Looking for some input/feedback, please....

[Eric Wittenberg]

Jackson at gettysburg is a what if, not a myth

Agreed. And my take on that would be very, very brief. "If Jackson was at Gettysburg, he would have been in an advanced state of decomposition."

End of story.

 

[Bee]

One thing I learned a lot time ago was that if I was going to put my work out there with my name on it, I should be prepared for the consequences that come along with doing so. I'm used to it.

There are enough of us out here who are not the least bit sentimental about being led down a rabbit hole with a head full of misinformation. Bust away, and we shall line up to bee corrected.

 

[Dee]

Agreed. And my take on that would be very, very brief. "If Jackson was at Gettysburg, he would have been in an advanced state of decomposition."

End of story.

Well played Sir! Well played!

 

[Eric Wittenberg]

Well played Sir! Well played!

LOL. Thanks, Dee.

 

[John Hartwell]

Excellent idea. I'd like to see included an explanation of where the myths originated and how they took hold.

 

[diane]

I'm glad you've decided to do this, especially about Gettysburg. Sometimes even highly experienced, well regarded, etc etc historians end up repeating these myths because they simply don't question their information. Everybody knows this, in it goes. It's not CW, but I've read a lot of bios of Horatio Nelson, all mostly the same, then one guy decided to start questioning what had become standard knowledge of the admiral. He came up with some real myth-busters! No hatchet job - he liked Nelson and had grown up with him as a hero - and the myth-busting didn't diminish the man at all. In fact, it was the myth that had diminished the man!

 

[Nathanb1]

Dear heavens above! I would buy a LOT of those! I have often prayed for a.real historian to do that so I could send them to....er....those who shall remain nameless. Yes!

 

[Michael W.]

The Union Command structure on day one. Who REALLY was in charge? Not sure if this rates as a myth, or more controversy.

 

[JohnDLittlefield]

Eric,

Your books are the work of a serious historian, well researched and well written. My concern would be that by tackling myths you would actually add credence to them rather than your intent of debunking them. Folks that believe in and spread such myths are not adherents to actual history or they wouldn't believe as they do. I have long believed that myths are not fact based and therefore cannot be debunked by fact.

My take would be to leave debunking myth to junk authors and stick to the real history you excel at.

Look forward to your next work.

I would respectfully disagree. Junk authors generally perpetuate myth, not bust it, and I think a serious effort to debunk material that id less than factual would be a very valuable contribution to the field. I am doing something similar in my current work.
A few years ago, I read a myth debunking book for archaeology and liked it so much I used it as a supplemental text in my courses. Students loved the idea and wrote in evaluations that it was a fresh approach to topics they otherwise may have found less than exciting.
I love the idea and would certainly be interested in reading such a book.

 

[kwk63]

I am one of those members that just reads all of the great posts on these boards, not much of a poster, but I thought I would like to give my two cents on this issue. I was involved in a Gettysburg group years ago, it had disbanded because of some shady people that ran it. In that time I was very fortunate to meet some really, really good folks. I had the honor to meet Eric back then and he was just a great person, even if he is a Blue Jackets fan. I always find in amazing, the humility of these people that we all look up to, at least I do. The willingness to share what they know with you. Eric was one of the persons that inspired me to learn more and read more.

I have read a lot of your books and they are so good. I believe it would be a very worthwhile project. One, great writer and two, great subject. I would be the first one to purchase it.