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SOCIAL STUDIES DIARY

Major Critical Journal Reviews

My work has occupied my time to the point that I have not had time to review critques of my work. This changed recently when I reviewed the topic by googling "Author Thomas L. Dynneson". I was amazed to see that vast extent of citation and articles written about my work. One article in particular caught my eye. It was recently published in the Ancient World Magazine. The critical review was written by Johua R. Hall. I had never hears of this person and he never contacted me regarding his assignment to review my 2018 book: Rise of the Early Roman Republic. He started off his critique by admitting that he had not read any of my other books and still assumed  that he understood my work (I have six or seven published books not including my textbook which is in 1650 libraries worldwide). In summary, his long and rambling critique's main criticism suggests that I am a "historical Iconoclast" -- that is a person who attacks the long-held beliefs of cherished traditions (in this case the discipline of history). I do not see mysellf in his light as I consider my self a long standing historian in the form of cultural anthropology in and the teaching of history who has attempted (through Citizenship but from a Civism perspective) to achieve new historical insights. I have always operated under the understanding that I had hoped to add something new to historical interpretation of the the ancient past. (I was the trained in histrorical under two Coe Fellowships one at Macalester College in Saint Paul, Minnesota and one at Stanford University as graduate student in the history department.) The above is not a defense of the criticisms rendered by Johua R. Hall and the journal that hired paid him to review my 2018 book. I simply reject the idea that I am a "history iconoclast". Think what you will my work continues in the hopes publishing a new book currently in progress.

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