January 1, 2015
Gr 9 Up-This adaptation of Stone and Kuznick's adult companion to Stone's Showtime network documentary examines instances where the United States "has betrayed its mission and the ideals of its own Constitution," especially in foreign affairs. As one might expect, the authors are critical of American politics and policies, discussing American imperialism in the Spanish American War, the malevolent dominance of armament and financial interests in World War I, and inadequate relief and reform during the Great Depression. About half of the book is devoted to World War II;the authors credit the Soviet Union for the Allied victory in Europe and criticize British and American failures to fully aid the Soviets and respect their need for a postwar buffer zone in Eastern Europe. They lionize Franklin Roosevelt's second vice president, the very progressive Henry Wallace, and are extremely critical of "small man" Harry Truman, whom they claim unnecessarily unleashed the atomic bomb on an already defeated Japan to diminish Soviet power and influence. The adaptation uses only a fraction of the adult title's content and is short on background and introductory material necessary for context. Contrary to the title's claim, much of this material is discussed in secondary history texts and YA library titles. It is similar in perspective to the second volume of Howard Zinn's A Young People's History of the United States (Seven Stories, 2007) and falls short of the objective coverage and analysis sought by most school libraries.-Mary Mueller, Rolla Public Schools, MO
Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.