> http://bigjournalism.com/dpeabody/2010/07/06/disgraced-historian-michael-bellesiles-fishy-war-story/
For people who are interested in ethical transgressions in the field
of history - here's a book by a well known historian which is
interesting and nice to read. In addition it starts out with
explanations on the what a historian does in research and writing.
Past imperfect : facts, fictions, fraud-- American history from Bancroft
and Parkman to Ambrose, Bellesiles, Ellis, and Goodwin
Peter Charles Hoffer.
PublicAffairs, New York, c2004.
Contents:
Preface (p. vii)
Acknowledgments (p. xiii)
Introduction: Two-Faced History (p. 1)
Part I. Facts and Fictions (p. 11)
Chapter 1. The Rise of Consensus History (p. 17)
Chapter 2. Professions of History (p. 32)
Chapter 3. The New History and Its Promoters (p. 62)
Chapter 4. In the Eye of the Storm (p. 93)
Part II. Fraud (p. 131)
Chapter 5. Falsification: The Case of Michael Bellesiles (p. 141)
Chapter 6. Plagiarism: The Cases of Stephen Ambrose and Doris Kearns
Goodwin (p. 172)
Chapter 7. Fabrication: The Case of Joseph Ellis (p. 208)
Conclusion: The Future of the Past (p. 231)
Notes (p. 241)
Index (p. 273)
Summary:
Hoffer (history, U. of Georgia) writes a jeremiad for historians in this
analysis of the current state of the profession. He focuses on recent
scandals--the charges of fraud, falsification and plagiarism against the
high profile historians Michael Bellesiles, Joseph Ellis, Doris Kearns
Goodwin and Stephen Ambrose--as emblematic of unhealthy trends in the
field. Hoffer blames a division between popular and scholarly
publications, overspecialization, politicization and the climate of
celebrity for weakening the profession. Annotation ??2004 Book News,
Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
--
--henry schaffer
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