"Benign deity" or golden calf?

McPherson's new book is out, and the reaction is typical. From the Washington Post...

One of the many reasons why James M. McPherson is the pre-eminent contemporary historian of the Civil War -- perhaps the pre-eminent historian of that war, period -- is that he knows historical truth...

... another reason why McPherson ... stands above all others: Not only does he read everything, but he is always open to judgments that differ from his own and facts that demand new interpretations.

McPherson presides over it [ACW history] like a benign deity, issuing occasional thunderbolts of disagreement but generally cheering on his fellow historians as they pursue ever elusive Truth.

Over and over again, McPherson seeks to separate myth and fantasy from fact ...

(Found on Amazon.)