8 Comments
Aug 25Liked by Bruce Ivar Gudmundsson

There is always, and especially as of late, a huge danger in “new interpretations” of older works as popular trends and changing political views can interfere with actual scholarship. Therefore the advent of widely accessible original material is truly a wonderful thing! This really facilitates research, not to mention fact checking, by nearly anyone.

With respect to footnote 2, OK, I will ask you how you know.

Expand full comment
author

A brother historian - a friend, no less - used the dreaded phrase (in an otherwise splendid book) to describe the first born of my books, the apple of my eye, and the only product of my pen to inform a Sabaton song. Sic transit gloria mundi. (A highly favorable review of the newer work will soon appear in the pages of 'The Tactical Notebook'.)

Expand full comment
Aug 25Liked by Bruce Ivar Gudmundsson

How unkind.

Expand full comment
author

Such is the power of the myth of progress! (I much prefer the approach that views history as a branch of dentistry. The new work serves to fill the gaps.)

Expand full comment
Aug 25Liked by Bruce Ivar Gudmundsson

I hope you won't object to me quoting the first few paragraphs on my blog, and I especially hope you'll forgive me for the meme I used as an eyecatcher illustration to go with it!

Expand full comment
author

Please quote to your heart's content!

Expand full comment
Aug 25Liked by Bruce Ivar Gudmundsson

I am not a paid anything really.

I read for my own interest and to write in all caps at people on Facebook.

I find it very very annoying when there are literal tons of information stored in archives that still insist you come visit them to actually get things. This can include not responding to emails, saying they do have someone who scans on staff, etc, etc.

I mean, as people are we not custodians for the future? Does our future not involve everyone understanding where we were before?

To me it is kind of a silly "I can control this information and that makes me feel powerful"

This is very very annoying for me with publicly funded museums, etc.

There is a well known military museum in the USA that only is open to the public two days a week or something silly like that. The thing is, it is publicly funded. When asked why, they explain "we need to have access to it for our people in that field!"

Well, no one says they cant have the majority of access, but 7 days a week all year long?

you REALLY need to control access to your 37mm AT gun 7 days a week? seriously?

Expand full comment
Aug 27Liked by Bruce Ivar Gudmundsson

sorry, that "two days a week" should be "two days a year"

Expand full comment