Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong

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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All Customer Reviews
Average Customer Review:
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

Just Say Know, 2008-11-12
Our education system continues to Dumb Down. Knowing the past is key to not repeating mistakes and growing as a society. Someone should have sent this book to Bush/Cheney. It may not have helped but could not have hurt.


0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

Read it!!!!!!, 2008-11-05
This book is so amazing and I recommend it for any person wanting to know some truths about our history. I am a Native American and to read some of Christopher Columbus' journals is appalling. There is an enormous amount of information in this book and as a teacher I think that it's an injustice to keep this to myself.


0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

Overrates the importance of textbooks, 2008-10-31
Don't waste your time on this book. It has little new information, especially for history teachers. It is pretty much a standard revisionist rehash. It vastly overrates the importance of using textbooks in the classroom. Most modern history teachers are not married to the textbook anymore. The author assumes that teachers are stuck in an outmoded method of instruction where teachers just teach out of the textbook every day. It ignores innovative teachers that use primary source readings, simulations, films, debates, projects, class discussions, etc. When was the last time the author actually stuck his head in a classroom to see what is going on today?


0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

A mixed bag, 2008-10-08
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.


0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

I have never had a book have such a profound impact on me, 2008-10-06
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.

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