I gave my two cents in a article

http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayIssue?jid=HET&volumeId=30&issue#

See in particular, the section IV. "The Neglect of contemporary history",
where incidentally I quote ERW.

  There is more I could say, but I don't want to create a discussion around
most historians (I said most) mathematical preparation, or lack thereof, for
contemporary history of economics analysis.

  In any case, in the last 50 years, several fields suffered attempts to be
put aside -- development, economic history, and found a way to come back,
mostly because they were able to communicate, in the same language, with the
mainstream. The story with HET has been different however.

  Nuno Palma