Instead, it is usually better to look at all the actors and sides sympathetically and accurately so as to arrive at a broad understanding of their circumstances and views, reserving judgement until the end.
A grounding the original sources is important so as to try to see history as it unfolded, not merely in retrospect.
That was more or less what Thucydides did in his magnificent History of the Peloponnesian War.
Agreed. That’s why I emphasize what the people at the time were saying MUCH more than I care about the opinions of historians later.....or even what the people themselves said later. People will remember the past in the way that is most convenient to them. Historians are only humans who have their own biases and their own opinions (kinda like “scientists” and “experts” now and just look how biased they are, how prone to self interest and groupthink).
I would much rather see what the people said and did before and during an event and then form my own opinions rather than have somebody else “interpret” for me and tell me what I “should” think about this or that. I can do that for myself thankyouverymuch.