In this revised edition, packed with updated material, Loewen explores how historical myths continue to be perpetuated in today's climate and adds an eye-opening chapter on the lies surrounding 9/11 and the Iraq War. From the truth about Columbus's historic voyages to an honest evaluation of our national leaders, Loewen revives our history, restoring the vitality and relevance it truly possesses.
Thought provoking, nonpartisan, and often shocking, Loewen unveils the real America in this iconoclastic classic beloved by high school teachers, history buffs, and enlightened citizens across the country.
My Thoughts:
I thought this book was fascinating and SO good. I was lucky to have a really great history teacher in high school who did his best to teach us actual history and not just white-washed, feel good history, but there was still so much I didn't know. For example, did you know that Woodrow Wilson was actually super racist, that as President he SEGREGATED areas of government that had previously been integrated? Did you know that at the beginning of post-Civil War Reconstruction, things were actually going pretty well race-relations wise, and Black people were seeing greater equality, until Southern Whites got back the reins and made things awful again? Did you know that Helen Keller as an adult was a strong supporter of socialism? Did you know that Columbus and basically everyone else at the time already knew the earth was round and the whole point of his expedition was to see if he could get rich somewhere? Did you know that the pilgrims likely would not have survived to colonize America if it hadn't been for previous explorers bringing diseases that decimated Native populations? Did you know that the 9/11 terrorist attacks were motivated not because Osama bin Ladin just hates freedom, but as retaliation for what he saw as way too much meddling in the Middle East on the part of America? Did you know that although we like to present the picture of the US being this "international good guy" we've actually stuck our noses where they don't belong many times and completely screwed things up?
I highly recommend reading this book. I thought it was incredibly informative and I think it presented a really important look at how we teach history and how we can do better. I think many of the problems of today stem from a complete lack of accurate understanding of our history. We are taught all our lives half-truths and sometimes outright lies, is it any wonder we still believe them and act as if these things are true (sometimes to our own detriment) as adults? A lot of people think they know history, and they would probably be wrong. Seriously, read this. I am begging you. It was so worth the time.
