Primary vs. Secondary Sources in Military History
A letter from the front and a book about the battle are both evidence, but they answer different questions, and knowing which is which makes you a sharper reader of any war story.
8 min read →Section III
Firsthand vs. History
An eyewitness and a historian are both telling the truth as they can see it. Here is how the two kinds of account differ, and how they work together.
Memory and the War Memoir: Why Recollections Change
Memories of war are not recordings that slowly wear out. They are living things, rebuilt each time they are told, and understanding that makes us better listeners, not doubters.
8 min read →How Historians Weigh Eyewitness Accounts
Eyewitnesses are the heart of war history, and also its hardest puzzle. Here is how historians test what witnesses tell them, and what one famous debate reveals about the process.
9 min read →