48 Liberal Lies About American History: (That You Probably Learned in School)

by Larry Schweikart Narrated by Sean Pratt

Overview

A conservative historian defends Americaâ¿¿s past by debunking four dozen common liberal myths

In this follow-up to the best-selling A Patriotâ¿¿s History of the United States, Professor Larry Schweikart once again challenges liberal historians and their shameful attempts to distort our countryâ¿¿s legacy. This time he takes on authors of popular textbooks who, in an effort to be politically correct, tarnish Americaâ¿¿s image in the eyes of our high school and college students.

The problem isnâ¿¿t that liberal authors present their opinions or interpretations of history from an obvious left-wing bias. The problem is authors who actually distort facts and manipulate data in an effort to appear objective and unbiased while furthering their leftist objectives.

Students learn, for example, that the Founding Fathers were elitists who drafted the Constitution in order to protect their own economic interests. . . .That Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation only because he needed black soldiers. . . .That racist groups such as the KKK represented our society in the early twentieth century. . . .That the failures of capitalism caused the Great Depression. All false, as readers will discover.

Editorial Reviews

MAY 2011 - AudioFile

Schweikart takes 48 claims about American history that he ascribes to liberals and gives evidence for their fallaciousness and dishonesty, with considerable conservative anger. Narrator Sean Pratt expresses that anger with a cool and scornful asperity—but not a lot of energy. His tone gets across Schweikart’s scorn and bemusement but causes his occasional humorous asides to fall flat. Pratt’s quiet, clear, and precise voice allows the listener to easily follow the author’s points. Though he keeps up a good pace, it sometimes seems too controlled for the author’s disgust. Overall, the text calls for more pep and more alterations in tone to better fit particular passages. W.M. © AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine

Publishers Weekly

Textbooks have long served as a main battlefield in the culture wars and the latest salvo comes from Schweikart, a history professor at the University of Dayton (A Patriot's History of the United States), who examines leading American history texts and other books that he sees as purveying "a distinctly slanted view of American history-one that portrays the United States as oppressive, imperialistic, and evil." Each "lie" is deliberated in a brief essay. A chapter on the notion that FDR knew in advance that the Japanese would attack Pearl Harbor focuses largely on countering Robert Stinnett's Day of Deceit.The belief that Columbus was responsible for killing millions of Indians ("drivel") is, he says, based on faulty statistics. In examining the belief that Richard Nixon sent burglars into the Watergate office complex, the author accepts G. Gordon Liddy's account of events over John Dean's. Regarding the Rosenbergs, Schweikart cites Soviet documents proving they were indeed spies. Schweikart marshals an arsenal of statistics and scholarly studies, and while his own biases will limit his reach, he offers an object lesson in the need for scrupulous balance in the writing of history textbooks. (Sept. 4)

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MAY 2011 - AudioFile

Schweikart takes 48 claims about American history that he ascribes to liberals and gives evidence for their fallaciousness and dishonesty, with considerable conservative anger. Narrator Sean Pratt expresses that anger with a cool and scornful asperity—but not a lot of energy. His tone gets across Schweikart’s scorn and bemusement but causes his occasional humorous asides to fall flat. Pratt’s quiet, clear, and precise voice allows the listener to easily follow the author’s points. Though he keeps up a good pace, it sometimes seems too controlled for the author’s disgust. Overall, the text calls for more pep and more alterations in tone to better fit particular passages. W.M. © AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine

Product Details

BN ID:	2940172051401
Publisher:	Penguin Random House
Publication date:	08/25/2009
Edition description:	Unabridged

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