tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31636482.post6617301889095030734..comments2024-03-23T01:33:00.319-04:00Comments on American Revolution and Founding Era: Defending David McCulloughBrian Tubbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15412421076480479001noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31636482.post-51762912283011643772008-02-11T21:17:00.000-05:002008-02-11T21:17:00.000-05:00Yup, I think it's academic elitism and jealousy. I...Yup, I think it's academic elitism and jealousy. I have a very good friend who is in (what I jokingly call - to his face) the "academic elite." :-) He's the dean at a liberal arts university in Georgia. He had some dismissive things to say about McCullough UNTIL he read <I>John Adams</I>. He admitted to me that he had to 'eat some crow' after reading that book. McCullough is a solid historian and a great writer.Brian Tubbshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15412421076480479001noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31636482.post-24001549260018510062008-02-11T19:45:00.000-05:002008-02-11T19:45:00.000-05:00I actually had the chance to meet McCullough in pe...I actually had the chance to meet McCullough in person. He came to my university for a seminar. Amazingly none of my history professors were in attendance. It is, as you say, due to the fact that many scholars within the historical community see him as a "Cracker-Jack" historian. <BR/><BR/>Personally, I found McCullough to be very refreshing. His writing is indisputably exceptional. Most historians would kill for that gift. Besides his writing, I found McCullough to be very humble and approachable (he graciously signed my copy of his bio on John Adams). <BR/><BR/>I have to wonder if some of the criticizm boils down to good old-fashioned jealousy. I've read a lot of McCullough's critics (and yes they do at times make some very valid claims regarding McCullough's work), but overall, McCullough has proven himself to be an exceptional historian, even if he lacks the Ph.D. to follow his name.Brad Harthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17669677047039491864noreply@blogger.com