An in-depth study of American social movements after the Civil War and their lessons for today by a prizewinning historianThe Civil War unleashed a torrent of claims for equality—in the chaotic years following the war, former slaves, women's rights activists, farmhands, and factory workers all engaged in the pursuit of the meaning of equality in America. This contest resulted in experiments in collective action, as millions joined leagues and unions. In Equality...

In the late nineteenth century, monumental technological innovations like the telegraph and steam power made America and the world a much smaller place. New technologies also made possible large-scale organization and centralization. Corporations grew exponentially and the rich amassed great fortunes. Those on the short end of these wrenching changes responded in the Populist revolt, one of the most effective challenges to corporate power in American history. But what did Populism represen...

**Named a Best Book of the Year by The New Yorker and EsquireThis revelatory and inclusive book “unearths the stories of the people—farm laborers, domestic workers, factory employees—behind some of the labor movement’s biggest successes” (The New York Times) from independent journalist and Teen Vogue labor columnist Kim Kelly.**Freed Black women organizing for protection in the Reconstruction-era South. Jewish immigrant garment w...

**NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “A fascinating and eye-opening look at how American schools have helped build and reinforce an infrastructure of racial inequality . . . a must-read for every American parent and educator.”—Esquire“Though the argument of this book is bleak, it illuminates a path for a more just future that is nothing short of dazzling.”—Oprah Daily“This book will transform the way you see this country.”—Michelle Alexander, author of

American history told from the bottom up by Howard Zinn himself—and the perfect all-ages introduction to his eye-opening viewpoint, published on Zinn's hundredth birthdayTruth Has a Power of Its Own is an engrossing collection of conversations with the late Howard Zinn and "an eloquently hopeful introduction for those who haven't yet encountered Zinn's work" ( Booklist). Here is an unvarnished, yet ultimately optimistic, tour of American history—told by someone wh...

**A New York Times bestseller!“Lively and absorbing. . ." — The New York Times Book Review"Engrossing." —Wall Street Journal“Entertaining and well-researched . . . ” —Houston ChronicleThree noted Texan writers combine forces to tell the real story of the Alamo, dispelling the myths, exploring why they had their day for so long, and explaining why the ugly fight about its meaning is now coming to a head.**Every nati...

The first full account of the government-sanctioned genocide of California Indians under United States rule—Winner of the 2016 Los Angeles Times Book Award for History and a New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice."Gruesomely thorough. . . . Others have described some of these campaigns, but never in such strong terms and with so much blame placed directly on the Un...

In this award-winning history, "the voices of the poor give valuable insights into the experience of poverty" ( Choice ).Winner of the American Political Science Association's Michael Harrington AwardIn this compulsively readable social history, political scientist Stephen Pimpare vividly describes poverty from the perspective of poor and welfare-reliant Americans from the big city to the rural cou...

With his trademark humor and flair, bestselling linguist John McWhorter busts the myths and shares the history of the most controversial language topic of our times: pronounsThe nature of language is to shift and evolve—but every so often, a new usage creates a whole lot of consternation. These days, pronouns are throwing curveballs, and it matters, because pronoun habits die hard. If you need a refresher from eighth-grade English: Pronouns are short, used endlessl...

A “vast, multifaceted and enchanting” (Minneapolis Star-Tribune) meditation on the color blue and its fascinating role in Black history and culture, from National Book Award winner Imani Perry, “the most important interpreter of Black life in our time” (Eddie S. Glaude, Jr.)Throughout history, the concept of Blackness has been remarkably intertwined with another color: blue. In daily life, it is evoked in countless ways. Blue skies and blue water offer hop...

PULITZER PRIZE FINALIST • “A wise, tremendously moving exploration of what it means to seek companionship and understanding, in books and in life.”—Hua Hsu, author of Stay True“Stirring and sparkling.”—The Washington PostBooks can seduce you. They can, Sarah Chihaya believes, annihilate, reveal, and provoke you. And anyone incurably obsessed with books understands this kind of unsettling literary encounter...

"A lucid, muscular, and often sly reflection" on the worth and purpose of historical scholarship by the award-winning author of The Third Reich Trilogy ( Kirkus).In this volume, the renowned historian Richard J. Evans offers a fervent and deeply insightful defense of his craft and its importance to civilization. At a time when fact and historical truth are under unprecedented assault, Evans shows us why history is necessary. Taking us into the historians' ...