Eagle Days: Life and Death for the Luftwaffe in the Battle of Britain

[Nick Beale]

Originally Posted by John Vasco

And if your definition is accepted (historical enquiry in the sense of amassing all the evidence you can from all sides and going where it takes you, irrespective of what you first thought might be the case), which is perfectly reasonable, then that is what I (and a whole host of other researchers) have been doing since 1980! Do I see my research as 'scientific'? No, just research.

I only think of my stuff as research too. The contrast I would make is with the kind of Second World War history I grew up with: tales of heroes and daring raids/escapes with all the awkward bits left out, and with a bit of guesswork/imagination to bridge the occasional gap in the information.

[edwest2]

Guesswork and imagination have no place in historical research. Phrases like "it appears that" or "it is believed that" are place holders for gaps. Or "this author thinks this for the following reasons."

This is research: The event, the official documents (Air Min, Luftwaffe), secondary sources, including pilot log books, and third-hand sources, as in "We saw an American plane crash in a field by this village on this date." Nothing more. Let me repeat that: Nothing more.

As the various sources line up in terms of date and time, the greater the confidence that the event happened as described.

[Nick Beale]

Dr. Taylor will be talking aobut her upcoming book on ww2tv tomorrow (Tuesday).

[Chris Goss]

I hope it lives up to the hype and does in fact come up with something totally new. I will not be watching it as I will be enjoying a meal in a restaurant in SW France

[Nick Beale]

Originally Posted by Chris Goss

I will not be watching it as I will be enjoying a meal in a restaurant in SW France

The Offizier Kasino at Mont de Marsan, no doubt.

[Chris Goss]

Nope-restaurant Le Lou Marmitou just outside Mussidan😊. I look forward to what people like John V think as I am sceptical about these new and unpublished claims