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A People's History of American Empire

Front Cover
101 Reviews
Henry Holt and Company, Apr 1, 2008 - Comics & Graphic Novels - 273 pages

Adapted from the bestselling grassroots history of the United States, the story of America in the world, told in comics form

Since its landmark publication in 1980, A People’s History of the United States has had six new editions, sold more than 1.7 million copies, become required classroom reading throughout the country, and been turned into an acclaimed play. More than a successful book, A People’s History triggered a revolution in the way history is told, displacing the official versions with their emphasis on great men in high places to chronicle events as they were lived, from the bottom up.

Now Howard Zinn, historian Paul Buhle, and cartoonist Mike Konopacki have collaborated to retell, in vibrant comics form, a most immediate and relevant chapter of A People’s History: the centuries-long story of America’s actions in the world. Narrated by Zinn, this version opens with the events of 9/11 and then jumps back to explore the cycles of U.S. expansionism from Wounded Knee to Iraq, stopping along the way at World War I, Central America, Vietnam, and the Iranian revolution. The book also follows the story of Zinn, the son of poor Jewish immigrants, from his childhood in the Brooklyn slums to his role as one of America’s leading historians.

Shifting from world-shattering events to one family’s small revolutions, A People’s History of American Empire presents the classic ground-level history of America in a dazzling new form.

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Unfortunately, the artwork is the main drawback here. - Goodreads
I'm glad I waited because the graphics are great. - Goodreads
A plus, it has very funny and morbid illustrations. - Goodreads
Howard Zinn does it again, but with illustrations. - Goodreads

Review: A People's History of American Empire

User Review  - Logan - Goodreads

I only read it because I wanted to bug my brother at the moment. But I became entranced with it. It's better than any history book I've ever read. Maybe because it's in a series of comics instead of tiny print writing and boring pictures that have no captions. You know? Read full review

Review: A People's History of American Empire

User Review  - Clinton - Goodreads

An alternative view of American history. This illustrated version of Zinn's view of American history is entertaining and informative, presenting a side of American involvement in the world of which ... Read full review

All 99 reviews »

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References to this book

From other books

Give Me Liberty: A Handbook for American Revolutionaries

About the author (2008)

Howard Zinn, author of numerous acclaimed histories, taught history at Spelman College and Boston University, and has received the Lannan Literary Award, among many others. A People's History of the United States was a finalist for the 1980 National Book Award. He lives in Massachusetts.
 
Mike Konopacki has collaborated on five collections of cartoons, and his work is regularly syndicated. He lives in Madison, Wisconsin.
 
Paul Buhle is a senior lecturer in history at Brown University and the editor of the Encyclopedia of the American Left, among other books. He lives in Providence, Rhode Island.

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