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A review by gustafwind
Lies Across America: What American Historic Sites Get Wrong by James W. Loewen
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
3.5
In college, I read Lies My Teacher Told Me during my teacher training on social studies education. It made an impact on me and I'd been meaning to get around to this book for nearly a decade.
However, time may have been on my side because the updated 2019 edition provides new context and updates post-Charlottesville. Loewen wrote this not long before his death and before another racial reckoning in June 2020. It's fascinating to read this just three years later when many of the statues mentioned have come down even in the short amount of time since its release. There's still a long way to go but in the days of "Critical Race Theory" and they heyday of podcasts like "You're Wrong About," this book feels more relevant than ever.
Overall, a good meaty read that sometimes became a bit redundant - while I understand the reasoning why, the portion on the South and the chapters on the Civil War became quite repetitive and I would have liked to have see more variety in the topics covered. Would still recommend for anyone who has an interest in public history.
However, time may have been on my side because the updated 2019 edition provides new context and updates post-Charlottesville. Loewen wrote this not long before his death and before another racial reckoning in June 2020. It's fascinating to read this just three years later when many of the statues mentioned have come down even in the short amount of time since its release. There's still a long way to go but in the days of "Critical Race Theory" and they heyday of podcasts like "You're Wrong About," this book feels more relevant than ever.
Overall, a good meaty read that sometimes became a bit redundant - while I understand the reasoning why, the portion on the South and the chapters on the Civil War became quite repetitive and I would have liked to have see more variety in the topics covered. Would still recommend for anyone who has an interest in public history.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual violence, Xenophobia, and War