y2k denim dress Vintage Y2K Denim Dress
SKU: 31695013566
y2k denim dress

y2k denim dress Vintage Y2K Denim Dress

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Description

y2k denim dress Vintage Y2K Denim DressThis vintage Y2K denim dress combines a structured strapless bodice, washed denim finish, oversized belt accents, and a pleated mini hem for a look that feels sharp, directional, and instantly styled. The fitted upper silhouette gives the piece a more sculpted shape, while the pleated skirt keeps the overall look playful and dynamic instead of overly rigid. It is the kind of dress that turns a simple outfit into a full fashion statement with very

This vintage Y2K denim dress combines a structured strapless bodice, washed denim finish, oversized belt accents, and a pleated mini hem for a look that feels sharp, directional, and instantly styled. The fitted upper silhouette gives the piece a more sculpted shape, while the pleated skirt keeps the overall look playful and dynamic instead of overly rigid. It is the kind of dress that turns a simple outfit into a full fashion statement with very little extra work, which is refreshing given how committed people are to making dressing harder than necessary.

💖 Why You’ll Love It

🖤 Strapless fitted bodice that creates a strong statement silhouette

The structured strapless upper half gives this dress a much sharper shape than a softer casual denim mini. It frames the shoulders and neckline cleanly, which makes the whole look feel more fashion-led from the start. That fitted bodice also creates a stronger contrast against the pleated lower half, helping the dress read clearly from a distance. It is a strong option for shoppers who want one piece to do most of the styling work on its own.

✨ Washed denim finish that adds vintage character

The lighter washed denim gives the dress a more worn-in Y2K feel than a darker or cleaner denim would. This makes the piece feel more lived-in and visually textured without losing the sharpness of the silhouette. Because the wash already adds character, the outfit feels more complete even before accessories are added. That gives the dress more visual payoff than a flat basic fabric finish.

🖤 Oversized belt details that bring structure and edge

The bold belt accents across the bust and hip area create stronger visual contrast and make the dress feel more styled than a standard strapless mini. These details break up the denim body in a way that adds dimension and gives the piece a more directional streetwear finish. They also help reinforce the waist and silhouette without relying on unnecessary extra styling. That makes the dress feel more defined and much more memorable.

✨ Pleated mini skirt that adds movement and balance

The pleated hem softens the stronger bodice and belt construction by giving the lower half more motion and shape. This keeps the dress from feeling too stiff or overly severe, especially when styled with boots, heels, or a shorter jacket. The fuller movement also helps the piece photograph well and feel more dynamic in motion. It creates a balanced silhouette that feels bold without becoming visually heavy.

🖤 One-piece styling solution with major outfit payoff

Some dresses need layers, belts, and too many add-ons to feel complete, but this one already carries enough structure and visual interest to stand on its own. That means you can keep the rest of the styling more focused and still get a full result. It works especially well when you want to look highly styled without spending an hour pretending indecision is a creative process. It is dramatic, wearable, and genuinely useful for statement dressing.

👗 Outfit Aesthetic

Y2K strapless denim dress for early-2000s inspired going-out styling

This dress fits naturally into Y2K fashion because of its strapless neckline, washed denim finish, mini length, and bold hardware-inspired belt details. It works especially well with boots, slimmer jackets, smaller bags, and statement accessories that support a more recognizable early-2000s silhouette. The result feels nostalgic, but still sharp enough for current fashion styling. For shoppers building a Y2K-focused wardrobe, this is a clear statement piece.

Grunge inspired mini dress for darker contrast-driven looks

The washed denim body paired with the oversized black belt accents also gives this piece a grunge-inspired direction that feels especially strong with darker footwear and more rugged outerwear. It has enough edge to work with distressed textures, leather jackets, or heavier accessories without losing the shape of the dress. Because the structure remains clean, the final look still feels polished rather than messy. That makes it useful for shoppers who want grunge influence with stronger visual control.

Edgy feminine partywear with a more structured silhouette

This piece also works naturally as edgy feminine partywear because it balances a body-skimming strapless top with a shorter pleated skirt. The overall shape feels bold and confident, but the skirt keeps the look from becoming too severe. Styled with heels or boots, it moves easily into a stronger evening direction. That makes it practical for parties and going-out looks where more presence matters.

Streetwear inspired denim mini dress for fashion-led city styling

The bold hardware look of the belts and the structured denim body also push this dress into a streetwear-leaning fashion category, especially when paired with a cropped jacket and stronger boots. It feels more directional than a soft denim dress and much more visually clear than a plain mini. That gives it strong city-style appeal for shoppers who like statement outfits that still feel current. It reads as intentional from every angle.

Vintage inspired washed denim dress with modern contrast detail

The denim wash gives the piece a vintage-inspired finish, while the exaggerated strapless construction and bold belt placement keep the styling modern. This mix helps the dress feel trend-aware without looking overly futuristic or too costume-driven. It works especially well for shoppers who want a piece with retro influence but contemporary fashion structure. That balance gives it much stronger long-term styling appeal.

🧵 Material & Details

This dress is made from denim, giving it a more structured feel that supports the fitted strapless bodice and the shape of the pleated mini skirt. The fabric appears substantial enough to hold the silhouette cleanly through the body without collapsing, which is important for a dress built around stronger contrast and visible structure. The washed finish softens the overall look and gives it more vintage-inspired texture while still keeping the piece fashion-forward. It feels bold and shaped rather than soft or fluid.

Material: Denim

Color: Washed blue denim with black contrast belt detail

Includes: 1 dress

📏 Sizes & Fit Details

Available sizes: S, M, L

S: Bust 29.1 in (74 cm), Waist 27.6 in (70 cm), Hips 33.1 in (84 cm), Length 22.0 in (56 cm)

M: Bust 30.7 in (78 cm), Waist 29.1 in (74 cm), Hips 34.6 in (88 cm), Length 22.4 in (57 cm)

L: Bust 32.3 in (82 cm), Waist 30.7 in (78 cm), Hips 36.2 in (92 cm), Length 22.8 in (58 cm)

This denim mini dress is designed with a more fitted bodice and hip area for a defined silhouette, while the pleated lower section adds shape and movement. If you are choosing between sizes, comparing bust, waist, and hip measurements will help you decide whether you want a closer structured fit or a slightly easier feel through the body.

🧺 Care Instructions

Wash gently in cold water with similar colors to help maintain the denim wash, overall structure, and contrast belt detailing. Because the silhouette depends on the shape of the bodice and pleated lower section, gentler handling can help the dress continue to sit cleanly through the body over time. Avoid harsh bleach and strong heat, and lay flat or hang to dry for the best result. Use low heat only if needed.

For storage, hang the dress in a way that supports the strapless bodice and helps the pleated hem stay smooth between wears. Gentle care will help preserve the structure that gives the dress its strongest visual impact.

🎀 Perfect For

Going-out outfit styling with boots, heels, or a cropped jacket

This dress is a strong option for shoppers who want a going-out look with much more personality than a basic bodycon mini. The strapless bodice and oversized belt detail already create a strong silhouette, which means the rest of the styling can stay focused and controlled. It works especially well with boots, heels, or a shorter jacket that keeps the waist and hip structure visible. That makes it practical for parties, nightlife, and more styled weekend looks.

Y2K fashion looks with a bolder denim statement piece

If your wardrobe leans toward early-2000s silhouettes, washed denim, stronger belts, and statement mini dresses, this piece fits in immediately. The shape feels compact and fashion-led, while the denim keeps the look grounded enough to style repeatedly. Because the design already has enough edge, you do not need to overload the rest of the outfit to get a clear result. That makes it especially useful for shoppers who want a louder Y2K piece that still feels wearable.

Fashion-led city dressing where the dress needs to carry the look

This piece works especially well for city looks where one stronger garment is meant to anchor the entire outfit. The contrast between the structured bodice, pleated hem, and bold belts gives the dress enough presence to lead without requiring much extra styling. That makes it useful for street-style dressing, travel fashion moments, and more curated off-duty looks. It does the work of several separate styling decisions without asking you to assemble them manually like some kind of emotional flat-pack furniture.

Concerts and styled photo moments with stronger visual structure

The shape and detail of this dress make it especially effective for concerts, social content, and styled photos where silhouette matters clearly on camera. The belts create contrast, the denim wash adds texture, and the pleated hem gives the lower half more movement so the outfit reads strongly from different angles. That makes it a useful option for occasions where a standard mini dress would feel too flat. It is built to register visually without becoming chaotic.

Giftable statement dress for shoppers who love edgy Y2K fashion

This dress also works as a gift because it feels far more distinctive than a standard denim mini while still staying inside a very clear fashion category. The washed finish, strapless construction, and bold belt details give it immediate personality, but the denim base keeps it understandable and wearable. It suits shoppers drawn to Y2K fashion, grunge-inspired streetwear, edgy feminine partywear, and fashion-led denim silhouettes. As a gift, it feels memorable, high-impact, and genuinely special.

✨ Styling Ideas

🖤 Pair it with a cropped leather jacket for a sharper grunge look

A cropped leather or distressed jacket works especially well with this dress because it reinforces the contrast and edge without hiding the structure of the bodice and hip details. This helps the whole outfit feel more grounded and directional for city styling or evening looks. The jacket adds texture while keeping the silhouette visible. It is a strong option when you want the look to feel bolder without adding clutter.

✨ Wear it with knee-high boots for a stronger Y2K finish

Knee-high or mid-calf boots pair naturally with the strapless denim mini because they extend the silhouette and support the more dramatic early-2000s direction. This styling choice helps the dress feel even more intentional for parties, night looks, and street-style dressing. Because the dress already has enough visual structure, the boots can stay clean and simple. The final result feels sharp and controlled.

🖤 Keep jewelry focused so the neckline stays clean

The strapless neckline already creates a strong upper-body line, so the styling often works best with one focused necklace or cleaner jewelry instead of heavy layering. This keeps the neckline visible and helps the dress remain the central statement piece. A single choker or short necklace is usually enough to complete the upper half. The dress does not need a committee of accessories shouting over it.

✨ Let the dress stay central by keeping the rest of the outfit selective

This is the kind of piece that already carries a full look through shape, denim texture, and belt detail, so the accessories work best when they stay relatively controlled. One bag, one shoe direction, and a small amount of jewelry are usually enough to complete the outfit. That keeps the final result more polished and makes the dress easier to repeat across different occasions. A strong dress should lead the styling, not enter combat with every item around it.

🖤 Use outerwear and shoes to shift the mood from streetwear to partywear

One of the easiest ways to change the direction of this piece is through what you layer over it and what you wear on your feet. A distressed jacket and boots can make it feel more grunge and streetwear-led, while cleaner heels or sleeker outerwear can move it toward party dressing. This gives the dress more versatility than it first appears to have. It lets you change the mood without needing an entirely different outfit.

This vintage Y2K denim dress is a strong choice for shoppers who want a mini dress with far more presence than a standard strapless silhouette. With its washed denim finish, structured bodice, oversized belt accents, and pleated hem, it brings contrast, attitude, and real styling payoff into one bold piece.

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Tom
Whiting, US
★★★★★ 5
Like you have a smart helpful co-worker
Format: Paperback
This is the friendliest way to learn real practical game design you’ll ever find. Scott is an expert at this. He knows his stuff. And he’s happy to share. Joyous, even. This book is full of tips and stories and good ways to think about things. There are occasional academic frameworks, but most of those are side notes. Think of this more like you’re starting a job at the game studio of your dreams and the guy sitting next to you knows everything and wants to share. And he can draw! The sketches are cute and really help get the ideas across. I would read this without the images, but the images make it more fun and easier to absorb. I’ve read previous editions and this is the best version by far. The section on prototyping is especially nice. Prototyping is a key concept to learn, and breaking it down with some systems thinking is smart. The updated sketches and references throughout the book are also great - it feels current. About me: I’ve been a professional game designer for over 30 years. I’ve taught this material at colleges for almost ten years. I know game design. This is game design, but even more fun than it already is.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 31, 2025
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Seth Johnson
Lowell, US
★★★★★ 5
A book about making games that's as fun as playing them
Format: Paperback
If you want a book about making games that's as fun as the games you like to play, Level Up is the book you're looking for. Scott Rogers doodles and jokes as he guides you through not just the basics of game design but through level after level of the challenges that come up in game design and production, sharing tools and wisdom that will put you far ahead of anyone just trying to simply copy their favorite game. Games and the industry that makes them are always changing, so it's exciting to see Scott update Level Up to its third edition with his latest takes and tricks (and even maybe a new joke or two.) Scott doesn't just make games, he truly loves games--and if you love games, he wants to help you make games too. Grab a copy, and get ready to have some fun! (Disclosure: The publisher was nice enough to send me a copy for review, but they were too late--I had already bought a copy. The additional book has been passed on to a local school game design club.)
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Reviewed in the United States on April 4, 2025
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Amazon Customer
Pawtucket, US
★★★★★ 5
My Thoughts on A People’s History of the United States
A People’s History of the United States is a book about the history of the United States of America from the very beginning. It was written in 1980 by Howard Zinn. Zinn is a historian, political scientist, and a social activist. I think this a very good book to read because it not only tells about the history of the United States but it give the real truth about things that have never been discussed before. The book starts off at the very beginning of America. Some of the topics discussed range from Christopher Columbus’ travels to Hernando Cortes adventures. From there it talks about slavery and such. The book is written in a time line of history. It starts from the beginning and then goes on. In history there are many conflicts. Some that were discussed were about how Christopher Columbus Day has always been a celebration. After reading this book, you may have a different view on him. It then tells about the conflicts of slavery and gives very vivid details about the conditions that slavery really consisted of. This book is the real deal. It gives you the straight facts and information about history that you never knew about. Even though A People’s History of the United States was written in 1980 and may be considered an older book, it is still a good read. The realness of the book and how it gives so much information about history that is not taught in schools is what makes this book so great. It is a very important book and it should be read by others to understand the true history. I believe the reasons the book was/is popular still hold true because it is about history. It is telling the real truth about history. History will never become a subject that is forgotten. My judgement and evaluation on A People’s History of the United States is that the quality of writing was very strong. It shows strength in its vivid details and the choice of words that were used. One of my favorite quotes from the book is a piece quoted from the Virginia slave code. It says: “Whereas many times slaves run away and lie hid and lurking in swamps, woods, and other obscure places, killing hogs, and committing other injuries to the inhabitants...if the slave does not immediately return, anyone whatsoever may kill or destroy such slaves by such ways and means as he…shall think fit…If the slave is apprehended… it shall…be lawful for the county court, to order such punishment for the said slave, either by dismembering, or in any other way…as they in their discretion shall think fit, for the reclaiming any such incorrigible slave, and terrifying others form the like practices…” That quote is one of my favorites because it is so descriptive. Another one of my favorites is a quote by writer J. Saunders Redding as he describes the arrival of a ship in North America. It says: “Sails furled, flag drooping at her rounding stern, she rode the tide in form the sea. She was a strange ship, indeed, by all accounts, a frightening ship, a ship of mystery. Whether she was trader, privateer, or man-of-war no one knows. Through her bulwarks black-mouthed cannon yawned. The flag she flew was Dutch; her crew a motley. Her port of call, an English settlement, Jamestown, in the colony of Virginia. She came, she traded, and shortly afterwards was gone. Probably no ship in modern history has carried a more portentous freight. Her cargo? Twenty slaves.” That quote is another one of my favorites because it is also very descriptive. It paints a clear picture of the truth about what used to really happen. That to me is a very strong strength. In conclusion, my overall thoughts about the book are very positive. It has changed the way I look at history. It has showed me that there is a whole lot more truth about history than just what is taught in schools. One particular thing it has made me realize is that history is a lot more gruesome and violent than I originally thought. It also has given me a different perspective of Christopher Columbus. I do not see him the same as I once did. A People’s History of the United States was really an eye opener about giving the real truths about history.
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Reviewed in the United States on April 24, 2016
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John J. Tivenan
Lexington, US
★★★★★ 5
Real history; not fanciful wishful thinking and self-congratulatory claptrap.
Format: Paperback
Perhaps the most significant, insightful, and honest American history book ever written.
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Reviewed in the United States on June 4, 2026
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R. Russell Bittner
Whiting, US
★★★★★ 5
“This country is not in good condition.” Calvin Coolidge, 1931. (p. 387).
Apart from his unique view of American history and of his treatment of many of the landmark events of that history, Howard Zinn gives us any number of interesting and noteworthy observations in the course of this 700-page text. I beg your indulgence while we look at just a few…. On p. 73, “(t)o say that the Declaration of Independence, even by its own language, was limited to life, liberty and happiness for white males is not to denounce the makers and signers of the Declaration for holding the ideas expected of privileged males of the eighteenth century. Reformers and radicals, looking discontentedly at history, are often accused of expecting too much from a past political epoch – and sometimes they do. But the point of noting those outside the arc of human rights in the Declaration is not, centuries late and pointlessly, to lay impossible moral burdens on that time. It is to try to understand the way in which the Declaration functioned to mobilize certain groups of Americans, ignoring others. Surely, inspirational language to create a secure consensus is still used, in our time, to cover up serious conflicts of interest in that consensus, and to cover up, also, the omission of large parts of the human race.” And then, on p. 96: “(t)he problem of democracy in the post-Revolutionary society was not, however, the Constitutional limitations on voting. It lay deeper, beyond the Constitution, in the division of society into rich and poor. For if some people had great wealth and great influence; if they had the land, the money, the newspapers, the church, the educational system – how could voting, however broad, cut into such power? There was still another problem: wasn’t it the nature of representative government, even when most broadly based, to be conservative, to prevent tumultuous change?” For the answer to that last question, we can, of course, always turn to the pleasantly incendiary words of no less than Thomas Jefferson, which Mr. Zinn naturally and deftly does: “‘I hold it that a little rebellion now and then is a good thing…. It is a medicine necessary for the sound health of government…. God forbid that we should ever be twenty years without such a rebellion…. The Tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is its natural manure.’” One can only imagine how Jefferson would’ve reacted to the following open letter penned by Ralph Waldo Emerson to President Van Buren in 1838 as the still young nation hung its head in shame for the Trail of Tears it had just blazed: “(t)he soul of man, the justice, the mercy that is the heart’s heart in all men, from Maine to Georgia, does abhor this business…a crime is projected that confounds our understanding by its magnitude, a crime that really deprives us as well as the Cherokees of a country for how could we call the conspiracy that should crush these poor Indians our government, or the land that was cursed by their parting and dying imprecations our country any more? You, sir, will bring down that renowned chair in which you sit into infamy if your seal is set to this instrument of perfidy; and the name of this nation, hitherto the sweet omen of religion and liberty, will stink to the world” (p. 147). Was the very noble Van Buren at all distressed by the death of thousands of Cherokee Indians along this Trail of Tears when, at the end of the same year, he spoke to Congress? “It affords sincere pleasure to apprise the Congress of the entire removal of the Cherokee Nation of Indians to their new homes west of the Mississippi. The measures authorized by Congress at its last session have had the happiest effects” (p. 148). (Emphasis is mine.) And if you think that all of the wars the U. S. participated in right up to Vietnam were “good” wars (as I did until now), consider what we have in the way of a diary entry from a certain Colonel Hitchcock: “I have said from the first that the United States are the aggressors…. We have not one particle of right to be here…. It looks as if the government sent a small force on purpose to bring on a war, so as to have a pretext for taking California and as much of this country as it chooses, for, whatever becomes of this army, there is no doubt of a war between the United States and Mexico…. My heart is not in this business … but, as a military man, I am bound to execute orders” (p. 151). As I’ve already said, Zinn has a singular way of characterizing some of history’s more significant events. As yet another example, I give you the following from p. 171 (on the first page of Chapter 9, titled “Slavery without Submission, Emancipation without Freedom”: “…it was Abraham Lincoln who freed the slaves, not John Brown. In 1859, John Brown was hanged, with federal complicity, for attempting to do by small-scale violence what Lincoln would do by large-scale violence several years later – end slavery.” And lest there still be any doubt about Abraham Lincoln’s position on American blacks and the issue of slavery, Zinn gives us these two very telltale quotes: “I will say, then, that I am not, nor ever have been, in favor of bringing about in any way the social and political equality of the white and black races; that I am not, nor ever have been, in favor of making voters or jurors of negroes, nor of qualifying them to hold office, nor to intermarry with white people…. And inasmuch as they cannot so live, while they do remain together there must be the position of superior and inferior, and I as much as any other man am in favor of having the superior position assigned to the white race” (p. 188). Moreover, and in direct response to the Editor of the New York Tribune, Horace Greeley, we find this (on p. 191): “Dear Sir: … I have not meant to leave any one in doubt…. My paramount object in this struggle is to save the Union, and is not either to save or destroy Slavery. If I could save the Union without freeing any slave, I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves, I would do it; and if I could do it by freeing some and leaving others alone, I would also do that. What I do about Slavery and the colored race, I do because it helps to save this Union; and what I forbear, I forbear because I do not believe it would help to save the Union…. I have here stated my purpose according to my view of official duty, and I intend no modification of my oft-expressed personal wish that all men, everywhere, could be free. Yours, A. Lincoln.” But history (and human “progress”) moves on – and so, we have this: “(i)n 1877, (the year, according to David Burbank, in his book REIGN OF THE RABBLE, ‘no American city has come so close to being ruled by a workers’ soviet, as we would now call it, as St. Louis, Missouri’ – p. 250), the same year blacks learned they did not have enough strength to make real the promise of equality in the Civil War, working people learned they were not united enough, not powerful enough, to defeat the combination of private capital and government power” (p. 251). And Zinn then opens Chapter 11 (“Robber Barons and Rebels”) with this: “(i)n the year 1877, the signals were given for the rest of the century: the black would be put back; the strikes of white workers would not be tolerated; the industrial and political elites of North and South would take hold of the country and organize the greatest march of economic growth in human history. They would do it with the aid of, and at the expense of, black labor, white labor, Chinese labor, European immigrant labor, female labor, rewarding them differently by race, sex, national origin, and social class, in such a way as to create separate levels of oppression – a skillful terracing to stabilize the pyramid of wealth” (p. 253). For those who think the “Occupy Wall Street” movement of the new millennium was a singular invention of the millennial generation, you might want to consider what Mary Ellen Lease, of the newly formed People’s Party, had to tell those assembled at that party’s first convention in 1890 in Topeka, KS: “Wall Street owns the country. It is no longer a government of the people, by the people, and for the people, but a government of Wall Street, by Wall Street and for Wall Street…. Our laws are the output of a system which clothes rascals in robes and honesty in rags…. The politicians said we suffered from overproduction. Overproduction, when 10,000 little children … starve to death every year in the U. S. and over 100,000 shop girls in New York are forced to sell their virtue for bread…. “There are thirty men in the United States whose aggregate wealth is over one and one-half billion dollars. There are half a million looking for work…. We want money, land and transportation. We want the abolition of the National Banks, and we want the power to make loans direct from the government. We want the accursed foreclosure system wiped out…. We will stand by our homes and stay by our firesides by force if necessary, and we will not pay our debts to the loan-shark companies until the Government pays its debts to us. “The people are at bay, let the bloodhounds of money who have dogged us thus far beware” (p. 288). For those (like me until now) who’ve always thought only the best of Teddy Roosevelt, the following two direct quotes – not to mention William James’s rejoinder – might be a bit of a news-breaker: “(i)n strict confidence…I should welcome almost any war, for I think this country needs one” (p. 297). And in his address to the Naval War College, he has this to say: “(a)ll the great masterful races have been fighting races…. No triumph of peace is quite so great as the supreme triumph of war” (p. 300). Thankfully – and from James – comes the sobering suggestion that he (Roosevelt) “gushes over war as the ideal condition of human society, for the manly strenuousness which it involves, and treats peace as a condition of blubberlike and swollen ignobility, fit only for huckstering weaklings, dwelling in gray twilight and heedless of the higher life…” (p. 300). For those who think Obama’s recent initiative at a rapprochement with Cuba bodes well for that impoverished Caribbean island, you might want to consider what another historian, Philip Foner, writes about the last time (towards the end of the nineteenth century) this country took a keen interest in Old Havana: “(e)ven before the Spanish flag was down in Cuba, U. S. business interests set out to make their influence felt. Merchants, real estate agents, stock speculators, reckless adventurers, and promoters of all kinds of get-rich schemes flocked to Cuba by the thousands. Seven syndicates battled each other for control of the franchises for the Havana Street Railway, which were finally won by Percival Farquhar, representing the Wall Street interests of New York. Thus, simultaneously with the military occupation began … commercial occupation” (p. 310). But it gets even better on the other side of the planet, and the same William James who pronounced upon the clearly bellicose character of Teddy Roosevelt has the last word on American behavior in the Pacific: “God dam* the U. S. for its vile conduct in the Philippine Isles” (p. 315). And on that same subject, consider what none other than Mark Twain has to say: “(w)e have pacified some thousands of the islanders and buried them; destroyed their fields; burned their villages, and turned their widows and orphans out-of-doors; furnished heartbreak by exile to some dozens of disagreeable patriots; subjugated the remaining ten millions by Benevolent Assimilation, which is the pious new name of the musket; we have acquired property in the three hundred concubines and other slaves of our business partner, the Sultan of Sulu, and hoisted our protecting flag over that sway. “And so, by these Providences of God – and the phrase is the government’s, not mine – we are a World Power” (p. 316). Where, by the way, was all of this war-mongering and industrial development at breakneck speed headed? Zinn’s choice of a quote from Sinclair Lewis’s BABBITT couldn’t be more appropriate: “(i)t was the best of nationally advertised and quantitatively produced alarm-clocks, with all modern attachments, including cathedral chime, intermittent alarm, and a phosphorescent dial. Babbitt was proud of being awakened by such a rich device. Socially it was almost as creditable as buying expensive cord tires. “He sulkily admitted now that there was no more escape, but he lay and detested the grind of the real-estate business, and disliked his family, and disliked himself for disliking them” (pp. 383-384). Two more brief quotes from Howard Zinn himself, and then I’ll conclude. On p. 636, “(w)e may, in the coming years, be in a race for the mobilization of middle-class discontent.” And almost immediately following, on p. 637, “(c)apitalism has always been a failure for the lower classes. It is now beginning to fail for the middle classes.” I suggested, at the beginning of this review, that Howard Zinn had a “unique view of American history.” That suggestion was in no sense ironic or tongue-in-cheek. After a couple of weeks and 700+ pages, I can only say that this is some of the most valuable reading time I’ve ever spent. I’m humbled – and yes, also somewhat ashamed – that I’ve discovered this historian and his work at the very ripe old age of 64. I obviously wish it could’ve been sooner. But as it was not, the next best thing I could do was give my copy of A PEOPLE'S HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES, still slightly warm to the touch, to my daughter on the occasion of her 21st birthday. God willing, she’ll grow up better informed than I – at the very least, about the country whose passport she carries. RRB 06/08/15 Brooklyn, NY
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Reviewed in the United States on June 9, 2015

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