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)

Helping me find some idea of truth

It is rare to see a grant study turn into such a readable book. Making clear what the problems are with treatment of native Americans, Reconstruction, the causes of the Civil War in a very readable style, the book kept me focused and interested throughout. Well worth the time. While the book is criticized as either "politically correct" history or as focusing too much on what is left out, I think the author does a good job of arguing that he is talking about the major issues of history as understood at the time, even if it is now hidden (in many cases by outdated perceptions of the early 20th century). I was less interested in his discussion of why textbooks are like this, but inspired by his call for people of all ages to simply do American history locally.

One of the Best Books I Ever Read

This book is one of the best and most influencial books I have ever read. Besides teaching you things about history it argues that history should be taught to inform and not to indoctrinate. It is the difference from learning from histories mistakes in order not to repeat them or being blind to it so we can feel self rightious and arrogant.

A MUST READ!!!

If you have ANY inkling that the story you learned in school was inaccurate, incomplete, or just "off" somehow, this writing provides a great insight and a jumping-off point to seeking TRUTH.

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