I have not yet read Dave Zirin’s biography of Howard Zinn 1922 - 2010. I knew Zinn by reputation and met him once and I’m eager to do so. Zinn’s courageous work on behalf of the civil rights movement while at Spellman and his resistance to the (very crazy) misrule by John Silber at Boston University are the stuff of legend. The People’s History of the United States is a valuable antidote to the sanitized mush we were all taught.

Adam Hochschild seems to be favorably reviewing the bio until almost the end. He characterizes the book as a one-dimensional hagiography; treating Zinn as a saint. I will read Zirin and judge for myself. NYT says you can read the review without a subscription




https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/03/books/review/the-peoples-historian-howard-zinn-dave-zirin.html?unlocked_article_code=1.21A.oXx0.9YB_DOIsK7Gf&smid=nytcore-ios-share&fbclid=IwY2xjawTfJu5leHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETEyMDJJU3hLWE9oYzJWUmNCc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHoqpahpq1PrtD9LKcicqhDS3A4-hzDnTNs1VeJ4Pw7feJ9fHRCTgR-Cj5C_D_aem_UdoY3aYaZ3yWyVreY2iKuQ