Book Review: Truth Has a Power of its Own: Conversations About a People’s History by Howard Zinn and Ray Suarez

0
2797
The New Press

Truth Has A Power of Its Own: Conversations about a People’s History by Howard Zinn and Ray Suarez September 3, 2019,  $24.99

Editor’s Note: Read the radical conversation between Howard Zinn and PBS/NPR journalist Ray Suarez that lasted for six hours, over a two-day period.  Howard Zinn began his activist life while forming his political views as an apprentice shipfitter where he helped to form the Apprentice Association which sought to get around the practice that apprentices were excluded from trade unions and lacked bargaining power.  

Zinn joined the U.S. Army Air Force during WWII and was assigned as a bombardier in the 490th Bombardment Group. He experiences led him to develop an anti-war stance.  Zinn was responsible for allowing us to think differently about war, human rights, equality, and the world in general. His writings would allow people to realize that although power seems to be in the hands of those with guns and money, power really belongs to the people themselves. Sometimes people use this power and America becomes a better place to live.

Anti-war movements, women’s rights movement, people who are being oppressed, many have been able to overthrow political tyrannies. Bottom line, Zinn gave us permission to not believe the force-fed history that we receive in schools, and to open our eyes to truth and to experience the power that comes from seeing and knowing. History should not be rewritten and Zinn clearly understood this. Give us the facts, ugly or not, and then we can decide how we will move forward.



We can thank Howard Zinn for clarity in viewing the American Revolution, Civil War, labor battles of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, U.S. Imperialism from the Indian Wars to the wars on terrorism, fight for equality and immigrants’ rights. He presents all information from a radical standpoint that we can embrace….Carol

 

About the Authors: Howard Zinn (1922-2010) was a historian, playwright, and activist and the author of the bestselling A People’s History of the United States as well as Truth Has a Power if its Own: Conversations About A People’s History (The New Press). He received the Lannan Literary Award for nonfiction and the Eugene V. Debs Award for his writing and political activism.

 

Ray Suarez is co-host of the public radio program and podcast World Affairs. He was chief national correspondent for PBS NewsHour and the host of Talk of the Nation on NPR. He is the author of several books, including Latino Americans, as well as Truth Has a Power of Its Own: Conversations About A People’s History (The New Press). He lives in Philadelphia and Washington.

ATTENTION READERS

We See The World From All Sides and Want YOU To Be Fully Informed
In fact, intentional disinformation is a disgraceful scourge in media today. So to assuage any possible errant incorrect information posted herein, we strongly encourage you to seek corroboration from other non-VT sources before forming an educated opinion.

About VT - Policies & Disclosures - Comment Policy
Due to the nature of uncensored content posted by VT's fully independent international writers, VT cannot guarantee absolute validity. All content is owned by the author exclusively. Expressed opinions are NOT necessarily the views of VT, other authors, affiliates, advertisers, sponsors, partners, or technicians. Some content may be satirical in nature. All images are the full responsibility of the article author and NOT VT.