ABSTRACT
The spiral career documented in this Part is an exercise in the art of prosopography. This art form provides little guidance on how to structure the narrative and what to include in telling the story. There is a temptation to garner the reader’s attention by highlighting the more dramatic episodes in a career. Indeed, I was smitten by this temptation particularly in the chapter on “Behind the Scenes.” But there is also a responsibility to contribute to the stores of knowledge in the relevant fields. I have been aware of this responsibility throughout the writing both in terms of topic coverage and research findings. Mixing drama with science – stories with stores of knowledge – without confusing them is challenging. It turns out that accomplishing the research goals depends to no small degree on managing events, taking advantage of opportunities when they appear, and staying the course, by which I mean learning how to be resilient. These are contributions made by this career to the craft of prosopography.
