard University. Loewen taught at Touglaloo College from 1968 until 1975, and at the University of Vermont from 1975 until his retirement as professor emeritus in 1995.

Reviews

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The original Lies My Teacher Told Me is one of my favorite non-fiction books of all time (I own two copies – one 1995 first edition and one later revision), so I was super excited to see a graphic novel adaptation pop up on NetGalley. I don't read a whole lot of graphic novels in general, so I'm a little surprised at how much I enjoyed this one. It stays true to Loewen's original text and manages to convey his message and ideas while using only a fraction of the words. That's not to say that this graphic novel is a replacement for the original – the traditional book format is obviously able to go into more detail than can be fit into some small text bubbles – but it's a fantastic summary of the original. I can also see it being much more accessible for someone who might be daunted at the thought of reading a more conventional non-fiction book.

And, like the original, this is such an important book. American history textbooks whitewash our history (and in some cases outright lie about it) and Lies My Teacher Told Me attempts to shed some light on these mistruths. Loewen studied various American history textbooks and addresses several important questions about their content in this book: What are the common failures of American history textbooks? Who are the textbook authors attempting to pacify? Why is this whitewashing of history bad? How does the teaching of history need to change? As a huge lover of history, it was absolutely eye-opening when I first read his book as a teenager, and it's slightly infuriating that nothing much has changed regarding American history textbooks since its publication almost thirty years ago.

The drawings themselves are well done and add a new dimension to the text. While some of the data in the text is a little outdated, the pictures often show more current events – Trump's “bone spurs” and Black Lives Matter protests both make an appearance, for example.

Which, I suppose, leads me to my one minor complaint about this book. While it's a great resource for individuals looking to learn more about the true history of the United States, some of the statistics really need to be updated. For example, it's mentioned at one point that a survey of “high school seniors in 1999 found that almost half believed that the 'best years of the United States are behind us.'” This is important to know, of course, but 1999 was twenty-five years ago (as someone who graduated in 1997, this pains me to think about!). It would be really nice to know how high school seniors today feel about the country's prospects, too. Since the original book was published in the mid-90s (and I think its last major revision was in 2007?) it's not surprising that the data reflects this, but I'd really love to see a completely updated edition someday.

But, still, this is a fantastic book for anyone who's interested in American history (and it's perhaps even more important for those who aren't, especially anyone who found it “boring” in school). 4.75 stars, rounded up.

Many thanks to NetGalley and The New Press for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review.

[Rod Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

James W. Loewen gives a master class in historiography -- the study of how our history is written and who is writing it. He examines more than a dozen textbooks popular in our elementary and high schools to see the history we are passing to our children, and the results are sickening and anger inducing. Instead of being works of facts and opportunities for critical thinking, most of the books are little more than jingoistic propaganda designed to avoid offending parents and school boards with inconvenient truths about colonialism, slavery, racism, imperialism, and America's bloodiest mistakes in war and peace.

Steve Earle sums up my thoughts best: "And the most important thing to remember is, no matter what anybody tells you, it is never, ever unpatriotic or un-American to question any-fucking-thing in a democracy."

Even as a graphic adaptation of Loewen's original text, this is a dense and thought-provoking work that took me around five hours to read.



FOR REFERENCE:

Contents: Introduction. Something Has Gone Very Wrong -- 1. Handicapped by History: The Process of Hero Making -- 2. 1493: The True Importance of Christopher Columbus -- 3. The First Thanksgiving -- 4. Red Eyes -- 5. Gone With The Wind: The Invisibility of Racism in American History Textbooks -- 6. John Brown and Abraham Lincoln: The Invisibility of Antiracism in American History Textbooks -- 7. The Land of Opportunity -- 8. Watching Big Brother: What Textbooks Teach About The Federal Government -- 9. See No Evil: Choosing Not to Look at the War in Vietnam -- 10. Down The Memory Hole: The Disappearance of the Recent Past -- 11. History and the Future -- 12. Does This Way of Teaching History Work? -- Afterword. The Future Lies Ahead (And What to Do about Them) -- Ackknowledgments

[Books_the_Magical_Fruit · Rating 5 out of 5]

I knew of the original book, but when it was published, I was close to graduating and could not have cared less about reading it. It’s pretty neat that I get to review its graphic novel adaptation almost thirty years later.

Don’t be fooled (like I was) into thinking that because this is a graphic novel, it will be an easy, quick read. There’s a TON of information packed into each page, and the subject matter is so heavy that you really need to give it more than your regular attention span.

You’ll learn a lot in here. Some of the revelations are more widely known now than back in 1995, like the mass genocide perpetrated by Columbus, how Native Americans helped early European immigrants to not starve to death (not the other way around) and that Washington and Jefferson both owned slaves. There’s still more that I didn’t know. I wasn’t aware that a lot of early immigrants actively wanted to assimilate into Native American culture, which others tried to stop by banning long hair among men. I didn’t know more intimate details about Sutter’s Fort or the Alamo. I also didn’t know that Woodrow Wilson was so racist that he and his administration set back civil rights for literally decades. Seriously, what a bleeping bleep bleep!!! Ugh.

This book is important. Adults should read it. Kids should read it.

No nation is perfect…not even ours.

Thank you to NetGalley and The New Press for a complimentary eARC. All opinions are my own.

[Peacegal · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember my dad talking about the original version of this book years ago. Award-winning graphic novelist Nate Powell, who created the incredible MARCH series, has transformed James Loewen's book into a striking graphic novel for the 21st century, which gives readers a history lesson along with a withering critique of the way school textbooks present American history.

I recall having thoughts that my own school textbooks were being unfair on certain issues or were tiptoeing around others. The creators of this book discovered much more than that--essentially, that most publishers are terrified of backlash if they do not gloss over America's mistakes and wrap everything in a banner of rah-rah patriotism, This not only does students a disservice, the authors argue, but it also writes many students' histories completely out of the picture and makes classes dull and unengaging.

In contrast, LIES MY TEACHER TOLD ME is a gripping, visceral view of history. We learn more in-depth information on historical figures, both good and bad, There are quite a few "heroes" who don't deserve the pedestal, and plenty of overlooked heroes who barely get a second glance. Kudos to the author for tying things back to modern times, and how we got to this rather unfortunate and divisive point in time.

I wish a couple of things would have been presented differently/more thoughtfully, but overall, this is an educational, thought-provoking read.

[Erikka · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read the actual book of this a very long time ago, and it has always been a guidepost for me and how I taught history. To know that if I was still in the classroom today, I’d be so stifled in what I can teach, I’m really glad that I’m no longer a teacher. I love that this updates some of the ramifications of historic revisionism, but I felt the graphic novel aspect was unnecessary. It didn’t really add anything and basically just felt like an illustrated version of the original book (also the font was super hard to read!). I’m not sure this is a book that required illustration.

That being said, the content is vital. When we live in the age of Tr*mp and truthiness, it is more important than ever that we recognize how skewed our history education is. And in addition to it being skewed, it is also taught and incredibly boring way intentionally. We do not want children to truly know their history because, God forbid, it could turn them into actual educated citizens who can make informed decisions.

[Kindle Addict · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am not American and didn’t know the book this graphic novel is based on but it was a very interesting read!

I was surprised by how detailed it was actually. (It makes some pages appeared too full of info at times, especially in B&W but overall it’s fine)

It treats of several subjects like (of course) all the misinformations about Columbus (there are way more than I thought!), the real origins of Thanksgiving, Jefferson and his hypocrisy regarding slavery (it was even worse than I knew!) etc….

But it all also talks about modern history and about its absence from those school books.
One of the saddest things is the idea that those school books are careful about what they write in order not to …upset the parents! What a crazy world we live in…

If you’re interested in American history I recommend this book for adult or younger readers who want to learn how to see outside of what school teach them.

[The Sporty Bookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Récit graphique sur l'histoire des Etats Unis, ce livre est une mine d'or pour les gens intéressés par les évènements ayant eu lieu aux USA. Le but de l'ouvrage est d'analyser les manuels scolaires US et de montrer leurs limites. C'est hallucinant qu'en ayant un BAC + 5 en études anglophones, nombre de ces péripéties m'étaient inconnues. C'est vraiment mind-blowing. Ce bouquin est un must-read pour tous les étudiants en fac d'anglais pour compléter les connaissances du cursus classique. Pour une critique plus complète, celle de Thebensbookoflife est très bien.

[Caralee · Rating 5 out of 5]

"American history is longer, larger, more various, more beautiful, and more terrible than anything anyone has ever said about it." This opening quote from James Baldwin sets the tone for the rest of this essential and eye opening book, now in powerful and skilfully drawn graphic adaptation. This edition effectively summarizes the original text, and the graphic format and evocative illustrations add depth and connection to the material, in a way that is accessible and engaging, especially for young adult readers.

The whitewashed narrative of U.S. History which has been traditionally taught to students has prioritized nationalistic pride over factual information; spinning, lionizing, sanitizing, or even outright lying, leaving generations misinformed and unable to connect the past to the present in accurate or meaningful ways, to understand marginalized perspectives, or to apply the lessons of the past to decisions which impact our future.

The author analyses multiple U.S. History textbooks and the ways in which they often fail to accurately present historical truths, and asks essential questions about why this has been, and continues to be, the case. Who decides how history is interpreted - whose perspective matters, whose story matters, and what is emphasized (or even invented) and what is left out? Who benefits from this interpretation, and who is harmed by it? What is the purpose of the text - to encourage critical thought or to support the status quo? History textbooks are often written and taught with an eye to avoid offending school boards, parents, or the public, or making students (specifically white students) "uncomfortable". But History isn't supposed to make us feel good, just as Algebra or Chemistry are not meant to make us feel good, and any History curriculum with a focus on justifying, appeasing, or comforting, does so at the expense of the truth.

Without teaching students the causes that led to events, the different options that were available but not taken, and the ways those actions influenced later events, we deprive them of the tools to understand and contextualize history or to connect it to their present lives. When we teach students that events of history are divorced from each other and occur in isolation, they appear random and illogical instead of connected and consequential. People are entitled to their own opinions, but not to their own facts. Truth is still truth even if it reflects poorly on individuals or groups, or causes cognitive dissonance for those invested in a narrative that absolves their complicity or harm. Presenting a sanitized, heroic Columbus to students is both an easily disprovable lie and a cruel invalidation of the tremendous harm he caused. Promoting the fiction that the U.S. Civil War was about state's rights instead of slavery and white supremacy contradicts what Confederate states clearly (and verifiably) expressed about their objectives and motivations. Pretending that the 9-11 terrorist attacks were rooted in "jealousy of our freedom" completely ignores the contribution of U.S. actions to the circumstances that caused it, or the warnings that were ignored.

The myth of American Exceptionalism, and the view of its domestic and foreign actions through the "Global Good Guy" lens, prevents a full and factual reckoning of U.S. history, comprehension of its impact, or of perceptions of its impact outside of its own white hegemonic narrative. In teaching history this way, we discourage critical thought, we discourage empathy, and we discourage activism and change. But we have the ability, and the responsibility, to do better.

This book is exceptionally well-researched, well-written, informative, and insightful, and an essential companion to standard education materials. This graphic adaptation makes a more accurate and nuanced historical understanding accessible and approachable, especially for students or people who are turned off and disconnected from the way History is usually presented. I will be purchasing a copy of the graphic adaptation as well as the latest edition of the full text version for my family.

I'm thankful to the publisher and to Netgalley for providing me with a free advance reader copy of the book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nate Powell, who worked on the March trilogy about John Lewis, has adapted the Lies My Teacher Told Me to graphic novel adaptation, and let me tell you, this should be required reading of everyone, not just high school and college students.

I like to think of myself as well informed, especially about American history, but I found things in this book that I remember being taught that I still believed, despite the amount of history I have consumed. Things that didn’t make sense at the time, and I never question.

The book is told in sections. What we got wrong about Christpher Columbus, the First Thanksgiving, the Civil War, the Vietnam War, and more. It ends with why history is taught this way, and what it means for the future.

The author explains that people who have lived through history know it better than those who weren’t even born yet. As history recedes in the background, things are left out, and there is no one to ask why, or question it.

A good example of history not making sense, if you read it as it is taught, is when we were taught that the indigenous people of this country did no farming. If that were the case, then how did they teach the European settlers how to plant the Three Sisters (squash, corn and beans), so that they could survive to have the first Thanksgiving?

There is so much in this book that it is hard to highlight every single thing that is pointed out. But one thing that the author points out is that things happen in history books that are not explained. Wars just start. People just do things. And these things are not explained.

And sadly things that have happened in my lifetime, such as the Vietnam war are just glossed over, including Mai Li.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review. This is being published the 16th of April 2024. If you have not read the original version, get this version. If you have read the original, this has been expanded.

[Lisa Davidson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a graphic adaptation of Lies my teacher told me, an important book that helps explain what we're taught, how that's wrong, and why things are taught so badly. History is written by the winners, for sure, but as this book points out, a lot of it doesn't make sense without context.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this

[Shai · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lies My Teacher Told Me is a book that has been on my mental "to read" list for years, which is why I am so excited to have received the ARC of the graphic novel from The New Press and NetGalley.

So I read this book through the lens of a regular reader and as a teacher. As a teacher, I found the amount of text on the page to be good for an older audience (i.e. late middle school / high school +), which seems to be the right audience for this book. The book strikes a good balance between text and imagery. The images add to the reader's understanding of the text and do not detract from the words on the page (which I have found with some graphic novels - I’m more interested in the pictures than the words). In fact, in this case, you HAVE to read to understand the image on the page.

I also enjoyed the presentation of these historical lessons using graphics as graphic novels are immensely popular with kids/teens and help to break up the text into "easier to digest" portions. Unfortunately, we lose many kids as readers in these grades because they find books (especially longer books, like textbooks) to be "boring". James Loewen and Nate Powell recognize this and even speak to it during the first few pages of the book. "And it's in history classrooms where students spend MORE time simply reading from their textbooks, answering fifty-five questions at the end of the chapter, and so on."

As a regular reader, I appreciated the subject matter, much of which made me question the history lessons I endured as a child - but I guess we didn't think as much about bias back then, we just accepted what we were presented. I believe it's important for everyone to read books that question the usual interpretation of historical events and this graphic novel has made me want to pick up the original text.

I recommend this book to anyone who loves history, teachers of children in middle school/high school, and any adult looking for an interesting text to read. I am looking forward to adding this graphic novel to my classroom library.

[Malinda · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you read this, keep in mind a few things. It was originally published in 1995 so it’s 30 years old, which means the history books it references are even older. The few books listed at the beginning range from 1950 to mid 1980s (so don’t get too hyped up, we’ve made progress since then, more is needed). Additionally, this isn’t just a book about what our history books in schools got wrong, but why they did. Like how in attempt to inspire national pride things are left out. Like how the dominant political and societal perspectives were woven in. I get it. Not only does that makes sense, but its valuable to call out and introduce as thoughts to non-critical thinkers. Obviously it isn’t right books glossed over, misrepresented, or omitted things! So while I found a lot of value in the information, I struggled to read it. I wanted to learn, but the points as to why were made and re-made many times over. It eventually took away from learning. Hence my rating of 3 stars (really a 3.5). Also, I will say that there are a few things that the required high school Oklahoma History did well with! Ugly truths of our state past weren’t hidden and it made me think that some of the disconnects discussed in this book may also be what each state places value on in the education of history too.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have always wanted to read the book Lies My Teacher Told Me, so when I saw that there was a graphic novel version I knew that I had to pick it up. I'm not great with super factual non-fiction, but because of the aspect of it being a graphic novel and it being written specifically for teens, I was able to follow along easier. This book is particularly important now...

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unsure on the audience but still inspiring!

[Averly Wilke · Rating 5 out of 5]

The greatest strength in this is the fact that it is a graphic novel. I've already had both English and history teachers tell me that adaptations are 'less than' full novels or books, are somehow dumbed down or even worse, doesn't count as reading as all. It always perplexes me because barring the fact that that kind of sentiment is exactly what pushes people away from reading, is that we are all (hopefully!) taught as educators to scaffold and take into account various learning styles. This book does that, and is in some ways more powerful than the original book.

For example, I read about lynchings, both in my history textbook and in To Kill a Mockingbird. I knew it was bad and resulted in deaths. It wasn't until I was confronted with actual photographs that it made it crystallize in my mind. Nearly all of us have never seen this horrific act in any sort of real life context or in media. Now we have an image of it in book. It is not hidden by our lack of reference, the abstraction of words or like this book sets out to destroy, completely bypassing the subject. You have an image of a lynched black man, surrounded by happy white folks, eating and laughing, with children present as if this is good afternoon entertainment. No one that looks at that can try and rationalize it away with fancy turns of phrase or trying to hide it. Seeing that image slams home exactly the horrors that black folks faced for centuries, and causing us as the audience to question others that try and say 'slavery wasn't that bad' or that confederate flags are harmless symbols of 'Southern Pride'.

Even as a seasoned teacher, this book had so much in there that I didn't know. Not only that, I recognized a lot of the falsehoods, misinformation and outright lies that was taught to me in high school. I even recognized the history textbook I had! For example, Wilson was made out to be a doddering old guy who loved his 14 points so much that those mean Europeans refused to accept. But the revelation that he was a manipulating white supremist was insane at how deep that misrepresentation went. Columbus was no exception either and it makes my stomach churn realizing that we have a holiday and celebrate as children what essentially amounts to a depraved genocidal child sex trafficker.

Everyone should have this book to reach as many people as possible.


***

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for a complete and honest review.

[Liz (Quirky Cat) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summary:

As adults, many of us have learned that the facts taught to us by our history books aren't always so accurate. Not only is there an inherent bias in the writing (history is told by the winners, and all that), but there's a lack of checking and a focus on heroification.

Lies My Teacher Told Me aims to delve into American history books, examining what they do – and don't cover. Likewise, it's meant to help open our eyes. History should be making us ask questions – not shut down.

Review:

I'm SO excited that Lies My Teacher Told Me is getting a graphic novel adaptation! I hope this makes it even more approachable to a larger audience. That said, I sat down and read the original novel in preparation for the graphic novel. Yes, I wanted to read and compare the book that compares history books. It seemed appropriate.

I was not disappointed. Lies My Teacher Told Me: A Graphic Novel Adaptation does a great job of focusing on the central points and concerns. It doesn't feel like it's heavily summarized or cut down. Additionally, the graphics and illustrations help to drive home many of the points.

I was hoping that some of the statistics would be updated for the graphic novel (since we all know things change so quickly), but I also understand why this may not have been feasible. I still hope that this adaptation helps put an informative and interesting book into more hands.

Highlights:
Graphic Novel Adaptation
American History
Analysis of American History Textbooks

Thanks to The New Press and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

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[Krystl Louwagie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is definitely a book that should be required reading (but it won't be). It feels extremely honest in it's telling--so much so that honestly some of it goes over my head. As an average American in terms of knowing/learning American History...I'm not that knowledgeable and sometimes the author takes for granted things I might know or understand (terms especially).
Still, there's enough that DOESN'T go over my head and it's worth it. This book just helps with critical thinking and getting you in the right mindset to go about learning about history. Wish everyone would read it and I'm grateful for the amount of care and detail that went into making this book. It doesn't do the easy things to get a satisfying read--it just tells the truth. How refreshing it would be to read in textbooks that there are some things we simply just don't know about history, instead of taking one theory and teaching it as fact...when there's doubt, present the multiple theories and leave it at that.

[Kelly · Rating 1 out of 5]

If a graphic novel is going to be classified as a graphic novel, there should be more illustrations than text.

This is extraordinarily heavy text for a graphic novel. Make it a textbook instead.

Not impressed.

[Shelina]

DNF. Exploring the parts of history that are often glossed over or ignored was interesting and enlightening. But it still reads like a history book.

[Rapunzel Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Woodrow Wilson. Abraham Lincoln. Christopher Columbus. Those are the names that stand out in American history classes—the people heroized for their actions, or their personality, or, when you really dig into it, just because they were part of the dominant class at the time. But who were they, really? And why are they the people we remember?

Lies My Teacher Told Me tells the stories left out of (or radically changed in) the usual American history textbook—and invites readers to reconsider what they’re learning by thinking about who’s telling this story, and what’s being omitted. From the ‘discovery’ of the Americas to the Civil Rights Movement and beyond, it analyzes the lies, embellishments, and omissions that characterize the typical US history curriculum and uses them to consider American society as a whole, and the beliefs this one-dimensional portrayal of history perpetrates.

As a fan of the original Lies My Teacher Told Me, I knew immediately when I saw this book that I had to read it. This graphic novel adaptation of the original (a nonfiction classic with the same premise) captures the core ideas, messages, and thoughts while streamlining it into something immensely readable, making it accessible to a whole new audience without losing any of the purpose.

This is probably the most text-heavy graphic novel I’ve read, which meant that it managed to include way more information in under 300 pages than I would’ve thought possible, while still taking advantage of the illustrations and handwriting styles to carry the reader more fluidly through the narrative. That said, although it’s an easy read, it’s not a quick one; I often read graphic novels in one or two sittings, but I found this one was better to read in smaller chunks (a chapter at a time, for example), so I was able to really consider what I’d read before plunging into the next section.

If you’re a history nerd, a graphic novel connoisseur, or just exasperated by your US history class, this is a book for you!

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a 4th grade teacher, I'm pretty limited in what history I can teach my kids. I do point out though, that we're mostly seeing things through one lens. Whose perspectives are missing from this chapter? Why do you think that is? etc. I'm currently teaching about the Civil War right now, which means Reconstruction is next in the curriculum and this stood out to me - "The problem in Reconstruction was integrating CONFEDERATES, not African Americans, into the new society." Lightbulb. Duh. It also reminds me when I was first teaching and I had a parent come to me genuinely confused about the civil war's causes because she had been taught it was "The War of Northern Aggression" and it was about protecting states rights, nothing to do with slavery. I blame the textbooks, like this author is pointing out.

[Kaitlyn (ktxx22) Walker]

This is INCREDIBLY dense from a graphic novel perspective. I think it does a fabulous job at conveying the material in each section but for me and my preference it is too wordy. To like the traditional book with text on text on text on every page. Because of that I skimmed the book after I made it to page 100. I will be seeking the source material out to read audibly since that is a preferred method of reading especially non fiction. Thank you to net galley for the ARC.

[Madison Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I could give this graphic novel more than 5 stars, I would. I never finished Loewen’s original book, since I tried reading it at about 13 years old and became overwhelmed. But half of my life has passed since then, and this beautiful adaptation had me under a spell. I could barely put this book down, and now I want to get my hands on the original version. Thank-you, Nate Powell, for your hard work in adapting this work. I can’t recommend it enough.

[Vick · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a history degree and I genuinely learned new things. With that being said, everyone should take the time to read this, because maybe some of y’all would understand why the US is 👎🏻 personally I think I’m going to reread this at the end of the year simply to see how much information I retained lol

[Jasmine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book in graphic novel form, and I think in a lot of ways it makes the content of this book even more accessible to a young audience.

Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed a gifted and advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Michaela Seaton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was honestly shocked by how much about my own American history I was unaware of, when I consider myself over all well educated and well-read.
Really appreciate this book’s perspectives and its commitment to presenting America in its full glory (the good and the bad) with the hope of creating critical thinkers.

[Amanda [Novel Addiction] · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent!

[Jessica Nish · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfection.

[Sydney Cook · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a life-changing book! The comic book style read really kept me engaged and actually made me laugh out loud a few times. The narrative voice is entertaining well still holding an ethical tone!
Definitely opened my eyes to looking at our nations history through a different lens and inspired me to be a more active learner when it comes to history!

[Mara · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this to be an interesting book but the Graphic novel format didn’t work for me. It was confusing and hard to read, not like other graphic novels.