In the late 1970s, a little-known left-wing professor and activist decided to embark on a three-year-long project to balance the alleged patriotic bias in American historical writing.
His name was Howard Zinn, and his project became the book A People's History of the United States, a desecration of American memory that is the single most destructive act in the annals of American historiography.
Not much was expected of the fiftysomething historian, whose prior books were out of print and whose work had largely consisted of attending protests. His agent sought a $20,000 advance, but Harper & Row coughed up only $10,000. The publisher initially printed just 5,000 copies. At first sales didn't amount to much, although the book got a nomination for an American Book Award.
It gained renown from pop culture, and positive references in the movie Good Will Hunting and the HBO show The Sopranos. Its sales increased year over year, until it had sold more than 2 million copies and been translated into at least 20 languages.
Read Full Article »