Quote Originally Posted by Bopa the Magyar View Post
I recently finished re-reading both of Tom Hollands books. I find them to be masterclasses in narrative history. However, my lecturure recently derided Holland for being over dramatic and too emotive. In effect he was deriding the genre of narrative history.

What is it with academics? They write loads of books, but in such a way that the general reading public will never read them, so terribly dry is their style. It is left to narrative historians to do the job academics are here for, spreading knowledge, rather than circulating it among the crusty circles of universities!

You're thoughts on both narrative history, and the society of academia.
Sounds like jealousy. Or snobbery. Or both.

And yes, most Academics are incapable of tying their own shoelaces.

As for Holland, I really enjoyed Rubicon, but Persian Fire was totally spoiled by his constant need to phrase everything in post 9-11 terminology