This is tricky. What I learned about was far from trivial. The fact that I learned it, was.
I have just watched a programme about aerial warfare in the first world war. It was fascinating and haunting. And irritating.
Because Albert Ball was exalted as the great ace (crudely, 44 kills). Mick Mannock (61) was not even mentioned. Surely class was not a factor, 95 years later?
And the position of the propeller shaft of the SE5 was wrong, probably because of the exigencies of reconstruction. I'm sure someone even geekier than me will make a devastating contrary case about this. But the objective facts are not the point, here---
My interest is in the fact that I read something about this when I was about 12. More than 50 years ago. I made no effort at all to "learn" it. Amazongly I have just found the source (Jones, 1954) Watching the programme, I was irritated by the continual references to 56 Squadron. I wanted to claim the primacy of 73 squadron. Actually it should have been 74 squadron...
I am drawing no conclusions, just questions.
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"Because Albert Ball was exalted as the great ace (crudely, 44 kills). Mick Mannock (61) was not even mentioned. Surely class was not a factor, 95 years later?"
ReplyDeleteAlthough acknowledging that objective facts aren't your point, during the war Mannock never came close to being the public "celebrity" that Ball had become (and hated being) by the end of 1916. Ball was the singular tragic figure "rock star" (and lone wolf) pilot of late 1916/early 1917.
As for the point you are making, I have noticed I hold some very definite opinions concerning things I haven't really spent a lot of time actively learning about. I've never really thought about it in the way you discuss, but what a fascinating point.
I suppose this adds to the importance of responsible education for children upfront, because of the ways in which a given interpretation, focus or habit being the first to take root subsequently influences everything thereafter.
-Matt
You are writing about "historiography", and interesting and well studied subject on its own.
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