Book: Howard Zinn by Martin Duberman

A Life on the Left

A biography of Howard Zinn. The last sentence in this book pretty much says it all about HZ: "Howard always stayed in character--and that character remained centered on a capacious solidarity with the least fortunate."

He died in January of 2010, while visiting in California. He was to give a few lectures and visit two of his grandchildren, still vital and engaged at age 86, but had a heart attack while swimming in a motel pool, quickly and without suffering. A good death....

He was a man of courage and principle who never stopped fighting for what he perceived as gross social and economic injustices. He also persisted in a life-long vilification of the militaristic posture of the US. His activism continued throughout his life, as he publicly protested segregation, unfair labor practices and the war in Vietnam. He was also a college professor, an author and playwright, teaching at Spelman and then Boston University where he was always at odds with John Silber, the president of BU. They became "instant antagonists" but were both "articulate, intelligent and energetic." Their clashes and philosophical differences are detailed and illustrative of how stalwart Zinn was while holding firm in his beliefs, not giving up, not backing down.  

His best-known book is The People's History of the United States. Howard wanted to tell the stories of the common people, those stories not always "noble, but real.... the Cherokees, black soldiers in the nation's wars, sharecroppers, Chinese laborers, landless farmers, and the radical Wobblies [IWW organizers]". The People's History had (and continues to have) mixed reviews, the biggest criticism being he that Howard was simplistic, with a black and white approach to classes of people, governments, politicians, ideas. When he was interested, he was passionate and deeply committed, but he also ignored major social issues like feminism and gay rights. Still, he had a lot on mind throughout his long life. He was very active in the Civil Right's movement, and he never wavered in his positions against war and the United States' involvement in third world countries WHEN the well-being (materialistic / access to resources) of the US was threatened.

The People's History sold over a million copies and eventually premiered (as The People Speak) at Jazz at Lincoln Center on 11/19/2009, and then on the History Channel on 12/13/2009 "with 9 million people watching." Morgan Freeman, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan Marisa Tomei, Viggo Mortensen, Matt Damon....among other actors were committed to and participated in this project. How gratifying it must have felt to Howard to see this. He died only a few weeks later.

He was married to Roz, a life-long love and a remarkable woman in her own right, and they raised two children. But Howard did not want his private life made public, and in his 80s took pains to remove from his archives anything that pertained to personal matters. The author did glean some tidbits from friends and others who knew him, but most of the book is about Howard's tireless efforts to help the disenfranchised, to further causes of justice for all.