Review of "A People’s History of American Empire," by Howard Zinn

 Review of

A People’s History of American Empire, by Howard Zinn, ISBN 9780805087444

Five out of five stars

The real history of American expansion

 While most programs in history education cover the basics of slavery and the destruction of the Native Americans and their culture as the European descendants moved westward, other aspects of American imperialism are rarely covered. They are explained in significant detail in this book.

 While the American victory over the Spanish Asian fleet in Manila harbor, American ground action in Cuba and the acts of Congress that openly stated that the U. S. wanted no additional territories are commonly covered, the later reality is not. There were forces operating in the Philippines in opposition to the Spanish rule and after the American victory, they wanted their independence.

 What is rarely covered in the history textbooks and courses is the brutal manner in which the American forces suppressed the opposition to American control and how American moved to control Cuba  The “battle” of Bud Dajo, where 900 members of the Moros tribe were all shot down and killed is rarely mentioned. Fortunately, it is given significant coverage here. Including a page of “commentary” by Mark Twain. What is especially interesting is the mention of American troops waterboarding Filipino captives in order to gather information.

 The dark history of United States involvement in Latin America is also covered, how U. S. Marines invaded and occupied many countries, some several times in the first half of the twentieth century. Those invasions were justified by citing American financial interests being at risk.

 This particular history is expressed in graphic novel form. The combination of images with dialog and explanatory captions is an excellent way to teach history in a manner that is fun to read and easy to grasp. While there is no in-depth analysis of the reasoning behind American action, there is no better initial exposure to the dark side of American foreign involvement than this book.

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