Rating: 
Summary: It was okay but it went a little far with its attitude.
Review: A People's History of the United States gives the reader history, and not from the 'rich white man's' point of view. It spends more time on Carnegie's use of Pinkertons than on his millions and more on what JFK didn't do for the civil rights movement than what he did. Even though the narrative of the history is very engaging and it gives a different perspective of the events, I thought it was a little too much. The discussion of certain points was a little too cynical, villifying people who don't deserve to be. Zinn takes his damn the man outlook well past where it should have stopped. Although it provides vast amounts of knowledge the blatantly biased voice under which it was written makes the reader feel victimized by Zinn arbitrary and vindicative generalizations of people in power.
Rating: 
Summary: Necessary companion to conventional history
Review: As a high school American history teacher, I found Zinn's book indispensable. My students enjoyed this book more than any other source we examined--and we examined quite a few. Zinn's book is not meant to be a replacement for conventional histories of the U.S., nor is it intended to be a balanced treatment of our past. Rather, Zinn's purpose is to tell the stories that too often don't get told, because they make those in power uncomfortable. Thus it's unavoidable that this book casts a seemingly negative light on American history. But to focus on the negativity would be to miss the point of the book. When we know the full truth of our past--both the good and the bad--that knowledge can only empower us. We then feel inspired to make America better than what it is now, rather than content ourselves with Yankee Doodle ignorance. Isn't that, after all, the definition of an informed, intelligent, and active democratic citizenry? Ironically, Zinn's book has made me more proud to be an American, not less, because I want to dedicate myself to rectifying some of the sins that Dr. Zinn lays bare for all to see. The worst--and, yes, dumbest--thing we can do is sit back and tell ourselves that America is the greatest thing to grace planet Earth and is as close to perfect as a human state can get. Such complacent nonsense prevents us from tackling the vital and exciting work that we must all do to make America truly great. It is for this reason that my students enjoyed Zinn's book so much. Conventional history texts tend to dull students into passive submission. Zinn's will inspire you to action, in the true spirit of the American Revolution, which is far from finished.
Rating:
Summary: Greatest High School Text book I have used
Review: I am currently a 11 th grader @ Hamilton HIgh School . This Book is being currently used in the Ap classes and in the Humanities Honors classes . This book not only reports the common man's story but it in a elegant way does not romanticize the victim who tend to be the common man. I would reccommend this book to any person who does not want to hear the cleaned up version of history. Another book that does the same thing is" Lies my Teacher told me " this book also deserves a five.
Rating:
Summary: This is the ONLY U. S. history book that matters
Review: Zinn's subversive retelling of "American" history is a landmark in the field. His refusal to accept American mythology as historical fact makes him one of the very few American historians to be worthy of the title of a true intellectual. Those who find it easy to dismiss Zinn's claims as those of a "left wing revisionist" may well want to consider the main claim that Zinn makes in this remarkeable text: historiography is, by its very definition, a political process. It's refreshing to find a historian who puts aside asinine notions of objectivity and places a humanitarian emphasis on the production of historical narratives.
Rating:
Summary: A real history about real americans
Review: A useful contrast to the official, jingoistic histories taught to America's children, this book is essential to a full understanding of US history. Some have complained this book is anti-American and rated it low for that; I say that it provided a startlingly different viewpoint that will be invaluable to those who study history. Zinn quite clearly states that his sympathies are not with the rich and powerful (who seem inordinately fearful of his analysis). I have found no factual errors in his work; anyone who can demonstrate he got facts wrong is free to point to specific instances and complain. No one has done that yet.
Rating: 
Summary: History from another point of view.
Review: First of all a very well written book with a casual style that makes for easy reading. I really felt, however, that Mr. Zinn has nothing at all good to say about the capitalist system. I cannot say that the US system of capitalism is the perfect system by any means, but nothing else has done so much for so many. Socialism, Marxism, Communism, Fascism, Collectivism, etc. None of these have stood the test of time. Why is it that even after more than 200 years of "horrible" capitalism that millions try to immigrate to the United States every year? I think the answer is, "as bad as we are, we're the best there is."
Rating:
Summary: leading author of a new breed of activists
Review: The book is a great well written hostory of the US that brings to light many things conveniantely omitted in high school history books. The slanderous comments that the book is biased against capitalism is futile since you can in reverse say that the current history books are biased towards capitalism. No book has ever been written that doesnt have bias. But there is a difference between bias and an evidence supported answer as Zinn does in this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Awaiting Prof. Zinn's next book
Review: Though Prof. Zinn is a talented writer, his text shows that he is hopelessly biased. The book itself is well-written, but the presentation of the subject matter is skewed more than just a bit to the left. By continuously hammering on the misdeeds of the United States (and conveniently forgetting that the country ever produced, allowed, or did anything good), Zinn attempts to lead one to believe that the United States was (and is), the embodiment of "The Evil Empire". I think a chapter on how the United States gives Prof. Zinn the freedom to write such an unbalanced, revisionist, non-objective, and needlessly-critical book about it would be a nice addition. Failing that, I would like for Prof. Zinn to relocate to China and write his next book on human rights violations by that country (from the perspective of the oppressed). I am sure the government there will grant him the same journalistic freedom as the "fascist" government in place in the United States.
Rating:
Summary: brilliant
Review: this has to be one of the best books i have ever read. no other piece of literature has openned my eyes or got my blood boiling as much as this book. (the chapter on Reagen particularly set me off). And for all those corporate-sucking right-wing schmucks who try to criticize this book, well you can just take all your money and go to hell. he never claimed that this was a complete history, nor a completely accurate history; only a forgotten, and oppressed history. he tells the story of the people that the government does not want its children to learn about. again, this is one of the most powerful books my post-pubescent little mind ever laid eyes on. this should be required reading for anyone who has the self-righteous, arrogant little balls to even pretend to call themselves an american. absolutely brilliant, and necessary.
Rating:
Summary: Entertaining and Informative
Review: I had to purchase this book for my U.S. History class. I can honestly say that this is the first text book that I actually enjoyed. Zinn gives the reader a different perspective from the mainstream history books. He gets to the crux of the matter and isn't afraid to show Americans what really happened.I gave it four stars because there is a definate bias throughout the book. Some may not feel comfotable with it.However, overall it is a good book. Buy this book whether or not you're taking a U.S. history class!
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