>In other words - can we be sure of anything that the old textbooks told us?<

So much 'accepted history' is now being re-examined. I don't know if anyone else saw it but there was a wonderful prog on recently about the history and legacy of the Moors in Spain - a history and legacy still not properly accepted by Spanish historians. Unfortunately there are many in academic circles who are terrified of sticking their necks out for fear of being ridiculed, and others who have invested a lifetime writing about, and supporting, the accepted version of history to let it go too easily.

Wasn't it you, Peter (apologies if it was someone else), who said on another thread that we (here and on other similar Lists) don't really have anything to lose? We have the freedom to toss our ideas around (within reasonable limits ;-) and in so doing probably get as close to historical 'truth' as any 'professional' historian.