Historians/History

Three New Books (Doris Kearns Goodwin)

by Philip Nobile

Doris Kearns Goodwin has dramatically revised her story of plagiarism. The celebrity historian was quoted in the New York Times on February 23 that her 1987 bestseller, The Fitzgeralds and the Kennedys, contained far more copying than previously reported. Last month, The Weekly Standard revealed that Goodwin had l

The Case of Louis Roberts

by John Monfasani

Editor's Note In mid-February the media, including the website of the Chronicle of Higher Education and the New York Times, reported that Louis Roberts, the chairman of the classics department at the State University of New York at Albany, had stepped down following allegations of plagiarism. Below is the memo that triggered his resignation as chairman. It was written by Mr. Monfasani, a member of the Albany department of history. MEMORANDUM TO: The University of

Top 6 Differences Between the Ancient and Modern Olympics

by Kelley Duddleson

Myths about the Olympics debunked.

When Did Plagiarism Become a Crime?

by Katie Brynn

The Biblical writings of the New Testament repeat many themes of the Old Testament. Roman writers copied what the Greeks had written. Shakespeare borrowed heavily from other writers. And nobody called it plagiarism. In the past imitation was considered a compliment. THE PRACTICE BEFORE THE 17TH CENTURY Until the seventeenth century writers did not think twice about borrowing passages or themes from one another. As Thomas Mallon points

Letters to the Editor of the Wall Street Journal

Editor's Note: Following are two letters sent to the Wall Street Journal in response to a letter by Stephen Ambrose. The first letter is from Randy Hils, the son of a Normandy veteran. The second is from Allen Campbell, Director, The Douglas DC-3 /Dakota Historical Society. The third letter is from Edson Strobridge. The letters were sent to the HNN offices by email. LETTER FROM RANDY HILS February 6, 2002 Le

Stephen Ambrose: Off the Rails

by Edson Strobridge

It is more than plagiarism, it's about truth and honesty. When Simon & Schuster announced to the world that it was publishing a new book about the building of our nation's first transcontinental railroad written by Stephen Ambrose, railroad historians, at least the non-professional ones that I know the country over, were excited. At last, after so many poorly researched and poorly written books on the subject over the past hundred years we would have one that would be historically accura

Alex Haley’s Advice to Ambrose and Goodwin

by Philip Nobile

To: Stephen Ambrose and Doris Kearns Goodwin From: Alex Haley I know how you feel. Been there, done exactly that. I was demolished in the Sunday Times of London and the New York Times, ridiculed in a BBC documentary, mocked by former Pulitzer Board Chairman Russell Baker, and humiliated in two very nasty lawsuits that cost a million dollars to defend and pay off. But don't worry, be happy. There is life after literary disgrace. Look at me. They nail

Do Historians Have Special Insights About the News?

by Joyce Appleby and James M. Banner, Jr.

Historians and the American people have always had a vexing relationship. They need each other, but their interest in history springs from different sources. The public looks to the nation's past to validate its core ideals and affirm a record of progress and accomplishment. Historians, at one time willing to lend their pens to celebration, more recently have preferred to question familiar accounts and throw light on unknown historical figures.The public yearns for accessible narrati

Is Doris Kearns Goodwin a Hypocrite?

by Bo Crader

In 1993 historian Doris Kearns Goodwin complained that Joe McGinniss had borrowed extensively for his The Last Brother from her 1987 book The Fitzgeralds and the Kennedys."He just uses it flat out, without saying that it came from my work," Goodwin told the Boston Globe."You expect that another writer would acknowledge that," Goodwin continued."It's inexplicable why it wasn't done." Now, it's Goodwin's use of source material that requires explication. Two

The Stephen Ambrose Fact Sheet

by Katie Brynn

Fact #1Fee Paid for Speeches Mr. Ambrose, according to several sources, charges up to $40,000 per lecture. In addition, he reportedly often requires the use of a Lear jet to transport him to and from events. He gave twenty paid lectures last year.Fact #2Stephen Ambrose Historical Tours A son of Mr. Ambrose

The Greatest Generation's Historian

by Nicholas Confessore

The following article appeared in volume 12, Issue 17 of The American Prospect (September 24-October 8, 2001). This June, for the second time in their lives, the men of Easy Company invaded Normandy. It was considerably easier than the first time. From New York City, the surviving veterans flew in a chartered jet--courtesy of American Airlines--to Paris, where they boarded a chartered train to the town of Carentan, courtesy of HBO, and were deposited at the Utah Beach Mem

Now, Stephen Ambrose

by Fred Barnes

In 1995, a history professor at the University of Pennsylvania, Thomas Childers, published a book about his uncle's B-24 crew in World War II. Entitled Wings of Morning: The Story of the Last American Bomber Shot Down over Germany in World War II, the book was well received by critics. Jonathan Yardley of the Washington Post called it"powerful and unselfconsciously beautiful." It sold fifteen thousand copies in hardcover and remains available in paperback. In 2001, Stephen

What Happened to the 8 Germans Tried by a Military Court in World War II?

by Nathan Williams

This question has received fresh interest in the wake of President Bush's decision to use military trials for accused Al Qaeda terrorists.

Analogies in Action

by Michael W. Flamm

In his address to Congress, President Bush wisely asked the American people for their patience"in what will be a long struggle." He also warned--again wisely--that this war against international terrorism would not resemble previous conflicts with Iraq and Kosovo. But left unsaid, in what was no doubt a deliberate omission, was any comparison to a war it might resemble--the war in Vietnam.Even Bush's words eerily echoed those offered b

Has American Heritage Gone Soft?

by Richard F. Snow, Sean Wilentz

Editor's Note: On July 2, 2001, the New Republic published Professor Wilentz's review of David McCullough's book John Adams. In the course of the article, Wilentz criticized American Heritage magazine, which prompted the following exchange of letters.RICHARD SNOW TO THE EDITORS: Here I am, editing a

Column: Are Historians Jealous of David McCullough?

by P.M. Carpenter

A man of national notoriety has been labeled by some a liar, stonewaller, and flimflammer. He's also been accused of slipperiness, snootiness, litigiousness, a bad temperament, and possessing an oversized ego. We're talking Tricky Dick, right? Or perhaps Slick Willie? 11No, this detestable creature is the recipient of a Pulitzer Prize, two National Book Awards, the Carl Sandburg Award, the National Humanities Medal, and 31 honorary degrees, among other honors I don't even dream of achiev

Writers Who Lie

by HNN Staff

Editor’s Note: Figuring out why he did it is impossible at this point. We simply don’t know enough. Maybe we never will. But Joseph Ellis is not the first person of prominence to lie about himself. The list includes politicians, sports figures, and writers, including at least one, like Ellis, who won the Pulitzer Prize. Herewith a short list of writers who got caught lying. For perspective, we have included brief excerpts from books and articles written by cr

First Bob Kerrey, Now Joe Ellis?

by Jim Sleeper

It's the return of the repressed. Two months ago, former Senator Bob Kerrey threw his presidency of New York's New School University into turmoil by admitting but downplaying his role in an apparent massacre in Vietnam. Now Joseph Ellis, a Pulitzer Prize-winning American historian, has been caught inflating his role in Vietnam. For years, he admits, he told students at Mt. Holyoke and Amherst Colleges that he'd seen combat, some at My Lai, and had served on General William Westmoreland's st

More Is at Issue than Just Joe Ellis's Honesty

by Jerry Lembcke

A colleague passed along the clipping about Joseph J. Ellis, the Mount Holyoke College history professor who lied about having served in Vietnam. Knowing that I've written about men who tell war stories, he asked me why I thought someone would do something like that. On one level, the answer seems quite obvious. Military experience is a rite of passage for men and to have been in uniform during a war, as Ellis was during Vietnam, there is an urge to associate oneself as closely as possible

Readers Comment on the Joseph Ellis Scandal

by HNN Staff

Editor's note: After the story broke about Joseph Ellis's misrepresentations, we asked readers for their views. (Click here to read statements made by Mr. Ellis in the past about character.)CENSURE BUT DON'T IMPEACH HIM I have a unique perspective on Joe Ellis, having chaired a committee that recommended that the University of North Carolina at