Comments on: Book Review: Malcolm Wanklyn – Decisive Battles of the English Civil War http://www.investigations.4-lom.com/2007/12/06/review-wanklyn-decisive-battles/ Failing better at understanding the past Mon, 12 Dec 2011 17:50:48 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Gavin Robinson http://www.investigations.4-lom.com/2007/12/06/review-wanklyn-decisive-battles/comment-page-1/#comment-14261 Gavin Robinson Fri, 01 May 2009 09:40:47 +0000 http://www.investigations.4-lom.com/2007/12/06/review-wanklyn-decisive-battles/#comment-14261 The key word here is "absolute". Saying that "there are no absolute facts" isn't the same as saying "there are no facts". Science doesn't have absolute facts either, which is why we need the scientific method with its emphasis on repeatable experiments. If absolute truth could exist it would have to be derived from a supernatural agent such as a god, which isn't very scientific. Science doesn't need absolute truth because science only needs to be good enough to allow us to do useful things. No-one really needs absolute truth (except fascists and religious fundamentalists). A second volume would be really good. I'd especially like to see Roundway Down and Adwalton Moor given the same treatment. Wanklyn was supposed to be working on a book about generals but I don't think it's appeared yet. The key word here is “absolute”. Saying that “there are no absolute facts” isn’t the same as saying “there are no facts”. Science doesn’t have absolute facts either, which is why we need the scientific method with its emphasis on repeatable experiments. If absolute truth could exist it would have to be derived from a supernatural agent such as a god, which isn’t very scientific. Science doesn’t need absolute truth because science only needs to be good enough to allow us to do useful things. No-one really needs absolute truth (except fascists and religious fundamentalists).

A second volume would be really good. I’d especially like to see Roundway Down and Adwalton Moor given the same treatment. Wanklyn was supposed to be working on a book about generals but I don’t think it’s appeared yet.

]]> By: Philip Wood http://www.investigations.4-lom.com/2007/12/06/review-wanklyn-decisive-battles/comment-page-1/#comment-14260 Philip Wood Thu, 30 Apr 2009 09:12:35 +0000 http://www.investigations.4-lom.com/2007/12/06/review-wanklyn-decisive-battles/#comment-14260 I have to agree that Wanklyn has produced the best account of these eight battles published to date. I must also disagree with the reviewers suggestion that there are no absolute facts in history (I am, for instance, convinced that it is a fact that these battles took place). Back to Wanklyn, I can only hope that he will continue his reassessment of more Civil War battles and "The Next Most Decisive Battles" hits the bookshops in the years to come. I have to agree that Wanklyn has produced the best account of these eight battles published to date. I must also disagree with the reviewers suggestion that there are no absolute facts in history (I am, for instance, convinced that it is a fact that these battles took place).

Back to Wanklyn, I can only hope that he will continue his reassessment of more Civil War battles and “The Next Most Decisive Battles” hits the bookshops in the years to come.

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