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Howard Zinn, professor emeritus at Boston University, is a historian, playwright, and social activist. The author of numerous books, he has received the Lannan Foundation Literary Award for Nonfiction, and the Eugene V. Debs Award for his writing and political activism. In 2003 he was awarded the Prix des Amis du Monde Diplomatique.

Howard Zinn has been fighting for progressive causes since the 1930s, when he began organizing workers in the New York City shipyards. He later embarked on an enduring career teaching political science first at Spelman College and then at Boston University.
Over the years, the celebrated firebrand wrote numerous eye-opening books advocating economic and social justice, perhaps most significantly, A People's History of the United States, an incendiary work which turns many of the prevailing myths about America on their heads. Presented from the perspectives of assorted minorities and women, it, for example, portrays leaders of slave and Indian revolts like Nat Turner, John Brown and Geronimo as heroes, and once-revered, fat cat Presidents like Washington and Jefferson as exploitative slave owners guilty of expansionist ethnic cleansing.

Besides teaching and writing, Professor Zinn repeatedly risked life and limb by personally participating in the civil rights, ant-war and other activist movements.

Bio. excerpted from documentary, Howard Zinn: You Can't Be Neutral on a Moving Train review, by Kam Williams;
 

A People's History of the United States 1492 - Present
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ISBN: 0060838655
ISBN-13: 9780060838652
Format: Paperback, 729pp
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

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Known for its lively, clear prose as well as its scholarly research, A People's History of the United States is the only volume to tell America's story from the point of view of -- and in the words of -- America's women, factory workers, African-Americans, Native Americans, working poor, and immigrant laborers.

This P.S. edition features an extra 16 pages of insights into the book, including author interviews, recommended reading, and more.

Since its original landmark publication in 1980, A People's History of the United States has been chronicling American history from the bottom up, throwing out the official version of history taught in schools -- with its emphasis on great men in high places -- to focus on the street, the home, and the, workplace.

Known for its lively, clear prose as well as its scholarly research, A People's History is the only volume to tell America's story from the point of view of -- and in the words of -- America's women, factory workers, African-Americans, Native Americans, the working poor, and immigrant laborers. As historian Howard Zinn shows, many of our country's greatest battles -- the fights for a fair wage, an eight-hour workday, child-labor laws, health and safety standards, universal suffrage, women's rights, racial equality -- were carried out at the grassroots level, against bloody resistance. Covering Christopher Columbus's arrival through President Clinton's first term, A People's History of the United States, which was nominated for the American Book Award in 1981, features insightful analysis of the most important events in our history.

Revised, updated, and featuring a new after, word by the author, this special twentieth anniversary edition continues Zinn's important contribution to a complete and balanced understanding of American history

Impeach the President: The Case Against Bush and Cheney
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ISBN: 1583227431
ISBN-13: 9781583227435
Format: Paperback, 208pp
Publisher: Seven Stories Press

"They can say that Homeland Security and FEMA are on the job, but New Orleans proves them wrong. They can claim they're winning the war on terror and the war in Iraq, but everyday the facts belie their claims. They can assure us that they're protecting our civil liberties and doing everything by the book, but nearly every week brings fresh revelations of their lawbreaking."
—from the Conclusion

In the face of the extraordinary and unprecedented threat the White House and its allies present to civil liberties, civil rights, the Constitution, international law, and the future of the planet, this persuasive collection makes the case that a drastically different political dynamic must be created right now.

Impeach the President is a comprehensive analysis of a criminal administration. It unearths the stories behind voter fraud in 2000 and 2004, the overt lies used to justify pre-emptive war on Iraq, the extensive, ongoing commission of war crimes and torture, the tragic failures in the lead-up to and aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and lesser-known but equally alarming offences of propaganda and disinformation, illegal spying, environmental destruction, and the violation of the separation of church and state. Loo and Phillips chillingly reveal the full threat behind the radical right-wing force that has taken over the most powerful office in the world.

The collection includes a striking introduction by Howard Zinn and contributions from Dennis Loo, Peter Phillips, Judith Volkart, Dahr Jamail, Jeremy Brecher, Jill Cutler, Brendan Smith, Larry Everest, Greg Palast, Nancy Snow, Barbara J. Bowley, Mark Crispin Miller, Kevin Wehr, Richard Heinberg, Lyn Duff, Dennis Bernstein, Bridget Thornton, Lew Brown, Andrew Sloan, Cynthia Boaz, and Michael Nagler.

Impeach the President issues a clarion call for a popular movement even more powerful than the antiwar movement of the 1960s. As the authors write in the preface, "Governments do not fall of their own weight; they must be driven out."

The Darker Nations: A People's History of the Third World
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Hardcover: 384 pages
Publisher: New Press (January 28, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1565847857
ISBN-13: 978-1565847859

A landmark study that offers an alternative history of the Cold War from the point of view of the world's poor.

"Europe" is morally, spiritually indefensible. And today the indictment is brought against it…by tens and tens of thousands of millions of men who, from the depths of slavery, set themselves up as judges.'—Aimé Césaire, Discourse on Colonialism

Here, from a brilliant young writer, is a paradigm-shifting history of both a utopian concept and global movement—the idea of the Third World. The Darker Nations traces the intellectual origins and the political history of the twentieth century attempt to knit together the world's impoverished countries in opposition to the United States and Soviet spheres of influence in the decades following World War II.

Spanning every continent of the global South, Vijay Prashad's fascinating narrative takes us from the birth of postcolonial nations after World War II to the downfall and corruption of nationalist regimes. A breakthrough book of cutting-edge scholarship, it includes vivid portraits of Third World giants like India's Nehru, Egypt's Nasser, and Indonesia's Sukarno—as well as scores of extraordinary but now-forgotten intellectuals, artists, and freedom fighters. The Darker Nations restores to memory the vibrant though flawed idea of the Third World, whose demise, Prashad ultimately argues, has produced a much impoverished international political arena. 12 b/w photographs.

A Young People's History of the United States, Vol. 1: Columbus to the Robber Barons
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ISBN: 1583227598
ISBN-13: 9781583227596
Format: Hardcover, 192pp
Publisher: Seven Stories Press
Age Range: Young Adult

Praise for A People's History of the United States:
"Professor Zinn writes with an enthusiasm rarely encountered in the leaden prose of academic history, and his text is studded with telling quotations from labor leaders, war resisters and fugitive slaves. There are vivid descriptions of events that are usually ignored."
—Eric Foner, The New York Times Book Review

Howard Zinn's first book for young adults is a retelling of US history from the viewpoints of slaves, workers, immigrants, women, and Native Americans with color images, a glossary, and primary sources. Volume one begins with a look at Christopher Columbus' arrival through the eyes of the Arawak Indians and leads the reader through the strikes and rebellions of the industrial age.

A Young People's History of the United States, Vol. 2: The Spanish-American War to the War on Terror
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ISBN: 1583227601
ISBN-13: 9781583227602
Format: Hardcover, 256pp
Publisher: Seven Stories Press
Age Range: Young Adult

In volume two, Howard Zinn's lively, clear prose guides the reader through the wars and revolutions of the twentieth century. Zinn continues his retelling up to the policies and resistances that have characterized the war on terror and that shape the United States of America today. Includes a final chapter updating our country's history to the present moment.

Just War: by Howard Zinn
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ISBN: 8881585723
ISBN-13: 9788881585724
Format: Textbook Paperback, 72pp
Publisher: Charta
Edition Number: 1

by Howard Zinn, Strada, Gino Strada, Moises Saman (Photographer)

From the author of the classic college campus favorite and perennial seller A People’s History of the United States comes a short, intense polemic on the political direction of those United States, towards what seems to Zinn like perpetual war. Just War is based on a lecture given in Rome, where, as Zinn addressed an Italian audience, a public known for its negative opinions of recent American foreign policy, he could be direct about his own feelings. "I come from a country which is at war, as it has been almost continuously: and for that I feel shame." His rousing call to the only "just war," the "war against war," which concludes that "perhaps it will take a combination of factors to end war: but we must all play a part," is a must-read for those who know and trust his work, and, for those concerned about current events and looking for strong and morally driven persepctives, it is an excellent introduction to a great thinker

You Can't Be Neutral on a Moving Train
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ISBN: 0807071277
ISBN-13: 9780807071274
Format: Paperback, 224pp
Publisher: Beacon Press

The acclaimed author of A People's History of the United States brings to life more than 30 years of American social history by telling the stories behind his politically engaged life.

From the Publisher

"An inspiring autobiography . . . in the tradition of Martin Luther King's 'Letter from a Birmingham Jail.' "
—Maureen Corrigan, Fresh Air, National Public Radio

Beacon Press is proud to publish a new edition of the classic memoir by one of our most lively, influential, and engaged teachers and activists. Howard Zinn, author of A People's History of the United States, tells his personal stories about more than thirty years of fighting for social change, from teaching at Spelman College to recent protests against war.

A former bombardier in WWII, Zinn emerged in the civil rights movement as a powerful voice for justice. Although he's a fierce critic, he gives us reason to hope that by learning from history and engaging politically, we can make a difference in the world.

"A teacher who committed his politically engaged life to the belief that love is a command to action."
—Colman McCarthy, The Washington Post

"A powerful, politically electric book from one of the most engaging social critics in the nation."
—Jonathan Kozol

"Zinn explains his involvement in the struggles for civil rights, against war and in support of organized labor. . . . These are lively tales."
—The New York Times Book Review

A Power Governments Cannot Suppress
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ISBN: 0872864758
ISBN-13: 9780872864757
Format: Paperback, 308pp
Publisher: City Lights Books

"Thank you, Howard Zinn. Thank you for telling us what none of our leaders are willing to: The truth. And you tell it with such brilliance, such humanity. It is a personal honor to be able to say I am a better citizen because of you."
Michael Moore, director of the film Fahrenheit 9/11, and author of the New York Times bestseller, Stupid White Men ...and Other Sorry Excuses for the State of the Nation!

"This strong, incisive book by Howard Zinn provides us with a penetrating critique of current U.S. policies and embraces the sweep of history. Zinn's inspired voice sets him apart ... which is why so many of us look to Howard as a modern-day Thoreau. As always with Zinn's work, A Power Governments Cannot Suppress leaves us with the faith that citizens have what it takes to confront power and to reverse the dangerous and unjust acts of our government."
Jonathan Kozol, author of The Shame of The Nation: The Restoration of Apartheid Schooling in America

"Find here the voice of the well-educated and honorable and capable and human United States of America, which might have existed if only absolute power had not corrupted its third-rate leaders so absolutely."
Kurt Vonnegut, author of A Man Without a Country

"Howard Zinn is a unique voice of sanity, clarity and wisdom who reads history not only to understand the present but to shape the future. ...Profoundly insightful... A Power Governments Cannot Suppress should be read by every American, over and over again."
Michael Lerner, editor of Tikkun Magazine, author of The Left Hand of God: Taking Back our Country from the Religious Right

"This brilliant new book-like Howard Zinn'spresence, and his whole life, is the best possible antidote to political despair. Read it, and rejoin the struggle for a human world and a foreign policy that's good for children."
-Daniel Ellsberg released the Pentagon Papers in 1971 and is author of Secrets: A Memoir of Vietnam and the Pentagon Papers

A Power Governments Cannot Suppress, is a major new collection of essays on American history, class, immigration, justice, and ordinary citizens who have made a difference. Zinn addresses America's current political/ethical crisis using lessons learned from our nation's history. Zinn brings a profoundly human, yet uniquely American perspective to each subject he writes about, whether it's the abolition of war, terrorism, the Founding Fathers, the Holocaust, defending the rights of immigrants, or personal liberties. Written in an accessible, personal tone, Zinn approaches the telling of U.S. history from an active, engaged point of view. "America's future is linked to how we understand our past," writes Zinn; "For this reason, writing about history, for me, is never a neutral act."

Zinn frames the book with an opening essay titled "If History is to be Creative," a reflection on the role and responsibility of the historian. "To think that history-writing must aim simply to recapitulate the failures that dominate the past," writes Zinn, "is to make historians collaborators in an endless cycle of defeat." "If history is to be creative, to anticipate a possible future without denying the past, it should, I believe, emphasize new possibilities by disclosing those hidden episodes of the past when, even if in brief flashes, people showed their ability to resist, to join together, and occasionally win. I am supposing, or perhaps only hoping, that our future may be found in the past's fugitive moments of compassion rather than in its solid centuries of warfare."

Buzzing with stories and ideas, Zinn draws upon fascinating, little-known historical anecdotes spanning from the Declaration of Independence to the USA PATRIOT Act to comment on the most controversial issues facing us today: government dishonesty, how to respond to terrorism, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the loss of our liberties, immigration, and the responsibility of the citizen to confront power for the common good.

Considered a "modern-day Thoreau" by Jonathon Kozol, Zinn's inspired writings address the reader as an active participant in history making. "We live in a beautiful country," writes Zinn, in the book's opening chapter. "But people who have no respect for human life, freedom, or justice have taken it over. It is now up to all of us to take it back."

Featuring essays penned over an eight-year period, A Power Governments Cannot Suppress is Howard Zinn's first writerly work in several years, an invaluable post-9/11-era addition to the themes that run through his bestselling classic, A People's History Of the United States.

Howard Zinn is a veteran of World War II and author of many books and plays, including the million-selling classic, A People's History of the United States.

    The Twentieth Century: A People's History
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Paperback: 512 pages
Publisher: Harper Perennial; 1 edition (February 4, 2003)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0060530340
ISBN-13: 978-0060530341

Containing just the twentieth-century chapters from Howard Zinn's bestselling A People's History of the United States, this revised and updated edition includes two new chapters -- covering Clinton's presidency, the 2000 Election, and the "war on terrorism."

Highlighting not just the usual terms of presidential administrations and congressional activities, this book provides you with a "bottom-to-top" perspective, giving voice to our nation's minorities and letting the stories of such groups as African Americans, women, Native Americans, and the laborers of all nationalities be told in their own words.

Original Zinn: Conversations on History and Politics
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ISBN: 0060844256
ISBN-13: 9780060844257
Format: Paperback, 167pp
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Edition Number: 1

Historian, activist, and bestselling author Howard Zinn has been interviewed by David Barsamian for public radio numerous times over the past decade. Original Zinn is a collection of their conversations, showcasing the acclaimed author of A People's History of the United States at his most engaging and provocative.

Touching on such diverse topics as the American war machine, civil disobedience, the importance of memory and remembering history, and the role of artists—from Langston Hughes to Dalton Trumbo to Bob Dylan—in relation to social change, Original Zinn is Zinn at his irrepressible best, the acute perception of a scholar whose impressive knowledge and probing intellect make history immediate and relevant for us all.
 

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