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The Politically Incorrect Guide(tm) to American History (Politically Incorrect Guides)
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by Thomas E. Woods Jr.
Sales Rank: 10804
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$5.14
At Amazon
on 6-23-2008.
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Features
Cover Type: Paperback with 270 pages
Published by: Regnery Publishing, Inc. December 2004
Written in: English
ISBN 10 Number: 0895260476
ISBN 13 Number: 978-0895260475
Book Dimensions:
8.9 x 7.1 x 0.7 inches
Weighs: 1 pounds
Product Review
Claiming that most textbooks and popular history books were written by biased left-wing writers and scholars, historian Thomas Woods offers this guide as an alternative to "the stale and predictable platitudes of mainstream texts." Covering the colonial era through the Clinton administration, Woods seeks to debunk some persistent myths about American history. For instance, he writes, the Puritans were not racists intent on stealing the Indians' lands, the Founding Fathers were not revolutionaries but conservatives in the true sense of the word, the American War Between the States (to even call it a civil war is inaccurate, Woods says) was not principally about slavery, Abraham Lincoln was no friend to the slaves, and FDR's New Deal policies actually made the Depression worse. He also covers a wide range of constitutional interpretations over the years, particularly regarding the First, Second, Ninth, and Tenth amendments, and continually makes the point that states' rights have been unlawfully trampled upon by the federal government since the early days of the republic. Though its title is more deliberately provocative than accurate, Woods' attack on what he sees as rampant liberal revisionism over the past 25 years proves to be an interesting platform for a book. He's as biased as those he rails against, of course, but he does provoke thought in an entertaining way even if he sometimes tries to pass off opinion as hard facts.
This quick and enjoyable read is packed with unfamiliar quotes, informative sidebars, iconoclastic viewpoints, and a list of books "you're not supposed to read." It is not a comprehensive or detailed study, but that is not its aim; instead, it offers ideas for further research and a challenge to readers to dig deeper and analyze some basic assumptions about American history--a worthy goal that Woods manages to reach. --Shawn Carkonen
From Publishers Weekly
This book is not so much politically incorrect as it is contrarian, as well as utterly contemptuous of anything supported by Liberals or "Intellectuals." At every opportunity, Woods quotes government leaders, media sources and "distinguished" academics who have said something that he feels backs up his view. That view is, by and large, classically conservative, with a focus on states rights and small government. Any flaws in or missteps by politicians become instant basis for rejecting them wholesale (i.e., Lincolns racial views; the fact that JFKs two major books were ghostwritten), as Woods dredges up accusations both familiar and long-forgotten. The historical coverage is hardly comprehensive, since Woods focuses on telling the "truth" about issues Liberals have allegedly distorted, like the New Deal and the Civil Rights movement. Some ideas that he claims are controversial are anything but: most people know the Civil War was not fought primarily to abolish slavery, and its no secret that Stalin starved his people. Woods writes with zeal, and speckles his narrative with suggestions for further reading labeled "Books Youre Not Supposed to Read" (which are mostly Right-wing revisionist histories) and "PC Today" boxes containing a grab-bag of conservative gripes and assertions (i.e. "It is not true, as most people believe, that the Indians had no conception of land ownership and did not understand what they were doing when they sold their land to the Puritans"). Diehard Republicans may find this book an inspiring corrective to supposedly Liberal-biased history texts, but others will be put off by Woodss cherry-picking approach and supercilious tone.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Reader Reviews
Thomas Woods, Jr. (who holds a doctorate in history from Columbia University) presents a quick survey of American history from the "politically incorrect" (paleoconservative/paleolibertarian) perspective. Although not a substitute for a comprehensive U.S. history, it effectively refutes many of the more common claims by leftists, such as the Puritans were racists and the U.S. Constitution was meant to prohibit states and localities from enacting laws concerning religion. He points out that Joe McCarthy (for all his flaws) was correct that large numbers of government employees were commies. As he notes, the same libs who have a cow about Joe McCarthy can't get worked up over the New York Times columnist Walter Duranty covering up the crimes of Joe Stalin. He even rescues Operation Keelhaul (in which the U.S. sent Russians back to Stalin to be murdered or worked to death) from obscurity. THE POLITICALLY INCORRECT GUIDE has a common theme: most of the misrepresentations of our history have the result of increasing in the power of the federal government to the expense of the states. Why is it that most our "great" presidents got us into war, increased the power of their office, and expanded the scope of the federal government? Not too long ago, conservatives actually had unkind things to say about FDR and his machinations that lead us into war. Prof. Woods puts it all in perspective. The only weakness of this work is that while it is reasonably lengthy (250 pages), it isn't nearly long enough to refute all of the more common leftist mischaracterization of American history. Dr. Woods didn't have the space to refute such "urban legends" as the Iroquois Confederation inspired the U.S. Constitution, a quarter of the cowboys were black, the West was lawless, and Chief Seattle wrote the words to "Peace Train" (ok, I made the last one up).
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The Politically Incorrect Guide(tm) to American History (Politically Incorrect Guides)
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