A People’s History of the United States: 1492–Present
Zinn’s landmark and most influential work, offering his characteristic history from below.
Author guide
Howard Zinn Books in Order
Howard Zinn (1922–2010) was an American historian, political thinker, playwright, memoirist, and social activist. He taught at Spelman College and Boston University, participated in civil-rights and antiwar movements, and wrote extensively on labor, race, war, democracy, law, and popular resistance. His best-known work is A People's History of the United States, alongside memoirs, essays, interviews, political histories, plays, and collaborative sourcebooks.
historypolitical writingsocial criticismmemoiressay collectionsplays
Catalog record updated .
Not sure where to begin?
Start with one of these
You Can’t Be Neutral on a Moving Train: A Personal History of Our Times
The clearest entry point to Zinn’s life, activism, teaching, and political development.
Outside the series
Bibliography by category
Novels (12)
- La Guardia in Congress
nonfiction · 1959
- SNCC: The New Abolitionists
nonfiction · 1964
- The Southern Mystique
nonfiction · 1964
Howard Zinn examines the politics of the South and his own experiences there. The South has long been surrounded in mystique. In this powerful volume, drawing on Zinn's own experiences teaching in the South and working within the Southern…
- Vietnam: The Logic of Withdrawal
nonfiction · 1967
Zinn's compelling case against the Vietnam War, now with a new introduction. Of the many books that challenged the Vietnam War, Howard Zinn's stands out as one of the best--and most influential. It helped sparked national debate on the…
- Disobedience and Democracy: Nine Fallacies on Law and Order
nonfiction · 1968
Zinn's cogent defense of civil disobedience, with a new introduction by the author.
- The Politics of History
nonfiction · 1970
This book presents a series of case studies and thought-provoking essays arguing for a radical approach to history and providing a revisionist interpretation of the historian's role. In a new introduction, the author responds to critics…
- Postwar America: 1945–1971
nonfiction · 1973
Howard Zinn's unique take on this vital period in U.S. history, with a new introduction. The postwar boom in the U.S. brought about massive changes in U.S. society and culture. In this accessible volume, historian Howard Zinn offers a…
- A People’s History of the United States: 1492–Present
nonfiction · 1980
Known for its lively, clear prose as well as its scholarly research, *A People's History of the United States* is the only volume to tell America's story from the point of view of -- and in the words of -- America's women, factory…
- Declarations of Independence: Cross-Examining American Ideology
nonfiction · 1990
- Just War
nonfiction · 2006
- The Bomb
nonfiction · 2010
As a World War II combat soldier, Howard Zinn took part in the aerial bombing of Royan, France. Two decades later, he was invited to visit Hiroshima and meet survivors of the atomic attack. In this short and powerful book, Zinn offers his…
Nonfiction (1)
Essays and speeches (10)
- Failure to Quit: Reflections of an Optimistic Historian
essay-collection · 1993
A selection of Howard Zinn's most popular and accessible essays on history and politics. In this lively collection of essays, now with a new afterword, Zinn discusses a wide range of historical and political topics, from the role of the…
- Artists in Times of War and Other Essays
essay-collection · 2003
- Passionate Declarations: Essays on War and Justice
essay-collection · 2003
- Howard Zinn on Democratic Education
essay-collection · 2004
- A Power Governments Cannot Suppress
essay-collection · 2007
- The Unraveling of the Bush Presidency
essay-collection · 2007
Here, in the magisterial yet plain-spoken style of A People's History of the United States, is historian Howard Zinn's long-awaited telling of these last six years of United States history, a time when catastrophic machinations of war…
- The State of the Union: Notes on an Obama Administration
essay-collection · 2009
- The Historic Unfulfilled Promise
essay-collection · 2012
- Howard Zinn Speaks: Collected Speeches 1963–2009
speech-collection · 2012
A wide-ranging collection of speeches—many published here for the first time—by the historian and author of A People’s History of the United States. Howard Zinn has illuminated our history like no other US historian. This collection of…
Plays (3)
- Playbook
dramatic-collection · 1986
- Marx in Soho: A Play on History
play · 1999
- Emma
play · 2002
"Historian and playwright Howard Zinn dramatizes the life of Emma Goldman, the anarchist, feminist, and free-spirited thinker who was exiled from the United States because of her outspoken views, including her opposition to World War…
Other (7)
- The Future of History
interview-collection · 1999
- Howard Zinn on History
interview-collection · 2001
- Howard Zinn on War
interview-collection · 2001
Howard Zinn began work on his first book for his friends at Seven Stories Press in 1996, a big volume collecting all his shorter writings organized by subject. The themes he chose reflected his lifelong concerns: war, history, law, class,…
- Terrorism and War
interview-collection · 2002
Truth—as Zinn shows us in the interviews that make up Terrorism and War—has indeed been the first casualty of war, starting from the beginnings of American empire in the Spanish-American War. But war has many other casualties, he argues,…
- The People Speak: American Voices, Some Famous, Some Little Known
sourcebook · 2004
- Voices of a People’s History of the United States
sourcebook · 2004
Here in their own words are Frederick Douglass, George Jackson, Chief Joseph, Martin Luther King Jr., Plough Jogger, Sacco and Vanzetti, Patti Smith, Bruce Springsteen, Mark Twain, and Malcolm X, to name just a few of the hundreds of…
- Original Zinn: Conversations on History and Politics
interview-collection · 2006
Historian, activist, and bestselling author Howard Zinn has been interviewed by David Barsamian for public radio numerous times over the past decade. Original Zinn is a collection of their conversations, showcasing the acclaimed author of…
Frequently asked questions about Howard Zinn
Who was Howard Zinn?
Howard Zinn (1922–2010) was an American historian, professor, playwright, author, and activist. He became widely known for presenting U.S. history from the perspective of ordinary people and social movements.
What was Howard Zinn’s early life and education like?
Zinn grew up in Brooklyn in a working-class Jewish immigrant family. He earned a bachelor’s degree from New York University and a Ph.D. in history from Columbia University.
Sources: howardzinn.org (opens in a new tab)bu.edu (opens in a new tab)
Where did Howard Zinn teach and what did he do in his career?
He taught at Spelman College from 1956 to 1963, where he became involved in the Civil Rights Movement, and later taught political science at Boston University until his retirement in 1988. He also worked as a public intellectual, writer, and activist.
Sources: howardzinn.org (opens in a new tab)bu.edu (opens in a new tab)
What influenced Howard Zinn’s approach to history?
His working-class upbringing, experience as a shipyard worker, World War II bombing missions, and participation in the Civil Rights Movement shaped his opposition to war and his focus on marginalized people and popular resistance.
What awards did Howard Zinn receive, and what is his legacy?
Zinn received honors including the Thomas Merton Award, Eugene V. Debs Award, Lannan Literary Award for Nonfiction, and Ridenhour Courage Prize. His approach continues to influence classrooms through the Zinn Education Project, which promotes teaching people’s history.
Sources: howardzinn.org (opens in a new tab)lannan.org (opens in a new tab)zinnedproject.org (opens in a new tab)