Harvey Einbinder
Encyclopedia
Dr. Harvey Einbinder an American physicist
and amateur historian, spent five years combing the Encyclopædia Britannica
for flaws, and found enough to fill a 390-page book, called The Myth of the Britannica, in 1964. As summarized by The Age
two years later, Einbinder's book "showed beyond argument that the Britannica was not a completely impartial and absolutely infallible work of general reference; that 666 articles in the 1963 edition were reprinted from editions dating back to 1875 in some cases; that American influence on its editorial policy had become dominant".
Einbinder at one point also disputed the historical accuracy of the Black Hole of Calcutta
account. Among his other publications are An American Genius: Frank Lloyd Wright, and the play Mah Name is Lyndon.
Physicist
A physicist is a scientist who studies or practices physics. Physicists study a wide range of physical phenomena in many branches of physics spanning all length scales: from sub-atomic particles of which all ordinary matter is made to the behavior of the material Universe as a whole...
and amateur historian, spent five years combing the Encyclopædia Britannica
Encyclopædia Britannica
The Encyclopædia Britannica , published by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., is a general knowledge English-language encyclopaedia that is available in print, as a DVD, and on the Internet. It is written and continuously updated by about 100 full-time editors and more than 4,000 expert...
for flaws, and found enough to fill a 390-page book, called The Myth of the Britannica, in 1964. As summarized by The Age
The Age
The Age is a daily broadsheet newspaper, which has been published in Melbourne, Australia since 1854. Owned and published by Fairfax Media, The Age primarily serves Victoria, but is also available for purchase in Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory and border regions of South Australia and...
two years later, Einbinder's book "showed beyond argument that the Britannica was not a completely impartial and absolutely infallible work of general reference; that 666 articles in the 1963 edition were reprinted from editions dating back to 1875 in some cases; that American influence on its editorial policy had become dominant".
Einbinder at one point also disputed the historical accuracy of the Black Hole of Calcutta
Black Hole of Calcutta
The Black Hole of Calcutta was a small dungeon in the old Fort William, at Calcutta, India, where troops of the Nawab of Bengal, Siraj ud-Daulah, held British prisoners of war after the capture of the Fort on June 19, 1756....
account. Among his other publications are An American Genius: Frank Lloyd Wright, and the play Mah Name is Lyndon.
Publications
- The Myth of the Britannica. New York: Grove PressGrove PressGrove Press is an American publishing imprint that was founded in 1951. Imprints include: Black Cat, Evergreen, Venus Library, Zebra. Barney Rosset purchased the company in 1951 and turned it into an alternative book press in the United States. The Atlantic Monthly Press, under the aegis of its...
, 1964 / London: MacGibbon & Kee, 1964 / New York: Johnson Reprint Corp., 1972 - "Politics and the new Britannica", The Nation 220:11:342-4 (1975) - Review of the Britannica 3
- An American genius : Frank Lloyd Wright. New York : Philosophical Library, 1986, ISBN 080222511X
- Mah name is Lyndon; a play. Illustrated by Florence Safadi. New York, Lady Bird Press. 1968