An historian in peace and war: the diaries of Harold Temperley, edited by T.G. Otte

Within the ‘command economy’ of British academic research, the non-negotiable expectation is that university historians will focus their efforts, almost exclusively, upon the production of refereed articles and monographs. Indeed, in each audit cycle, designated managers pore over these outputs trying to read the runes of their likely ‘star’ rating and thus determine whether they deserve inclusion in an institution’s submission. Sadly, from this reviewer’s experience, it would appear that the editing of archival sources for publication is sometimes considered a quixotic diversion of effort despite the obvious long-term benefits to the wider historical community, especially for the next generation of students cutting their teeth on primary works. Therefore, given this context, Professor Thomas Otte is to be especially commended for committing the time and effort needed to bring such fascinating diaries to us in an accessible form.