http://crookedtimber.org/2005/08/12/presidential-historians-blog/ Out of the crooked timber of humanity, no straight thing was ever made Mon, 13 Feb 2012 09:29:41 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 http://crookedtimber.org/2005/08/12/presidential-historians-blog/comment-page-1/#comment-89551 ben alpers Sun, 14 Aug 2005 06:31:20 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2005/08/12/presidential-historians-blog/#comment-89551 Yes, eric, they include some very good historians. I'm not at all complaining about the POTUS blog, just wondering at the rising fortunes of what still seems to me to be a peculiar term. Yes, eric, they include some very good historians. I’m not at all complaining about the POTUS blog, just wondering at the rising fortunes of what still seems to me to be a peculiar term.

]]> http://crookedtimber.org/2005/08/12/presidential-historians-blog/comment-page-1/#comment-89165 Eric Rauchway Sat, 13 Aug 2005 05:48:37 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2005/08/12/presidential-historians-blog/#comment-89165 It's not a term I would have picked. But they're good historians, aren't they? It’s not a term I would have picked. But they’re good historians, aren’t they?

]]> http://crookedtimber.org/2005/08/12/presidential-historians-blog/comment-page-1/#comment-89016 Ben Alpers Fri, 12 Aug 2005 19:39:24 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2005/08/12/presidential-historians-blog/#comment-89016 I'm fascinated by the growth of the term "presidential historian." Yes, there are certainly historians, many of them excellent historians, who work on presidents and the presidency. But the term "presidential historian" sounds like an honorofic, like "Presidential Medal of Freedom." And it's a peculiar term because, for whatever reason, it simply has not been a recognized subfield in academic history. While academics will often talk of "political historians" or "labor historians" or "social historians" or "cultural historians," we never talk of -- or at least never used to talk of -- "presidential historians." I suppose the term has now gained academic acceptance, as HNN's POTUS blog (which actually seems to be be devoted to national political history, not just presidents and the presidency) identifies its contributors as "presidential historians." I’m fascinated by the growth of the term “presidential historian.” Yes, there are certainly historians, many of them excellent historians, who work on presidents and the presidency. But the term “presidential historian” sounds like an honorofic, like “Presidential Medal of Freedom.” And it’s a peculiar term because, for whatever reason, it simply has not been a recognized subfield in academic history. While academics will often talk of “political historians” or “labor historians” or “social historians” or “cultural historians,” we never talk of—or at least never used to talk of—“presidential historians.” I suppose the term has now gained academic acceptance, as HNN’s POTUS blog (which actually seems to be be devoted to national political history, not just presidents and the presidency) identifies its contributors as “presidential historians.”

]]> http://crookedtimber.org/2005/08/12/presidential-historians-blog/comment-page-1/#comment-88952 JP Fri, 12 Aug 2005 16:37:21 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2005/08/12/presidential-historians-blog/#comment-88952 What? No Michael Beschloss? My understanding after years of watching American news programming was that he was the only presidential historian in the whole world. What? No Michael Beschloss? My understanding after years of watching American news programming was that he was the only presidential historian in the whole world.

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