A new biography, The People's Historian by Dave Zirin, explores the life and legacy of Howard Zinn, the influential "people's historian" who died in 2010 aged 87. The book traces Zinn's remarkable journey through academia and progressive activism, and draws on his close relationship with actor Matt Damon, who grew up near Zinn in Massachusetts and has long championed his work, to illuminate the historian's character and enduring influence.

Zinn is best known for A People's History of the United States, first published in 1980 and now having sold more than 4 million copies, which retells American history from the perspective of ordinary people rather than the traditional narrative of powerful white men. The book has drawn criticism from conservatives, including Donald Trump, who denounced it as "propaganda" in a 2020 speech. Zirin, sports editor of the Nation and a longtime acquaintance of Zinn, also considers in the book what Zinn might have made of more recent political developments, including the fight for racial justice and its backlash.