Zinn = Barton = rubbish?

The Atlantic on cult pop historians of the left and right.

Rand and Chomsky play the same game to some extent.

I have always found, at least since I clued in to why reading history is interesting (hint: it is not about being able to recite lots of facts) that one of the most useful bits of it is how reluctant historical figures are to fit into the political categories of the moment. They had different ideas, and different concerns. And from that one can learn, or be reminded, how transitory and arbitrary are many current political configurations.