Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong | 
 enlarge | Author: James W. Loewen
Publisher: Touchstone
Category: Book
List Price: $16.00
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Rating:  423 reviews
Sales Rank: 2987
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 464
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 9.2 x 6 x 1.2
ISBN: 0743296281
Dewey Decimal Number: 973
EAN: 9780743296281
ASIN: 0743296281
Publication Date: October 16, 2007
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Product Description
Winner of the American Book Award and the Oliver C. Cox
Anti-Racism Award of The American Sociological Association Americans have lost touch with their history, and in Lies My Teacher Told Me Professor James Loewen shows why. After surveying eighteen leading high school American history texts, he has concluded that not one does a decent job of making history interesting or memorable. Marred by an embarrassing combination of blind patriotism, mindless optimism, sheer misinformation, and outright lies, these books omit almost all the ambiguity, passion, conflict, and drama from our past. In this revised edition, packed with updated material, Loewen explores how historical myths continue to be perpetuated in today's climate and adds an eye-opening chapter on the lies surrounding 9/11 and the Iraq War. From the truth about Columbus's historic voyages to an honest evaluation of our national leaders, Loewen revives our history, restoring the vitality and relevance it truly possesses. Thought provoking, nonpartisan, and often shocking, Loewen unveils the real America in this iconoclastic classic beloved by high school teachers, history buffs, and enlightened citizens across the country.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 418 more reviews...
 A mixed bag October 8, 2008
This book certainly has some important points, and much of it is interesting and informative. The central premise that our textbooks are biased to color history is well supported. However, as one can surmise from the less glowing reviews, the author rants way too much, and much of the book is repeating the same point over and over. By the end of the book, I was quite ill from the hurling of pieties from the mountain.
 I have never had a book have such a profound impact on me October 6, 2008
This book is a must read. After finishing this book I immediately bought several copies for friends and relatives. I was outraged to find just how much I have been lied to and how these lies and omissions have changed my world view. This was an eye opener.
I can not praise this book enough.
 Wrong Book September 30, 2008
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
This book was in good condition and I received it in a timely manner. HOWEVER, the book I intended to purchase and the one I received were not one in the same. The seller listed the old version of the book - which contains less information, is a few years old, and has a different cover than the one pictured on the product page.
Personal Opinions are not Objective Truths September 26, 2008
0 out of 3 found this review helpful
This paperback book is "dedicated to all American history teachers who teach against their textbooks". That claims all the textbooks are wrong but any history teacher who goes against them is right. How can that be? Who is James W. Loewen? This book does not give his background (except on the back cover). Its 444 pages cover many topics. Loewen seems to take a contrary view to Official History by presenting another point of view. Is he motivated by contrariness? Schoolbooks are a product designed to meet the needs of their customers to educate and train the young who grow into adults. Their minds and thinking are controlled by education. The author of this book also wants to control the minds of his readers. The young and naive may be impressed with these essays. Note the irony in the title! Only the knowledgeable will recognize the errors in this book if they choose to read it.
How reliable is Loewen? On page 195 he states "thousands of white Southerners volunteered" to join Sherman but cites no references. The northern counties of Alabama were pro-Union and provided a cavalry that served as Sherman's bodyguard. Many captured prisoners switched sides ("Galvanized Yankees"). Sherman was a former banker and president of a Louisiana college who sympathized with slavery for cotton production. I don't know the percentages of Southerners who were pro-Union or Northerners who were pro-Confederacy. Loewen's nonsense about "ideological strengths" is pure bullspit given the massive manufacturing strength in the North, its railroads, shipping, and politics. Some say the North won because of its income tax and greenback to pay the costs of war. Its grain and petroleum earned more money in Europe than the limited cotton trade. Perhaps the United Daughters of the Confederacy erected a statue to the Confederate dead in Camp Randall Wisconsin because of a prisoner of war camp (p.196)? The Union recruited Confederate prisoners to serve in the Indian Wars in Minnesota and westwards ("Galvanized Yankees").
Loewen didn't do his homework in calling the XIV Amendment a "shining jewel", or demonstrates his bias and error. Other writers have commented on the word "persons" (p.197). That "similar legislation", the so-called Equal Rights Amendment is really a Gay Marriage Amendment. What is Loewen thinking? Why is there nothing in this book about Prohibition? Is America the land of opportunity and equality (p.213)? Don't the history books of other countries also have a positive outlook (p.281)? Chapter 9 discusses the reports on the Vietnam War and shows Loewen's faults: "the War of 1812 lasted only half as long as the Vietnam War" (p.295). There was no declared "Vietnam War" and no peace treaty. There is censorship in the media then and now; you have to search for the truth. Some obscure publications with more news may have slanted opinions. Comparing textbooks has little meaning for people who are not on a Board of Education or can't pick and choose among corporate offerings. [There is no mention of kickbacks to those who choose the books.] Most people get their "history" from Hollywood entertainment. [One poll years ago found people who remembered "Marshal Dillon" of Dodge City; he was a fictitious character on TV.] Why is there no book to answer those six questions (p.254)? Aren't teachers the employees of the school system (p.256)? "To raise a moral question would come across as a violation of classroom norms" (p.256)? Should children be allowed to think for themselves (p.257)? The last paragraph explains the mission of the history books (pp.257-258): they don't prevent the initiation of the next imperialist war. Your opinion may differ.
Great Book September 22, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
This is a great book, offers some different perspectives on some major American myths. Certainly an excellent companion to most major texts on American history.
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