GDG- Killing Lincoln

[Dennis Lawrence]

>
> >
>    On one hand we have the scholarly, academic works --- most often 
> turnedout by university presses, large and small --- and which seem 
> to have beenwritten more to gain tenure and force students in the 
> professor's classes to pay exorbitant  amounts of money at the 
> student book store to use as a textbook in that same professor's classes.
>    Then we have the Popular histories --- as the higher education 
> snobs like to term it during their "What has history come to?" 
> discussions in the faculty lounge . --- which people actually buy 
> willingly and read enthusiastically.
Hello,

     There is no negative connotation  to the term popular 
history.  There are no higher education snobs who have used it in 
that manner.  Then again, I have not been in the faculty lounge  when 
these discussions you claim happen  occur.

Perhaps some professors misuse their scholarly work to 
force  students to buy their book , but they won't get rich that 
way.   I'm no fan of textbooks or textbook publishers, and we all 
have horror stories of the exorbitant prices of some text.  But I do 
not think you can characterize that goal  as the purpose of academic 
scholarship.

For the most part they are part of the academic scholarship from 
which popular histories can be drawn.   Invaluable resources for all.


Take Care

Dennis