John Surratt in Canandaigua,NY

[L Verge]

I read Starkey about forty years ago and enjoyed the book. If I recall correctly, however, words like you used above "some notions," "interesting ideas," etc. is probably what hurt the book in the long run. He didn't back up those notions and interesting ideas with solid evidence.

Unfortunately, the good-old-boy network of "professional historians" still look for the evidence - just like they did back then. As an addict to the Lincoln assassination story, I'm glad they do (as long as they are not snobbish about it) because the story has been corrupted far too much for far too long. You and I argue over this all the time, Bill, but "If it didn't happen that way, it should have" irritates the heck out of me.