《美国人民史》——一部美国史的佳作

“A People's History of the United States”——A Book Which Rectifies the American History

绝大多数美国历史著作通常都是站在美国政府 ,征服者 ,外交家及领导人的立场来讲述美国过去的。然而 ,津恩教授却一反常规 ,从那些长期在政治上和经济上受剥削 ,其困境总是被历史遗亡的人们的视角出发 ,写出了一部光辉和令人感动的美国人民史。从未见过任何一本历史书像此书一样 ,引证是如此恰当和有效地被使用 ,发生在黑人 ,女人 ,印第安人及穷苦劳工身上的故事和经历都是用他们自己的话来说的。本书与那些传统历史书藉的关系犹如照相底片与相片的关系 。

In most of the books concerning American history, the past is always introduced from the point of view of governments, conquerors, diplomats and leaders. Professor Zinn, acting out of convention, has written a brilliant and moving history of the American people from the point of view of those who have been exploited politically and economically and whose plight has been largely omitted from histories. Seldom have quotations been so effecfively ued; the stories of blacks, women, Indians, and poor labourers of all nationalities were told in their own words. The book bears the same relations to the traditional texts as a photographic negative does to a print: the areas of darkness and light have been reversed.