--- product_id: 12515312 title: "History as Mystery" brand: "michael parenti" price: "NZ$53" currency: NZD in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.nz/products/12515312-history-as-mystery store_origin: NZ region: New Zealand --- # History as Mystery **Brand:** michael parenti **Price:** NZ$53 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** History as Mystery by michael parenti - **How much does it cost?** NZ$53 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.nz](https://www.desertcart.nz/products/12515312-history-as-mystery) ## Best For - michael parenti enthusiasts ## Why This Product - Trusted michael parenti brand quality - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description History as Mystery ## Images ![History as Mystery - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51IiaRclloL.jpg) ![History as Mystery - Image 2](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/31w3c14GaJL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5.0 out of 5 stars An enlightening and much-needed book to discuss history *by D***R on Reviewed in the United States on February 20, 2023* In this enlightening and thought-provoking book, Michael Parenti delves into the flaws of history as an academic profession in the US. Dubbed as “mainstream history,” Parenti sees this history as dull and uninspiring for a reason: this history is distorted in ways to serve or reflect the dominant socio-economic interests, i.e. capitalism. Parenti’s book does not have structure in the conventional sense. Rather, it is structured first from the beginning where the book discusses why teaching history in the US is so problematic. The reason? History just raises too many questions on how society is run today, so it is written in a way that is boring. This boredom revolves around being too triumphalist in American history and capitalism, cliched (amazingly), and missing important information as a whole (where are all the workers, pro-worker agitators, and social critics who go against the mainstream?). The next two chapters proceed to deconstruct the rather polished history of Christianity, showing it as bloody, brutal, and a probable source for today’s cruelty. It could have been a separate book, but Parenti points out that it is just an example of “mainstream history” leaving out historical information and presenting a past that is too triumphalist, polished, and generally boring. Other chapters go through why people who write history serve the status quo (and why those who do not are seldom heard in media), an incredibly interesting primary source-based investigation to the death of US president Zachary Taylor and why mainstream historical investigation is too afraid to change what the current status quo says about history. Lastly, Parenti deconstructs the historical field of “psychohistory,” a chapter which I find the most interesting. History as Mystery relies on primary and secondary in deconstructing (and reconstructing) the myths of “mainstream history.” Parenti does put special emphasis on the many throwaway comments that historians make in their works, because those comments say the quiet part out loud. Such comments range from Herbert Aptheker lamenting how it took a long time for him to reach tenure (because of his political views) to public libraries using legal loopholes in order to not stock books deemed “questionable.” There were even comments from historians who question their field of study (notably some “psychohistorians”). All in all, History as Mystery makes for a really interesting book for both history students and average laymen who are starting to notice flaws within historical narratives. The one flaw within the book that concerns me is the discussion of Christianity in history. The way that it eventually dominated Europe was cruel and many charlatans took advantage of Christ’s word to advance their selfish interests (must we forget about the Whore of Babylon?), but Christianity was most certainly a movement of liberation against Roman slavery, which held back almost all of Europe from advancing as a society. The followers of Christ wanted not to hold everyone back, and it has symbolically destroyed idols and iconoclasts to make a message against slavery; but like every liberation movement in history it was not perfect. I would have wished that Parenti emphasized this fact more often (and he did), but it probably would have seemed out of place within the book. The book is not the best of Parenti’s books, but it should not be ignored. History as Mystery raises the right amount of questions about the way we view history and where to look forward: there is a reason why we thank Karl Marx for the way that we view history, but all academics do not mention his name. Viewing history as a class struggle allows us to see a better picture of where we are, how we progressed, and where we can go from here. We need to view history like this much more often, and it is about time that more books like History as Mystery need to be written, distributed, and discussed. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.0 out of 5 stars Useful Corrective to Traditional History *by J***N on Reviewed in the United States on October 9, 2008* Michael Parenti reminds us that most history has been written by "gentlemen historians," people who have the mindset of the economic class which sponsors the writing of history, i.e., rulers, aristocrats, titans of industry--people of privilege. The voice of the average guy--"Joe Six-Pack"--is almost never heard. In the 20th century, historians began to pay more attention to the experiences of ordinary working folks, using ancient trial records and similar sources, but the old mindset still had enough momentum to carry on. Parenti attacks this bias head-on, starting with the rise of Christianity (maybe not the result of pure faith plus the example of the holy martyrs) and ending with an interesting analysis of an old "cold case," the death of President Zachary Taylor. Why did historians reject the idea that he might have been poisoned? And more importantly, why do contemporary historians follow suit? This is a "pop" book, but useful as a corrective work to counterbalance the edicts of traditional historians. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5.0 out of 5 stars Essential reading *by A***R on Reviewed in the United States on February 28, 2022* Illuminating discussion of history and how it's been mystified by forces with material interests in its suppression and distortion. Fascinating discussion of specific examples--Christendom, Jeanne d'Arc, and Zachary Taylor. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.nz/products/12515312-history-as-mystery](https://www.desertcart.nz/products/12515312-history-as-mystery) --- *Product available on Desertcart New Zealand* *Store origin: NZ* *Last updated: 2026-04-23*