A People's History of the United States: 1492 to Present (Howard Zinn) - Perennial Classics - 2003 - 729 pages

This is the history of the United States that you did not have in high school.  Author Zinn tells the story of how European explorers slaughtered and displaced natives in the American continents from the 15th century forward.  The creation of the current United States of American is also marred by the kidnapping of Africans to toil in abject slavery for centuries to enrich wealthy Anglo families.  The slow progress of human rights in the country required the masses to overcome racism, sexism and unfair labor practices.  The story of the slow journey to fair wages and suitable working conditions for the massive working class is especially poignant.  We have all heard about these injustices over the years but it is stunning to see them collected in one volume.  This is a hard book to read as it outlines the awful suffering of humans on every page.  Humanity is still suffering from the whims of corrupt politicians and the unnecessary wars that are constantly being waged.  No president escapes criticism through the scope of the book.  One wonders what Zinn, who died in 2010, would have had to say about the dysfunctional Trump presidency.  [JAM 7/17/2021]