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Past Imperfect: Facts, Fictions, and Fraud in the Writing of American History
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Past Imperfect: Facts, Fictions, and Fraud in the Writing of American History Hardback - 2004

by Peter Charles Hoffer

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Reader reviews for Past Imperfect: Facts, Fictions, and Fraud in the Writing of American History

From the publisher

Woodrow Wilson, a practicing academic historian before he took to politics, defined the importance of history: "A nation which does not know what it was yesterday, does not know what it is today." He, like many men of his generation, wanted to impose a version of America's founding identity: it was a land of the free and a home of the brave. But not the braves. Or the slaves. Or the disenfranchised women. So the history of Wilson's generation omitted a significant proportion of the population in favor of a perspective that was predominantly white, male and Protestant.

That flaw would become a fissure and eventually a schism. A new history arose which, written in part by radicals and liberals, had little use for the noble and the heroic, and that rankled many who wanted a celebratory rather than a critical history. To this combustible mixture of elements was added the flame of public debate. History in the 1990s was a minefield of competing passions, political views and prejudices. It was dangerous ground, and, at the end of the decade, four of the nation's most respected and popular historians were almost destroyed by it: Michael Bellesiles, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Stephen Ambrose and Joseph Ellis.

This is their story, set against the wider narrative of the writing of America's history. It may be, as Flaubert put it, that "Our ignorance of history makes us libel our own times." To which he could have added: falsify, plagiarize and politicize, because that's the other story of America's history.

Details

  • Title Past Imperfect: Facts, Fictions, and Fraud in the Writing of American History
  • Author Peter Charles Hoffer
  • Binding Hardback
  • Edition First Edition
  • Pages 400
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher PublicAffairs, New York, New York, U.S.A.
  • Publication date 2004-10
  • ISBN 9781586482442 / 1586482440
  • Weight 1.33 lbs (0.60 kg)
  • Dimensions 9.5 x 6.42 x 1.11 in (24.13 x 16.31 x 2.82 cm)
  • Category History - U.S.
  • Library of Congress Catalogue Number 2004048653
  • Dewey Decimal Code 973.072

About the author

Peter Charles Hoffer is professor of history at the University of Georgia. He is a member of the American Historical Association's professional division, which audits the standards of academic historians' work. The author of many books of academic history, he was also invited to advise the AHA on plagiarism. He lives in Georgia.

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Past Imperfect: Facts, Fictions, and Fraud in the Writing of American History
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Past Imperfect: Facts, Fictions, and Fraud in the Writing of American History

by Hoffer, Peter Charles

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PublicAffairs. First Edition. Very Good. With dust jacket. It's a well-cared-for item that has seen limited use. The item may show minor signs of wear. All the text is legible, with all pages included. It may have slight markings and/or highlighting.
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Past Imperfect: Facts, Fictions, and Fraud in the Writing of American History

Past Imperfect: Facts, Fictions, and Fraud in the Writing of American History

by Hoffer, Peter Charles

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Past Imperfect : Facts, Fictions and Fraud in the Writing of American History

Past Imperfect : Facts, Fictions and Fraud in the Writing of American History

by Peter Charles Hoffer

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  • Hardback
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Hardcover
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9781586482442 / 1586482440
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PublicAffairs, 2004. Hardcover. Good. Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
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Past Imperfect: Facts, Fictions, and Fraud in the Writing of American History

Past Imperfect: Facts, Fictions, and Fraud in the Writing of American History

by Hoffer, Peter Charles

  • Used
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  • Hardback
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ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9781586482442 / 1586482440
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PublicAffairs, 2004. Hardcover. Good. Former library book; Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
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Past Imperfect: Facts, Fictions, and Fraud in the Writing of American History

Past Imperfect: Facts, Fictions, and Fraud in the Writing of American History

by Hoffer, Peter Charles

  • Used
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  • Hardback
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ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9781586482442 / 1586482440
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PublicAffairs, 2004. Hardcover. Good. Missing dust jacket; Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
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Past Imperfect : Facts, Fictions and Fraud in the Writing of American History
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Past Imperfect : Facts, Fictions and Fraud in the Writing of American History

by Hoffer, Peter Charles

  • Used
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ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9781586482442 / 1586482440
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PublicAffairs. Used - Good. Former library copy. Pages intact with minimal writing/highlighting. The binding may be loose and creased. Dust jackets/supplements are not included. Includes library markings. Stock photo provided. Product includes identifying sticker. Better World Books: Buy Books. Do Good.
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Past Imperfect : Facts, Fictions and Fraud in the Writing of American History
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Past Imperfect : Facts, Fictions and Fraud in the Writing of American History

by Hoffer, Peter Charles

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Past Imperfect: Facts, Fictions, and Fraud in the Writing of American History
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Past Imperfect: Facts, Fictions, and Fraud in the Writing of American History

by Peter Charles Hoffer

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  • Hardback
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Hardcover
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9781586482442 / 1586482440
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Past Imperfect: Facts, Fictions, and Fraud in the Writing of American History
Stock photo: cover may vary

Past Imperfect: Facts, Fictions, and Fraud in the Writing of American History

by Peter Charles Hoffer

  • Used
  • Good
  • Hardback
Condition
Good
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9781586482442 / 1586482440
Quantity available
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Item price
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A$5.84 Delivery to USA

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Description:
PublicAffairs, October 2004. Hardcover. Good.
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Item price
A$11.68
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Past Imperfect: Facts, Fictions, and Fraud in the Writing of American History
Stock photo: cover may vary

Past Imperfect: Facts, Fictions, and Fraud in the Writing of American History

by Hoffer, Peter Charles

  • Used
  • Hardback
  • first
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Used
Edition
First Edition
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9781586482442 / 1586482440
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PublicAffairs, 2004-10-12. First Edition. hardcover. Used: Good. 6.50x1.00x9.75. Buy with confidence. Excellent Customer Service & Return policy.
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