oursin | Fakery and cynicism

For some reason I don't think I posted about the original exposure of this complex labyrinth of hoaxery, but there is an extended interview with the perpetrator in today's Guardian G2.

He hopes the large pile of books on his living-room table will guarantee his posthumous reputation.

Having myself cited an article he had in a reputable historical journal, I have been rather tempted to dash off to The National Archives in order to check his cites. His scholarship as himself (whoever that is...) may be entirely sound, but all this casts a long shadow over it. I think he is more likely to be on the list of famous hoaxers than enduringly significant historians. (Also, I once reviewed one of his books, not altogether favourably.)

This perhaps segues logically into Julian Baggini's claims for healthy cynicism...

On that thing in the interview about being 'too old' to be considered for university jobs, I have oft mentioned, my dearios, that academic friends and acquaintances are wont to ask me whether I have not considered moving into academe (perish the thort), which suggests that they think that this would be/have been a possibility, even at my advanced years. However, it occurs to me that having spent a significant amount of time in some profession with some relevance to one's field of scholarship may have some bearing on the matter - I do know people who shifted into becoming academics but that was after already having a career in government statistics, or the information professions, and so forth.