The People Speak: American Voices, Some Famous, Some Little Known

by Howard Zinn

Collected here is a brief history of America told through stories applauding the enduring spirit of dissent. To celebrate the millionth copy sold of his book  A   People's History of the United States , Howard Zinn drew on the words of Americans—some famous, some little known—across the range of American history. These words were read by a remarkable cast at an event held at the 92nd Street Y in New York City that included James Earl Jones, Alice Walker, Kurt Vonnegut, Alfre Woodard, Marisa Tomei, Danny Glover, Harris Yulin, Andre Gregory, and others. From that celebration, this book was born. Here in their own words, and interwoven with commentary by Zinn, are Columbus on the Arawaks; Plough Jogger, a farmer and participant in Shays' Rebellion; Harriet Hanson, a Lowell mill worker; Frederick Douglass; Mark Twain; Mother Jones; Emma Goldman; Helen Keller; Eugene V. Debs; Langston Hughes; Genova Johnson Dollinger on a sit-down strike at General Motors in Flint, Michigan; an interrogation from a 1953 HUAC hearing; Fannie Lou Hamer, a sharecropper and member of the Freedom Democratic Party; Malcolm X; and James Lawrence Harrington, a Gulf War resister, among others.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Politics, Memoir, Audiobook, Adult, American

96 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Howard Zinn was an American historian, playwright, philosopher, socialist intellectual and World War II veteran. He was chair of the history and social sciences department at Spelman College, and a political science professor at Boston University. Zinn wrote more than 20 books, including his best-selling and influential A People's History of the United States in 1980. In 2007, he published a version of it for younger readers, A Young People's History of the United States.

Zinn described himself as "something of an anarchist, something of a socialist. Maybe a democratic socialist." He wrote extensively about the civil rights movement, the anti-war movement and labor history of the United States. His memoir, You Can't Be Neutral on a Moving Train (Beacon Press, 1994), was also the title of a 2004 documentary about Zinn's life and work. Zinn died of a heart attack in 2010, at the age of 87.

Reviews

[Ericka Clou · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's been a number of years since I read Zinn's A People's History, so I don't recall most of these speeches. However, even if I had recalled these speeches, I am certain that they carry more weight with me during the current administration, than they would have carried previously. I particularly enjoyed the McCarthy trial transcript. It's a very short book with 86 pages, and the audiobook is less than two hours long, so I highly recommend reading or listening to it.

[Jaime · Rating 4 out of 5]

More context on who the people were, and in some cases why they were persecuted, would have made this book perfect - for example, knowing that the anarchist leader sentenced to die was an Italian immigrant in a time of rife anti-Italianism would round out the picture of his conviction a little more.

[Jeffrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you've read "People's History," don't bother spending money on this. It's just excerpts from the book. If you haven't read it, it can be a good starting point as it gives an overview of Zinn's work in a brief format. Enjoy!

[Jenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

The audiobook is a collection well performed walking through history and social movements. Carefully selected speeches from Helen Keller at Carnegie Hall and others shared history not well known. From wartime talks to protest speeches and so much more packed into two hours of reflection, including Langston Hughes poetry and Eugene Debb’s courthouse speech.

[Kent Winward · Rating 4 out of 5]

This dramatization of parts of Zinn's masterwork, A People's History of the United States, is a perfect introduction to the alternate historical views of voices that are noticeably silent in many history text books.

I've had the privilege of participating in a dramatic reading of "The People Speak" previously, and this is meant to be heard. If you want to hear it read, Audible has a great version with the likes of James Earl Jones, Kurt Vonnegut, and Zinn himself performing this work.

[Meghan Walsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Howard Zinn's A People's History of the United States is one of the defining texts of my early education, and it felt important to revisit that same work today. I find great hope and grace in remembering the many people who have worked, moved, and advocated for a better world - for freedom, justice, and equality in the US and abroad. I read this on my lunch break (short & sweet!) and recommend to anyone looking to find community within a book. These speeches are powerful, they pack a punch, and they have the ability to synthesize complicated historical moments with minimal language. We are not alone in the fight for a progressive world, and Zinn's ability to draw readers in with such short prose, yet complex ideas, is unparalleled. We miss you, Howard.

[Steph · Rating 5 out of 5]

How can a book that is less than 100 pages give a better overview of US history than a traditional 1000 page US history textbook? As I listened to the speeches, I asked myself "what if we started each morning playing speeches such as these, much like we devote each morning to the Pledge of Allegiance. I want to read and listen to this book over and over again to better know the lesser known, but vital influential figures in American history, and to imbed their words in my mind and heart. It often feels sadly that Zinn was so ahead of his time, and I'm so happy that it feels as if the mainstream is finally catching up with him.

[Emily St. Amant · Rating 5 out of 5]

This little book packs a PUNCH. This is a really well done performance of people’s actual letters and statements speaking truth to power. It’s so powerful to hear what people were actually thinking during major events, which is often counter to how the narrative was spun. Highly recommend.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an excellent audible book read by a cast of talented actors. It was very inspiring to hear the stories and speeches of the American people through history.

[Loren Shultz · Rating 3 out of 5]

No problem. Just not that excited about it

[Ethan Gabbard · Rating 5 out of 5]

A moving reminder of the need to speak truth to power.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great intro or revisit to Zinn’s “People’s History.”

[Fish S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing and engaging excerpts of often overlooked or barely discussed US History. It's powerful hearing voices from history in their own words, brought to life but people today.

[Bruce · Rating 5 out of 5]

inspirational!

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A reminder than many people we have sanitized today fought hard & spoke loudly for equity.

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars. Excellent!

[Bandile Zwane · Rating 5 out of 5]

just amazing. absolutely amazing. greatly inspiring.

[Alex Nathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great collection of speeches, letters, and essays.

[Clyde Burch]

Was reviewed at Audible.

[Lynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nothing has changed in the USA...nothing.

[Michael Mulvihil · Rating 5 out of 5]

The view from those trampeled by history, or forgotten by history, or whose truth we wish to ignore. From a Spanish priest witnessing his countrymen "as ravening beasts" literaly consuming the native population of the island of Hispaniolo from his estimated population of three million to perhaps two hundred natives in forty years; to the actor Lionel Stander confronting the HUAC in 1953, informing on the commission itself as the true threat to the US Constitution, to Mark Twain on our first imperial war to conquer the Phillipines at the cost of 200,000 Phillipine lives over eight years, to a simple female textile mill worker, Harriet Hanson, involved in one of the first strikes in 1836, to the widow left with two children following the dath of her 28 year old husband in 9/11 attack on the Pentagon.

Howard Zinn is very much a voice of the far left of the American intelligentsia, but I am shocked that this book does not appear in the search function of this organization, nor in Amazon. Does someone wish to continue to ignore, shun or hide these stories?

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one is short -- only 82 pages -- but it packs a punch. Zinn takes quotes from speeches, poems and court documents from people throughout different times in American history. Starting with Columbus' interaction with the Arawak tribe(how handsome and well-built they are; what great slaves they'd make), all the way through letters by families of September 11th victims. Each person's voice is given just a few pages, so you can whip through this book very quickly. Their voices are so profound, however, that you'll want to put the book down and think about it a bit before moving on to the next. Well-known people like Mother Jones and Langston Hughes have a voice in the book, but Zinn gives equal credence to everyday people. Lots of focus on unions and the labor movement. Great resource for a high school class. You can see how much has changed and yet, how little has changed.

[10thumbs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Howard Zinn is an American treasure.

This is printed volume of works that were read dramatically by folks like James Earl Jones (Darth Vader!!!), Alice Walker, Kurt Vonnegut and Marisa Tomei at an event commemorating the sale of the 1 millionth copy of A People's History of the United States: 1492 to Present. While there's good stuff here but most of it looses it's punch without the benefit of context.

[Esme · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not gonna lie, I didn't read the whole thing. The library wanted it back before I finished it. Also, I'm more of a bus than a bed time reader so the size of this book made it hard to take around with me.
Anyway, I picked the speeches that interested me most and did some random book opening. I'm going to put this on my wish list and one day put it on my shelf so I can go back to it as needed. Howard Zinn is the man.

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

We used this book for five Sunday services at Church of the Restoration, Unitarian Universalist, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Parts were parceled out to readers. I read the part of the narrator. Some of the characters who spoke were Martin Luther King, Jr., Mark Twain, Emma Goldman, Frederick Douglass, Langston Hughes, and Malcolm X.

This piece is a great collection of progressive voices from America's past.

[Sivananthi T · Rating 5 out of 5]

A shortened version of a People's History, but moving and gets to the point. The politics of history, what stories are told, what stories are left out tells not only of our societal values, but also of the unseen hands of power. If we were to look at history from a completely different perspective, the role of peoples' movements in shaping change is critical, though remembered differently. And some aspects never change at all.

[Sasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Neat little collection of quotes and speeches. There was hardly, if any, transition between historical snapshots, and that was a bit distracting. But given its intended purpose, I can understand why it was written that way. Overall, it was informational and inspirational; really just a tiny taste to incite a greater hunger for knowledge.

[مؤرخ]

الكتاب عبارة عن استعراض لبعض حوادث التاريخ الأمريكي من خلال أصوات المواطنين. يختار مثلا رسالة أو خطبة تذكر أو تمثل حدثا تاريخيا معينا لتراه بتلك العين. وبينما نجح الكتاب في الخروج من نمطية التاريخ السياسي، والاعتماد على مصادر مسيسة، إلا أنه في النهاية لم يكن حياديا، فهو أيضا اعتمد على مصدر واحد لكل حادثة، بنظرة واحدة.

[Roxy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short but powerful bits that illustrate small examples of what the books don't tell you. I plan on giving my copy to my younger sister. I wish I had read this in 9th grade. It's interesting however, just how much the navy corpsman borrowed from MLK's speech against Vietnam and how history repeats itself.

[Hans · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book like this speaks so boldly for itself that it in no need of further embellishments from my meager abilities. If anything my words would do no justice to voices that need to be heard and refuse to be silenced.