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The People's Historian: The Outsized Life of Howard Zinn

In partnership with:
Harvard Book Store
Date and time
Monday, August 10, 2026
In-person:
7:00 PM

Dave Zirin, author of eleven books on the politics of sport and sports editor at The Nation Magazine, discusses his book, "The People's Historian: The Outsized Life of Howard Zinn." He is joined by Howard Bryant, author of eleven books and winner of a 2025 Sports Emmy for Outstanding Documentary Series as an executive producer for Netflix's "The Comeback: 2004 Boston Red Sox."

"The People's Historian" is a biography of iconic radical historian Howard Zinn, examining his life and work as a progressive icon and thought leader through the story of the times that shaped him as well as the United States of America.

"The People’s Historian" shows Zinn’s presence on the great canvases of the 20th century: from the Depression to World War II to the Civil Rights Movement to the war in Vietnam all the way until his death in 2010.

With input from family and access to Zinn's personal papers, "The People's Historian" paints a picture of the man behind A People's History, examining his work and legacy in the broader context of the United States.

Dave Zirin smiles in front of brick wall
Dave Zirin
Dave Zirin is the sports editor at The Nation Magazine, their first sports editor in 160 years of existence. He is the author of 11 books on the politics of sport, including most recently "The Kaepernick Effect". He is the co-producer, writer and narrator of the new documentary, "Behind the Shield: The Power and Politics of the NFL". Zirin has also worked as an advisor for filmmakers and documentarians such as Ang Lee and Ken Burns. Named one of UTNE Reader’s “50 Visionaries Who Are Changing Our World,” Zirin has been a frequent guest on ESPN, MSNBC, and CNN. He also hosts The Nation’s Edge of Sports podcast and cohosts The Collison on WPFW. His new book is a biography of the historian Howard Zinn called "The People’s Historian: The Outsized Life of Howard Zinn".
Howard Bryant.png
Howard Bryant
Howard Bryant is the author of 11 books, including "Rickey", "The Heritage", "Full Dissidence", and "The Last Hero", a biography of Hank Aaron, which was named “One of the Ten Best Books of the Year” by Dwight Garner of The New York Times. Bryant served as guest editor of The Best American Sports Writing in 2017, and has been the sports correspondent for NPR’s Weekend Edition since 2006. He is a four-time finalist for the National Magazine Award, an Emmy Award winner, and is twice the winner of the Casey Award for Best Baseball Book of the Year. He lives in Western Massachusetts.
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