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Band Of Brothers author accused of fabrication for Eisenhower biography [Stephen Ambrose]
The Observer ^ | 25 April 2010 | Paul Harris

Posted on 04/25/2010 4:09:15 AM PDT by Daffynition

His book Band of Brothers – which chronicled the exploits of one company of US airborne troops in second world war Europe – was turned into a highly praised TV series.

But now American historian Professor Stephen Ambrose, who was President Dwight D Eisenhower's official biographer and wrote or edited more than a dozen books about him, is embroiled in a posthumous controversy. It is alleged that he invented many meetings he claimed to have had with Eisenhower, and even fabricated entire interviews with him. The revelations have sent shock waves through the scholarly community in the United States.

The books written by Ambrose, who died in 2002, brought him popular acclaim, and director Steven Spielberg used him as a military adviser on his 1998 Oscar-winning film Saving Private Ryan. Band of Brothers became a cultural milestone when it was turned into a TV series on which Ambrose was a producer. It was hailed for educating an entire generation about the sacrifices of their forefathers. But it appears that Ambrose indulged in some sort of fantasy about the extent of his relationship with Eisenhower. In TV interviews, he claimed to have spent "hundreds and hundreds of hours" with the former president. He even once said he would spend two days a week working with Eisenhower in his office.

[snip]

(Excerpt) Read more at guardian.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Books/Literature; History; Military/Veterans
KEYWORDS: academia; bandofbrothers; eisenhower; godsgravesglyphs; history; honesty; stephenambrose; wwii
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1 posted on 04/25/2010 4:09:15 AM PDT by Daffynition
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To: Daffynition

whoa


2 posted on 04/25/2010 4:11:01 AM PDT by happinesswithoutpeace (1.416785(71) x 10^32)
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To: happinesswithoutpeace

I could be mistaken but I seem to recall that prior to his death, word was out that some of the material he used for his books came from some of his aides who did the research for him. Wheather he took credit for other peoples work or just relied on their research without verifying I don’t remember.


3 posted on 04/25/2010 4:18:32 AM PDT by mware (F-R-E-E, that spells free, Free Republic.com baby.)
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To: mware

And then there’s Doris Kearns Goodwin...


4 posted on 04/25/2010 4:21:37 AM PDT by afraidfortherepublic
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To: mware

Ya I think some authors jacked him to.


5 posted on 04/25/2010 4:21:43 AM PDT by happinesswithoutpeace (1.416785(71) x 10^32)
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To: afraidfortherepublic

Oh yeah, lots of that going around it seems.


6 posted on 04/25/2010 4:25:03 AM PDT by mware (F-R-E-E, that spells free, Free Republic.com baby.)
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To: mware

McCullough regularly sends research assistants to the Library of Congress.


7 posted on 04/25/2010 4:29:10 AM PDT by KingLudd
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To: Daffynition
The revelations have sent shock waves through the scholarly community in the United States.

Yes, and we know what paragons of virtue they are.

/s

8 posted on 04/25/2010 4:30:19 AM PDT by EternalVigilance (I don't believe in athiests.)
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To: EternalVigilance

^__^


9 posted on 04/25/2010 4:32:04 AM PDT by happinesswithoutpeace (1.416785(71) x 10^32)
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To: mware
The Plagiarist: Why Stephen Ambrose is a vampire.

It's lefty Slate but is pretty much accurate here. Ambrose was a fraud and NARA has just reconfirmed it.

10 posted on 04/25/2010 4:32:09 AM PDT by Virginia Ridgerunner (Sarah Palin has crossed the Rubicon!)
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To: KingLudd; All

The dirty little secret among academic historians, especially the famous ones like McCullough, is that they get huge research grants and then use the money to hire research assistants to do most of the work for them.


11 posted on 04/25/2010 4:36:53 AM PDT by Virginia Ridgerunner (Sarah Palin has crossed the Rubicon!)
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To: EternalVigilance
Channelling Ike
12 posted on 04/25/2010 4:42:16 AM PDT by Daffynition ( In the span of one man's lifetime, only the individual has any potential - not the collective.)
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To: Virginia Ridgerunner
It's lefty Slate but is pretty much accurate here. Ambrose was a fraud and NARA has just reconfirmed it.

Quite a number of "renowned authors" have been attacked as plagiarists in recent years..

In reading their works and the charges of plagiarism leveled against them..., I have come to the conclusion that human "memory" is influenced greatly by the volumn of material read! In other words..., EVERYONE will speak or write certain material which they have previously read, in some form, fully believing that they have original authorship!

While I would like to state that everything I have spoken/written represents "original thought"..., I can assure you that it is not! This is not intentional "plagiarism" but, instead, is the inevitable result of limitless availability of information in the modern age!

13 posted on 04/25/2010 4:43:51 AM PDT by ExSES (the "bottom-line")
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To: ExSES
I have come to the conclusion that human "memory" is influenced greatly by the volumn of material read! In other words..., EVERYONE will speak or write certain material which they have previously read, in some form, fully believing that they have original authorship!

While I would like to state that everything I have spoken/written represents "original thought"..., I can assure you that it is not! This is not intentional "plagiarism" but, instead, is the inevitable result of limitless availability of information in the modern age!

Already posted!

















(Just kidding...)

14 posted on 04/25/2010 4:48:24 AM PDT by EternalVigilance (I don't believe in athiests.)
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To: EternalVigilance

Yes, you tagged that one rightly. There is the Leftist’s
version of events and then there is the actual facts,
never the two shall meet. One of my favorite examples,
the Kennedy Family. “Camelot”, more like come-a-lot and
puke-a-lot.
‘Scholarly community’ agenda driven, drivel, about the same
as PBS.


15 posted on 04/25/2010 4:53:24 AM PDT by Doulos1 (Bitter Clinger Forever)
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To: Daffynition

Always remember that Mr. Ambrose was one of the historians who testified before congress that, in their view, President Clinton’s acts should not be considered impeachable in a historical context.


16 posted on 04/25/2010 4:55:01 AM PDT by InABunkerUnderSF (California -- Ya es como Mexico)
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To: afraidfortherepublic

AMEN!! Ambrose and Goodwin are liars....period.


17 posted on 04/25/2010 4:56:54 AM PDT by Ann Archy (Abortion,,,,,,the Human Sacrifice to the god of Convenience.)
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To: Daffynition; Homer_J_Simpson

History is a myth that men agree to believe.
— Napoleon Bonaparte


18 posted on 04/25/2010 4:58:41 AM PDT by abb ("What ISN'T in the news is often more important than what IS." Ed Biersmith, 1942 -)
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To: abb
“Historian: an unsuccessful novelist.”
-- HL Mencken
19 posted on 04/25/2010 5:02:41 AM PDT by EternalVigilance (I don't believe in athiests.)
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To: EternalVigilance

History will be kind to me, for I intend to write it.
— Winston Churchill


20 posted on 04/25/2010 5:04:43 AM PDT by abb ("What ISN'T in the news is often more important than what IS." Ed Biersmith, 1942 -)
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