Urges the frank examination of painful episodes in Western and other open societies' recent history to achieve glasnost and historical honesty. Cites the Klaus Barbie trial and the accompanying embarrassment for both France and the United States. Points out distortion in Japanese textbooks on the pre- and World War II years and in U.S. textbooks…

Noting that textbooks in the United States contain misleading, inaccurate, and biased information on South Africa, this article provides an annotated bibliography of elementary and secondary curriculum materials which may be used to provide a more balanced and accurate treatment of South Africa. (JDH)