Are Michael Bellesiles' Critics Afraid to Say What They Really Think?

History News Network ^ | April 9, 2002 | Jerome Sternstein

[Middle Man]

"His nephew, now a world famous deep sea fishing expert, is still a close friend of one of my brothers."

Years ago I went deep-sea fishing while on vacation in Florida. The first mate was a dead ringer for a very young Chuck Connors (early 20's). Everyone in the entourage made that observation because the resemblance was so striking. He just grinned sheepishly and said, "Yeah, everybody says that." I wonder....

[Pietro]

"That's how they showed it in the opening credits of that ancient TV series The Rifleman, starring Chuck Conners."

W/ all due respect, the series was "Branded"

"What do you do when you're branded, and you know you're a man/"

I loved that show when I was a kid. Otherwise excellent commentary.

[steve-b]

Russell Baker called him "the Milli Vanilli of academic publishing."

LOL!!

[Congressman Billybob]

I stand humbly corrected. "Branded" is the show I was referring to, with the "drumming out" sequence in the opening credits. As I recall, Chuck Conners starred in both that and "The Rifleman."

Another demonstration that there is no subject in the known universe so obscure that FReepers will not immediately -- but kindly -- correct you if you make an incorrect reference to it. Many thanks.

[beckett]

The first mate was a dead ringer for a very young Chuck Connors (early 20's).

It's possible. He has worked out of Florida, although I can't say for certain if he ever worked as a first mate on someone else's boat while he was in Florida. He has been a sports fishing captain and the owner of a marina and a fleet of boats for many years.

As for appearance, there is a strong family resemblance among all the members of the Connors family. His name is not Connors, however. His mother is Connors' sister.

[betty boop]

But once doubts began to appear about the quality of Bellesiles' scholarship and research, Wills suddenly became "too busy" to revisit the issue. Not a peep has been heard from him since. While his buddy Bellesiles was tied to the whipping post, Garry denied him three times.

I guess this just goes to show that, not only are these folks dishonest, but they're also "gutless wonders." Ah, the joys of moral relativism! You never have to pay a penalty...or ever say you're "sorry."

[LS]

As a professional historian (dang, I wished I specialized in early American firearms!) I can only say that for one of the few times, I am proud of my profession. Lindgren, Main, and others have done a whale of a job regardless of their own personal views.

It reminds me of when Ron Radosh, an avowed communist, used the Freedom of Information Act to obtain all the docs on the Rosenberg case. He was convinced---and said so, in his foreword---that he would "prove" the Rosenbergs innocent. The documents told him otherwise, and his last line is a classic: "Julius Rosenberg was guilty of espionage, and his wife, Ethyl, was almost certainly his accomplice."

When the pros are finished with Bellesiles, he may still be feted by the intellectual snobs, but the large majority of workaday historians will know who is a fraud.

[betty boop]

It's an old saw by now, but still rings true to me: Time is the Mother of Truth. One can't "falsify reality" and "get away with it" forever. Truly the professions must "police themselves" these days: There have just been way too many "short cuts" taken to the alleged truthful description of reality, in many disciplines. JMHO FWIW. Thank you, LS, for being there and doing what you do. best, bb.

[Hagrid]

btt

[Phaedrus]

Bellesiles appears to be a pathological liar, as well as a fraud.

I have noticed, as perhaps all here have, that the Left is consistent in only one way -- they are all liars.

[steve-b]

What I find most disgusting about Bellesiles is how his stories keep changing about his research.

At this rate, in a few months he'll be down to spinning tales about space aliens and the Bavarian Illuminati.