ABSTRACT
Good historical writing is like a symphony played by a well-formed orchestra. All the sources have come together at one time to form a logical whole. The biography of Abraham Lincoln is an old standby, always open for reinterpretation, a historical work that is so oft-repeated in form that it is like a folk song in which each new performer adds his or her own new lines. Historians are like musicians who are aware of the invisible but underlying patterns in song. Historians or musicians who demand perfection in their craft will never finish their work. Good historical detectives must travel, conduct research, and interact with a variety of people. Lawyers are historians who specialize in modern legal problems. Historians and scientists may have a good idea about what comes next, but certainty is elusive. Good historians, like good scientists, must remind themselves that their findings are not necessarily universal truths.
