Lies My Teacher Told Me

Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong

By: James W. Loewen

Narrated by: Brian Keeler

Length: 14 hrs and 26 mins

Publisher's summary

This national best seller is an entertaining, informative, and sometimes shocking expose of the way history is taught to American students. Lies My Teacher Told Me won the American Book Award and the Oliver Cromwell Cox Award for Distinguished Anti-Racist Scholarship.

James W. Loewen, a sociology professor and distinguished critic of history education, puts 12 popular textbooks under the microscope, and what he discovers will surprise you. In his opinion, every one of these texts fails to make its subject interesting or memorable. Worse still is the proliferation of blind patriotism, mindless optimism, and misinformation filling the pages.

From the truth about Christopher Columbus to the harsh reality of the Vietnam War, Loewen picks apart the lies we've been told. This is a book that will forever change your view of the past.

©1995 James W. Loewen (P)2002 Recorded Books, LLC

Critic reviews

"Lies My Teacher Told Me goes beyond recounting fallacies of history and correcting American image: it surveys social issues misreported, ideas misrepresented, and encourages students of history to think about not only the facts, but the reporting which embellishes and colors their presentation. An invaluable guide for the reader." (Midwest Book Review)
"An extremely convincing plea for truth in education." (San Francisco Chronicle)

The one book everyone should read

A detailed read about education used to school students into being loyal to the status quo when it is exploitative racist and misogynistic through religion scholarship and bureaucracy despite evidence to the contrary of genocide to native Americans and slavery Jim Crow etc. In fact the word genocide is excluded and hero’s however tainted cannot be portrayed in a negative light Resulting in forever social issues like Kavanaugh, Afghanistan and Iraq wars.

Eye Opening

There was so many facts that I was not familiar with. I went to school in the United States and I studied history which was boring. This book was a real eye-opener and should be mandatory reading for Wolf all.The narrated to great job.

Teacher approved

I read this book in college for my Social Studies methods course. I love it. I have since gone “textbookless” in my classroom and pull articles and other resources in for my kiddos.

Best History Lesson, EVER!

I would of loved to be in his classes, the looks on the students faces learning the truth, the discussions and debates in his class must of been gripping!

enlightened

the first book on history that has sparked my interest. history has always put me to sleep before

A Great Primer

I came away with some great quotes that I will use going forward the rest of my life. Mr. Loewen has created the all time primer for anyone, whether historian, teacher or student should read before picking up another history book. I love it, recommend it and will listen to again.

Not for weak stomachs.

Finally a legit counter-argument that provokes us to enter relevant historical conversations and take further steps on facing the harsh reality of the past-- intelligently

A different side of history than what I remember.

This was a captivating read. Loewen backs up most of his perspectives and gives a refreshingly exposed version of events I had and hadnt heard of.

Where's Chapter 13?

I read the book last year and I loved it so I decided to listen to it with young students, I noticed the 13th chapter was missing. Great book non the less.

Even as a child I knew there was more to our story

Some people may not like the information detailed in this book. For me it was a long and arduous process. I would read a portion and spend hours researching what the author said.
While we currently live in a world where people feel entitled to their own set of facts there are documented truths that while unpleasant remain true.
Patriotism is not “my country right or wrong” at least for me it’s making sure the country I leave my child will be one she can be proud of and love the way I do. I feel better able to help her see that our history is complicated and sometimes ugly. But it shows us a path forward to be better and more understanding to avoid the mistakes of the past. The only thing more dangerous than not knowing history is believing a false narrative skewed to only one point of view.