tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14383626.post5061690823218349280..comments2024-01-14T23:07:20.775-06:00Comments on dcat: Howard Zinn, Not a Good Historian, RIPdcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09921385244556780254noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14383626.post-24127271461952174912010-02-05T13:07:56.606-06:002010-02-05T13:07:56.606-06:00Thanks Tramaine!
dcatThanks Tramaine!<br /><br />dcatdcathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09921385244556780254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14383626.post-33127524968975634982010-02-05T08:00:06.139-06:002010-02-05T08:00:06.139-06:00Love it dcat!
tramaineLove it dcat!<br /><br />tramaineAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14383626.post-14431951339744877982010-02-04T15:26:47.404-06:002010-02-04T15:26:47.404-06:00Jim --
I think you hit it just about right. My bi...Jim --<br /> I think you hit it just about right. My biggest problem is all of the good work that goes unnoticed. But also I take issue with the implication that Zinn somehow discovered a lot of these trends in realizing, hey, the US is not merely a virtuous city on a hill. <br /> My politics veer reasonably close to Zinn's, though not as far left, but as a historian I just have a hard time seeing him lauded as he has been. And the idea that Zinn has somehow been ignored, a favorite argument by his boosters, is simply laughable.<br /><br />dcatdcathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09921385244556780254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14383626.post-79780664783035934692010-02-04T13:31:50.981-06:002010-02-04T13:31:50.981-06:00A couple of my friends (English professors) are in...A couple of my friends (English professors) are invited to a party at the Nelson Algren foundation and told me that this year it will be held in honor of Zinn. He probably should have titled his book A Polemical Account. . .", and to his credit, he never hid his political agenda. One wonders why it is was so popular; I think it surprised many people that is was, although it easily fits into the conspiratoral mode that has gripped so many readers (in this case one for liberals). And it made many feel good. Maybe its simple message, "rich, powerful, greedy men BAD. . .all the downtrodden GOOD," touched a chord. Unfortunatley so much of popular history, no matter the political agenda, is bad history, while the well-done scholarly stuff goes unread.Jimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00804925336786082096noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14383626.post-78749580557067020382010-02-02T19:45:55.159-06:002010-02-02T19:45:55.159-06:00Jim --
But of course the problem is that it is re...Jim --<br /> But of course the problem is that it is really not a textbook. It is an attempt at grand synthesis along the lines of what the Oxford History of the US does, but covering a much broader swath of time. <br /> You are probably right about how it inspired others. The problem is that I think it inspired too many people to do the wrong sorts of things. There is no smugness quite like the "I read Howard Zinn and now I am going to tell you about it smugness." I have had more than one person who knew I was a professional historian try to lecture me on Zinn. It's not something I'd encourage anyone to do if you ever feel so inclined.<br /><br />dcatdcathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09921385244556780254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14383626.post-8134759390175142262010-02-02T00:01:49.012-06:002010-02-02T00:01:49.012-06:00Although I would not expect many historians to cit...Although I would not expect many historians to cite People's History, largely because it is essentially a textbook. And it was popular, I think, because it resonated with the generation that picked it up and read it. Its real value may have been that it inspired some to go to the other sources and research in new paths.Jimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00804925336786082096noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14383626.post-57436056171617015832010-02-01T13:46:27.726-06:002010-02-01T13:46:27.726-06:00Oh -- but thanks for the link. It's a good one...Oh -- but thanks for the link. It's a good one and people should definitely check it out.<br /><br />dcatdcathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09921385244556780254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14383626.post-52821848442716662010-02-01T13:45:33.089-06:002010-02-01T13:45:33.089-06:00Lots of admiration for Zinn the man. Not as much f...Lots of admiration for Zinn the man. Not as much for Zinn the historian. And the proof is in the pudding -- go see how many citations Zinn gets in the work of some of these masters. Kennedy is saying good things about the recently deceased. In his book on the Depression and New deal -- the best of its kind, hands down, Zinn does not exactly merit many footnotes. <br /><br />dcatdcathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09921385244556780254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14383626.post-78728330437185415802010-02-01T08:37:27.612-06:002010-02-01T08:37:27.612-06:00FYI:
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-mil...FYI:<br />http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-miller1-2010feb01,0,834709.storyEl Aguilahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06818701314652670844noreply@blogger.com