General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: So, who has read SHATTERED yet? [View all]lapucelle
(18,239 posts)What parts of the book are well sourced? One would hope, at the very least, that any factual information is well documented.
Is the inside-the-campaign gossipy stuff well sourced? Are the sources named, anonymous, or undisclosed? Are the Comey or Putin effects discussed in any depth? Do the media insider authors see any flaws in the media coverage?
I've spent a good part of my professional life as an academic editor, so my standards are rigorous. There is a difference between an interesting read and a book that actually passes muster as serious analysis.
The NPR review perhaps best summarizes what the book represents: "a first bridge beyond the journalism of the campaign year to the scholarship of the historians and other scholars".
When an unsmiling Joy Reid interviewed an uncomfortable looking Jonathan Allen, the best he could do when defending the gossipy focus of the work was to say: "This is a serious book. Everybody should buy it." Sorry, darlin', but you should be able to provide a better rationale for you book than the profit motive. And the book tour continues.