When it was first published, who would have expected (least of all Rupert Murdoch, who owns the publishing house) that A People’s History of the United States of America: 1492-Present (Harper Collins) would sell over a million copies. When I spoke with Howard Zinn in 2003, during one of our occasional conversations, he told me that his publisher had arranged a celebration for the million-copy benchmark. Since then its sales have grown exponentially.

And who, least of all Zinn, would have predicted a publishing cottage industry, with People’s Histories of Sport, The American Revolution, and various People’s Histories of this and that, etc., and companion volumes like Voices From A People’s History, and ultimately a film, The People Speak?

Now, I am pleased to pass on, comes an unabridged audiobook (see sample mp3) of Zinn’s magnum opus comprised of five compact discs read by playwright Jeffrey Zinn. This is, of course, great news for those of you who are not disposed to read a eminently readable book of American history. Or who may not have the time to re-read what should be a must-read for all of us.