I love history, and I love historic sites, so this book called out to me from the moment I saw it. Now like all history, it's told with a slant of opinion by the author itself, but past that, I feel it's very fleshed out, and deals well with explaining many things that historic sites do in fact ignore or gloss over. It's also a refreshing glimpse across the country. I learned a couple things I didn't know. I remembered some things I had forgotten. I researched some things on my own to learn more. And it was easy to read. All in all, it was everything a book about history should be. ( )

Is there a bias at work here? Absolutely, but that does not change the fact that all over the country there is misinformation being disseminated. There are monuments and sites mentioned where the argument is purely bias, but Loewen still makes some very good points.... http://yodamarie.blogspot.com/2008/07... ( )

Wow what can you say about a great history piece except…I really liked it. The author did research that was surely different. Basically he delved into whether the historic signage across the US was accurate. And like most historical research, most academic research, and anything else in our archives brought forth most were not. Examined were the accuracy in telling the stories of previous occupants of historic places such as plantations, some museums were profiled and battlefield signage examined. And, some historical figures and events needed to be brought forth with signage.

First the fascinating….

History tale #10Hickison Summit…the marker, petroglyphs left by so called prehistoric people in Nevada that show commonalities with the folk of South Africa and the folk of Australia, the author concluding that with current knowledge no one really knows what petroglyphs are nor what they meant, yet the signage leads one to believe otherwise.

History tale #14,…many names on markers for American Indians are derogatory such as Apache meaning enemies, Papagos meaning bean eater, Pimas meaning I don’t know…theses names were learned from others or from tribal enemies, or were names assigned, then just stuck over the years, some were simply developed…

History tale #63, the spies Van Lew and Bowser, in need of a marker…Elizabeth Van Lew born in Richmond was a spy for the Union , risked her reputation, life and wealth crossing into confederate territory and developed a spy ring, help prisoners escape, recruited Mary Bowser, a black woman with a photographic memory, whom she help get placed at the confederate white house as a spy.

The sad …

Some of the biggest proliferators of myths and lies are the united daughters of the confederacy and sons of confederate veterans. With a memorial in Montana History tale #15 to confederate soldiers in a state that had no confederate soldiers, is a disservice. This was done in an effort to promote respectability…At a museum History tale#20 takes place in Oklahoma. There is a room that worships the confederates, a sham in OK because the state had good race relations at the time between 1865 - 95. The civilized tribes had supported the confederacy thus the US subjected them to reconstruction by requiring them to grant freedom, land, tribal membership to their former slaves…

The tragic….

History tale #36 the confederates mass hanging of folk for allegedly conspiring to commit treason, History tale #44 ex-confederates overpowered a militia and massacred the men during the reconstruction phase of history, History tale #53 fort pillow, mass slaughter of Union regiment by N B Forrest more like genocide not war even though the men surrendered.

History tale #57 The Beech Island Agricultural Club… whose purpose it was to keep slaves inline, by maintaining the police state, and helped by the likes of South Carolina guvena James Hammand, happy slave theorist, slave owner, religious persecutor, labor exploiter, child rapist, who molested both men and women , complete with sadomasochistic behavior needs an accurate sign…

The Philippine American War sold to the public as the Spanish War where possibly 700,000 people, call niggers and gooks, lost their lives in an array of genocidal massacres, that perpetuated colonialism. History tale #25, is serving the cause of humanity needs accurate signage and an overhaul….

These are just a few of the tidbits waiting for you as true history will unfold one state at a time. The research is very good and as comprehensive as one can get w/o being boring. ( )

I got this a while ago because I like obscure historical sites. It's interesting at points, but the material is a bit thin. Some entries are a bit of a stretch. The author finds sources of outrage everywhere. ( )

This is fascinating and enlightening, and has reminded me to take everything I read -- even if it's on an historical marker -- with a grain of salt. ( )