--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The people who write official histories…" description: "\"The people who write official histories for the Army believe that a generation needs to pass before you can tackle the official history. It's useful to..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bdb/rick-atkinson-7144_about_the-people-who-write-official-histories_3070476.jpg" --- # The people who write official histories for the Army… ![“The people who write official histories for the Army believe that a generation needs to pass before you can tackle the official history. It's useful to have some distance. Sources become available. Passions cool. It allows an opportunity to make some real assessments and judgments about…” quote by Rick Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bdb/rick-atkinson-7144_about_the-people-who-write-official-histories_3070476.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bdb/rick-atkinson-7144_about_the-people-who-write-official-histories_3070476.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bdb/rick-atkinson-7144_about_the-people-who-write-official-histories_3070476.jpg) > “The people who write official histories for the Army believe that a generation needs to pass before you can tackle the official history. It's useful to have some distance. Sources become available. Passions cool. It allows an opportunity to make some real assessments and judgments about personalities and characters.” [Rick Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-atkinson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Historical distance allows clearer judgment; time brings sources, cools passions, and enables objective assessment of personalities. **In simple terms:** Time and distance improve historical accuracy. Key Takeaway Seek perspective before forming judgments. Themes history objectivity assessment Mood analytical thoughtful Type historical critical When to use this quote - academic research - policy analysis - memoir writing Key Concepts temporal distance source criticism Questions to Reflect On - What sources could change your view of an event? - How does distance affect your judgment? A Different Perspective Immediate accounts may lack full context. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Army](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/army/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Characters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/characters/) [Generation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/generation/) [Generations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/generations/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Judgment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judgment/) [Judgments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judgments/) [Opportunity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opportunity/) [Passion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/passion/) [Passions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/passions/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Personalities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/personalities/) [Personality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/personality/) [Personality and character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/personality-and-character/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [Our official histories of our countries and societies are made of forgetfulness,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mia-couto/our-official-histories-of-our-countries-and-societies-are-made-of/) [Mia Couto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mia-couto/) > [This above all makes history useful and desirable; it unfolds before our eyes a glorious record of exemplary actions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/this-above-all-makes-history-useful-and-desirable-it-unfolds-before/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [To a man of liberal education, the study of history is not only useful, and important, but altogether indispensable, and with regard to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-quincy-adams/to-a-man-of-liberal-education-the-study-of-history-is-not-only-useful/) [John Quincy Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-quincy-adams/) > [Official history is believing the murderers at their word.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-weil/official-history-is-believing-the-murderers-at-their-word/) [Simone Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-weil/) > [Official history is a matter of believing murderers on their own word.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-weil/official-history-is-a-matter-of-believing-murderers-on-their-own-word/) [Simone Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-weil/) > [There are two histories : official history, lying, and then secret history, where you find the real causes of events.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/there-are-two-histories-official-history-lying-and-then-secret/) [Honore de Balzac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honor-de-balzac/) > [We must wait for the official history of the Chinese Revolution to record in greater detail the invaluable work of our Japanese friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-yat-sen/we-must-wait-for-the-official-history-of-the-chinese-revolution-to/) [Sun Yat-sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-yat-sen/) > [Official history is merely a veil to hide the truth of what really happened. 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