In recent years, high school textbooks of United States history have come under increasing criticism. Authors such as Howard Zinn ("A People's History of the United States"), Gilbert T. Sewall (') and James W. Loewen ('), make the claim that U.S. history textbooks contain mythical untruths and omissions, which paint a whitewashed picture that bears little resemblance to what most students learn in universities. Inaccurately retelling history, through textbooks or other literature, has been practiced in many societies, from ancient Rome to the Soviet Union (USSR) and the People's Republic of China. The content of history textbooks is often determined by the political forces of state adoption boards and ideological pressure groups.