Saturday, February 21, 2009

The First Draft Dodge of History

Loyola doesn't think much of Thomas Ricks' latest book on Iraq:

As the trauma of the war begins to recede, historians can set about reconstructing what actually happened — and the equally fascinating story of what people thought of it at the time. Though America’s “adventure” in Iraq no longer looks quite so bad, and there are mounting reasons to think that future generations will see it more positively, Ricks remains steadfast. “Fiasco” is still his story, and he’s sticking to it.


I don't think much of Ricks' historical analysis, either. He's in way over his head.