Historians/History

Does George W. Have a Theory of History?

by James W. Ceaser

WHAT DO CONSERVATIVES think today about History? As President Bush leads the country in war, an abstract question like this one seems out of place. And yet, having raised this theme himself in recent speeches, President Bush has been faced both at home and abroad with widespread criticism for his use and abuse of History. Echoing others' arguments, Washington Post columnist Richard Cohen has accused the president of claiming to speak for "destiny and providence." Europea

Horror Stories: When Journalists Mangle History

by HNN Staff

Do you have a horror story to tell about an encounter with a journalist obtuse about history? If so, we'd like to hear about it. Please tell us your story by posting a comment below. Your answers will be helpful as we prepare for a panel hosted by HNN at the upcoming meeting of the Organization of American Historians concerning the love-hate relationship between journalists and historians. (The panel will meet Thursday April 3, between 1 and 3 pm.)

How Middle East Experts Have Let Down the Country

by Martin Kramer

Where are America's Iraq experts? According to one view, the media are hiding them from you. That's the claim of Juan Cole, University of Michigan historian. He's one of the establishment boosters of Middle Eastern studies, and a staunch defender of the Middle East Studies Association against all comers. (He also edits its quarterly journal.) In a recent piece on HNN, he complains that t

Should Jayme Sokolow Still Be Published?

by John Sucharski

In the midst of all the controversies concerning historical writing over the past year, an old face has resurfaced--an historian about whom serious scholarly questions involving plagiarism were raised over 20 years ago. Apparently unaware of Jayme Sokolow's tainted reputation, a scholarly press named M.E. Sharpe has published a new book by him, The Great Encounter: Native Peoples and European Settlers in the Americas, 1492-1800. It was on display at the publ

A Conservative Student at a Liberal School

by J.D. Cassidy

HNN INDEX: Are Historians Biased? Like so many colleges that were once steeped in tradition and firmly dedicated to intellectual honesty, Bridgewater State College (BSC) has been transformed into an institution whose primary goal is ideological con

History: A Guide to Dealing with Saddam?

by HNN Staff

Both opponents and supporters of a war in Iraq are using history to buttress their arguments. So whose got history on their side? You decide.

The Historian Who Denounced the Military for "Baby-Killing" Tactics

by HNN Staff

Breaking News (11-17-02): Saint Xavier University has announced that Mr. Kirstein has been suspended from teaching for the remainder of the semester. He has been officially reprimanded. In the spring semester, while on sabbatical, his scholarship and record will be subjected to peer review. In addition:"Any future faculty contract(s) extended to Professor Kirstein will include a binding addendum specifically requiring him to adhe

Noindoctrination.org: Complaints Against Historians Accused of Bias

Since last fall NoIndoctrination.org has kept track of alleged political bias on college campuses. Some 40-odd complaints have been posted thus far (about a third of the total complaints received). Half a dozen concern historians. The complaints, as listed on the website, are provided below in full. Some readers, noticing that all of the complaints are against liberal professors, have wondered if NoIndoctrination.org is being used by conserv

The Historian Who Called Harry Truman "America's Stalin"

by Arnold Beichman

Paul Buhle teaches courses on American civilization at Brown University, a prestigious Ivy League institution in Rhode Island. In 1994, he called President

Did Uncle Sam Play the Role of Hitler in Killing Blacks and Indians?

by Lisa Makson

A Critical Holocaust Anthology will hit the shelves this spring that will attempt to remove the Holocaust from its historical moorings in order to"open up a s

The Difficulty Writing Iraqi History in the United States

by Juan Cole

Who are America's historians of modern Iraq? They exist, but you would not know it from the U.S. mass media. As a second war looms with Baghdad, one would have thought that journalists were besieging them for informed views of the country. Instead, they have remained virtually anonymous and unheard in the unfolding debates. It is an index of America's longstanding anti-intellectualism that long hours of cable television news are filled with the views on Iraq of s

A Challenge to Paul Buhle

by Harvey Klehr and John Earl Haynes

In the June 2002 issue of the New Criterion we examine

What Clayton Cramer Saw and (Nearly) Everyone Else Missed

by Clayton E. Cramer

Michael A. Bellesiles’s Bancroft Prize for Arming America has been revoked—the first time that a Bancroft Prize has ever been taken away from an author.[1]

The Shoot Out Between the Jesse James Biographers

by Rick Shenkman

It wasn't high noon. And spectators did not have to fear being accidentally taken out by a stray shot. But there was no mistaking what was taking place. It was a good old-

HNN Poll: Should Knopf Withdraw Arming America?

by HNN Staff

Latest DevelopmentsSummary of the Emory ReportBellesiles's Response to

Kennedy: Disease, History and Secrecy

by Barron Lerner

Today, immediate revelations of illness are the norm among politicians.

Plagiarism: You Know It When You See It (Really?)

by Keith R. St. Onge

"Parallel-hunters do not, as a rule, set out to be truthful and impartial. They are hell-bent on proving a point. ... Parallel-hunting is predicated on the use of lowest-common denominators. Virtually all literature, even the most original, can be reduced to such terms, and thereby shown to be unoriginal. So viewed, Mark Twain's The Prince and the Pa

I Stood Accused of Plagiarism

by Stephen B. Oates

  Editor's Note: Over the last two months we have circulated Mr. Oates's piece to the people he refers to by name in order to give them a chance to respond. Those who chose to respond are listed below.   Bob Bray Michael Burlingame Arnita A. Jones (on behalf of the American Historical Association) Walter W. Stewart and Ned Feder Robert L. Zangrando     A Nightmare Tale of Ruthless Accusers, A Misused 'Plagiarism Machine,' An Orwellian Star Chamber, an Unscrupulous Verdict, and Hopeless Confusion About Definitions

The Bancroft and Bellesiles

Are Conservative Historians Excluded from Search Committees?

by David Horowitz

This is an excerpt from a talk Mr. Horowitz gave at Restoration Weekend, a meeting at which conservatives discuss social and political issues.Shortly after 9/11, I was at an eastern university. The kids'll take me out to a local diner before the speech, and the faculty advisor will often be there. And here he was, and he was a white-haired – all of the conservative professors are white-haired