Ninja

From Wikipedia

As long as there are students and curious citizens studying the wonders as well as tragedies of history, there will be a constant flow of bias. Whether leaning in one direction or the other, people will always try to get others to conform to their way of thinking. The author of A People's History of the United States, Howard Zinn, happens to have the same difficulty. Not only does he state his bias at the beginning of the book, but constant evidence confirms this fact. This book can easily be referred to as revisionist history. Thus, it can only be considered a legitimate source in certain situations.

   When studying history, a student must be able to differentiate it from revisionist history. History is an organized system detailing the events of the past. Students of history can learn the mistakes made by others in the same position, and attempt to not repeat them. Revisionist history, on the other hand, is a record of the past which attempts to deny or ignore events which go against a certain way of thinking. Revisionist history should obviously not be used without thinking as the person learning is not getting all the facts necessary for a proper point of view.
   A People's History of the United States was written by Howard Zinn to tell history from a new point of view. Instead of expressing the glorious view of America's leaders, Zinn portrays the surprisingly awful conditions of America's poor and oppressed. From Columbus slaughtering thousands of Native Americans in 1492 to present day, the book gives you the facts that most history books simply pass over.
   Despite the author's apparent good intentions, the book certainly has its flaws. Zinn's liberal bias manages to continuously leak onto his pages, transforming the book entirely for the reader. Very seldom are America's leaders ever looked at as anything more than criminals. Presidents such as Washington are never commended for their accomplishments, but rather criticized for their hypocrisy and bad ideas. His writing about Vietnam has even more holes. Though Zinn points out over and over again the terror America caused to the country, little is said about the other side. The author passes over the mass killings caused by Ho Chi Minh and the Viet Cong's streaks of violence as the history books he denounces in the beginning neglect American atrocities.
   A People's History of the United States is something that everyone should peruse. The book is an interesting read, if not a great research tool. You are able to "see" the country grow before your eyes thanks to the author's seamless writing style. While there is an obvious bias, it should not deter anyone from reading the book. Almost all books contain a bias; maybe it's better if it's apparent. In conclusion, the book can and should be used as a reliable source, but only with books on the opposite end of the spectrum available to back everything up.
Navigation