A Renegade History Of The United States (2010) - Plot & Excerpts
Fascinating and provocative. The perfect companion to Zinn's history of the US. Many who think they know American history would learn a thing or two from this retelling of American history from the renegade point of view. Russell says it's only thanks to the renegades that America is what it is today. Our founding fathers made our democracy into a temple worshipping work. Slaves didn't buy into it once emancipated nor before their emancipation. Jazz music helped give white people rhythm. Elvis Presley and rock and roll probably made East Germany build the Wall. These are a few of the provocative ideas expounded by Russell. My only criticism would be that he over emphasizes some points in the early chapters of the book. He goes into the pariahs of America, the immigrants and profiles Irish, Italians, and Jews. He further talks about women and prostitution as well as Prohibition and our debt to gangsters for keeping the alcohol flowing. Here are some of the titles of the chapters: The Freedom of Slavery, The Slavery of Freedom, A Rhythmless Nation, The Jew was a Negro, Whores and the Origins of Women's Liberation, Shopping: The Real American Revolution, and How Gangsters Made America a Better Place. If nothing else, this book makes you think about the role the fringes of society have played in bringing about social change. While I am not an advocate of deviant behavior, it is important to recognize that good, hard-working, church-going, civilly disobedient folks aren't the only ones who built America. If we do enough family research, we will find less-respectable people among our progenitors. According to Russell, many overworked whites idealized the lives of slaves, America's rebellious youth culture may have influenced the collapse of communism more than the CIA or arms race, Jews dominated American sports in the earlier half of the 20th Century before they sought out more "respectable" professions, and the Mafia had a role in promoting gay liberation. In any case, it's entertaining.
What do You think about A Renegade History Of The United States (2010)?
VERY contrarian. Really enjoyed this, but don't accept this as full history.
—dancingdaizha
Finally uploaded this to my kindle & starting it tonight!
—jenni04
hardback; stamps and stickers; clean text, solid binding
—Isabella
SIX WORD REVIEW: Fascism and the New Deal related?
—yawshanoya
