Howard Zinn’s A People’s History of the United States is the nation’s best-known work of American history.1 It is also the nation’s best-selling survey of American history, having sold two million copies since its publication in 1980 and still selling about 125,000 paperback copies yearly. The fifth and current edition covers America up to the World Trade Center attacks and war on terrorism after 2001.
Many college historians dismiss or ignore A People’s History, unaware of its enduring popularity and influence. They should not. Zinn’s readers are legion, and they can be found not only on campus but also in media, entertainment, and government. We Are the 99 Percent!—the concept that fired the 2011 Occupy Wall Street demonstrations and reached the White House—comes directly from Zinn’s book and speeches. Domestic jihadist Tarek Mehanna,
Get access to this article, plus the entire archive, by subscribing.