At 11:42 AM 9/3/97 -0700, Ms. Kathy Farretta wrote:

>this is an interesting debate, interesting in that we have covered it
>backwards and forwards in my seminars as a history grad student.
>
>historians love to claim the objective "how it was" and deny that they
>have an agenda of any sort.  but to be truthful and honest this is not
>possible.

To this we should add the words of a contemporary of Mark Twain's, Ambrose
Bierce.
>From "The Devil's Dictionary":

HISTORY, n.  An account mostly false, of events mostly unimportant,
which are brought about by rulers mostly knaves, and soldiers mostly
fools.

    Of Roman history, great Niebuhr's shown
    'Tis nine-tenths lying.  Faith, I wish 'twere known,
    Ere we accept great Niebuhr as a guide,
    Wherein he blundered and how much he lied.

                                                           Salder Bupp
Marcus W. Koechig