The American Spectator : The Spectacle Blog : Influential Marxist Historian Howard Zinn Is Dead

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The Spectacle Blog

Influential Marxist Historian Howard Zinn Is Dead

By Matthew Vadum on 1.27.10 @ 7:09PM

Marxist historian Howard Zinn, who wrote a revisionist history of the U.S. popular with academics, is dead at age 87.

Zinn's book, A People's History of the United States, was recently turned into a small-screen documentary called "The People Speak."

View all comments (11) | Leave a comment

Ben| 1.27.10 @ 7:28PM

Feel kinda bad, but I can't muster anything but indifference about it (thats me hiding my true feelings) it must be my evil conservativeness.
Though I DO see you didn't have much to write on it.

Franklin| 1.27.10 @ 7:54PM

Wouldn't want to be him right now. Imagine looking into God's eyes and knowing the truth.

Oh, sure wouldn't want to be him...

Margie| 1.27.10 @ 8:44PM

Several years ago I remember a close family member having that book APeople's History of the United States, and I asked if I could take a peek. We were actually at the hospital where my Dad was having an operation. So I read here and there and all I can remember now is that I was super angry and that what I read were lies. Needles to say this family member has gone on to vote for Obama and is a very misled soul!

Alan Brooks| 1.27.10 @ 8:45PM

"Imagine looking into God's eyes and knowing the truth."

He is in hell, looking into a demon's eyes. Anyone who could remain a Marxist (or possibly Commie) after the Soviets invaded Afghanistan deserves to be in hell.

Franklin| 1.28.10 @ 2:30AM

I agree, but he had to see God first, then he was tossed into hell. That's one thing bad about hell, you get to know what you're missing.

grant1863| 1.27.10 @ 9:53PM

much better to read Paul Johnson's "A History of the American People" its the anti-Zinn
may he rest in peace

Alan Brooks| 1.27.10 @ 10:06PM

Johnson ought to rest in peace, or Zinn?

Liberal Reader| 1.27.10 @ 11:12PM

I think calling Zinn a "Marxist" historian is not entirely accurate, although "liberal" isn't the right word either.

He was certainly influenced by Marxist historiography, so if you want to say "Marxist," that's fine.

I wouldn't want his People's History to be the main text in a history class in high school. But it's a very good book. If college students are prepared to read critically, and if they're reading a wide variety of sources, as they should be, it's an excellent study of American history that raises important historiographical questions. Someone above mentioned Paul Johnson's book, and I think that would be a fine text to offer alongside Zinn's in a college seminar.

Alan Brooks| 1.27.10 @ 11:17PM

Why read it all when so many better books are available?

"I can't think of anyone who had such a powerful and benign influence," said the linguist and fellow activist Noam Chomsky, a close friend of Zinn's.
"Benign' is correct-- all fairytales are benign.

Grimm's fairytales, not Zinn's.

Alan Brooks| 1.27.10 @ 11:20PM

Fine, Liberal Reader, but one caveat: merely have students skim through 'Peoples History' for laughs in Kindergarten,
Don't let the wretched children read the entire book.