Simon Schama, author of Citizens (a history of the French revolution) and Embarrassment of Riches (a cultural history of the Dutch), has authored a strange little book entitled Dead Certainties: Unwarranted Speculations . I say strange, because while I've enjoyed it, I can't figure it out. Basically, he describes two historical events from several perspectives, and the link between the two is tenuous indeed. We begin with a fictional account of the death of Wolfe on the heights of Abraham in Quebec seen through the eyes of a soldier participating in the battle. Schama then proceeds to describe the accuracy of Benjamin West's famous painting of the event. This is followed by an essay on Francis Parkman, who, of course, is best known for his authoritative work on the French in North America and The Oregon Trail Parkman insisted on authenticity for his works and, despite ill health, wandered over all the geography he wrote about; falling into swamps, scaling cliffs, and suffering attacks from hoards of black flies. The second part of the book is about the murder of George Parkman, Francis' uncle, (this is the gossamer link) by John Webster. George disappeared one afternoon in 1849 while out walking. He was a respected member of the Harvard faculty, as was Webster, who had become well known for his research into more humane methods of institutionalizing the mentally ill. Webster, professor of Chemistry at Harvard, was up to his eyeballs in debt, and it was discovered that he had borrowed money from Parkman and Robert Gould Shaw (uncle to the hero of the movie Glory) using his quite valuable and geologically significant collection of rocks as collateral for both. It was also learned that Parkman was very perturbed by this double use of the collateral and was demanding his money back. Schama then provides a detailed account of the investigation and trial, which became a Boston media event. Ultimately, I suppose, the book is a meditation on distinction between truth and reality. Does art constitute reality? Does literature/fiction recreate history? Does Francis Parkman have a lock on the truth?
