“Mr. Bellesiles Said He Was Saddened That His Student Had Altered the Details of a Personal Tragedy and That He Regretted That He Had Unknowingly Passed on a Story That Was Not Accurate”

I just wanted to highlight Jim’s post below about the latest Michael Bellesiles controversy, and Bellesiles’ response, which forms the basis of the post’s title.

I sympathize with people who unknowingly pass on stories that are not accurate (see here for one example from my own work). Still, doesn’t a big part of a historian’s job consist of checking on stories before one publishes magazine articles — or books — about them, precisely so that he does not unknowingly pass on a story that is not accurate, especially when the story is the heart of the article that he is writing? How much unknowing passing along of stories that are not accurate might there be in Prof. Bellesiles’ forthcoming book?