Tough Tarbell Trivia

[Rob Wick]

Mike,

In my historical methods class that I took back in the olden days, one of the truths that was hammered into our heads was that writing a review of a friend's book is a double-edged sword. If the book is bad and you say it's good, it's hard to prove that the friendship didn't play a role. On the flip side, if the book is good, and in the pursuit of fairness, you give it a harsh review, then that flouts the rules of good scholarship.

The problem as it relates to Lincoln scholarship, at least during Tarbell's time, is that most of them knew each other and most were rivals of one sort or another. Editors, especially in the popular outlets, being extremely short-sighted, chose then based on their reputations, not caring about their personal backgrounds. Much of the time they tried to stay fair, but in many cases it is easy to see where personal feelings weighed in.

I love the remainder poem!

Best'
Rob