History As It Is Rewritten

A public relations coup has inundated the U.S. with 350,000 copies of Admiral Morison’s “legacy to his countrymen.”* Included among the testimonials for this product are: “a delight to read” (from Bruce Catton, himself a strong brand name); “I whooped with sheer joy at its style, wit, raciness, structure, narrative power…” (Max Lerner); and “unquestionably, the best general history of the United States ever written” (Johns Hopkins...