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| Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong | 
| Author: James W. Loewen
Publisher: Touchstone
Category: Book
List Price: $16.00
Buy New: $9.82
You Save: $6.18 (39%)
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Avg. Customer Rating:  417 reviews
Sales Rank: 730
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 464
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.1
Dimensions (in): 9 x 6.1 x 1.3
ISBN: 0743296281
Dewey Decimal Number: 973
EAN: 9780743296281
ASIN: 0743296281
Publication Date: October 16, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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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 412 more reviews...
 An indespensible reference to real American History August 29, 2008
When I was in school, history was one of the most boring topics on the menu. The books were dry as dust and the "learning process" was little more than rote memorization. As a senior, I finally encountered one good teacher who went off the curriculum. That changed my life, and I took a degree (as well as additional graduate work) in history.
When I saw this book, I was stunned. I couldn't believe I'd missed the first edition and eagerly picked up the second. It's excellent. It doesn't follow the public-school model of discussing only positive aspects of American History, while discounting anything negative that might upset parents or kids. It shows where we've been -- warts and all.
This is the way history should be taught in schools. As it is, we're lying to the kids to "protect" them from inconvenient facts. This does no one any good. To this day, I encounter people who (for example) firmly believe Colonial America was an egalitarian, religious paradise when this is obviously not the case. I always wondered why they were unable to let go of these beliefs in the face of other evidence. Then I read this book and understood. All they knew was what they learned from the really horrible texts used in public schools.
And this is not a "liberal rewriting" of history, as some others have claimed. The author provides exhaustive footnotes and other references from primary materials to support his points. The difference between this and public school texts is that the latter are forced to tread a narrow political line, and consequently discard any distressing or negative data in favor of dumbed-down pablum that's acceptable to school boards.
Throw away your textbooks except as studies in deception and childish delusion. This is real history. Read it, learn, and understand.
Fantastic August 16, 2008
I purchased this book years ago and I still have it. I purchased it after high school (catchy title - what can I say) and have been a history fan ever since. This book should be required reading. Who decided that dry facts and dates are what should comprise a history class? History becomes fun and fascinating when you move past the whitewashed versions of people and truly examine their motivation, inner demons and flaws. I have gone on to read a multitude of history books and continue to search for the soul in people who have accomplished things that aren't regulated to footnotes.
Great read for anyone who hasn't thought about history since high school August 13, 2008
If you've never had in interest in history and remember cringing at the site of your 1000-page textbook and droll high school American History teacher, this book will engage and enthrall you.
Even people with a profound interest in history and some historians will learn a thing or two from this eye-opening Loewen account of how and why history textbooks failed us as children and continue to fail children K-12 today.
Excellent listen and eye-opening information July 29, 2008
This is an excellent book. I listened to most of it during a long drive. It kept my attention without overwheleming me so I could drive safely. The information presented is informative and will change your perspective on a number of issuse in American history.
 One Third History -- Two Thirds Oratory July 23, 2008
1 out of 3 found this review helpful
I was extremely disappointed in this book. I don't argue with the majority of what the author has to say, or most of his information, but it seems as if every other paragraph he's telling you why misinformation is a bad thing, how you've been duped, his opinion on why you've been duped, and what you should be doing about it. Not a bad idea in small doses, however, the non-stop rhetoric distracts from the information he's providing. I found the book tiring after a mere 50 pages.
If you've read nothing but history textbooks from high school, a lot of the information contained within these pages might surprise you, as well as keep you interested. If you're a history buff there's not a lot new here.
I don't dispute the author's basic message, only his seeming determination to repeat it ad nauseam. Do yourself a favor and read the intro, absorb the premise, look for your own primary sources (Compare, compare, compare!) and easier-to-digest secondary sources, then as the author seems to recommend--think it through for yourself.
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