‘Wait, Your Footnotes Are in Cyberspace?’ | Vitae

"In his much-discussed new book, the political historian Rick Perlstein describes The Invisible Bridge—how the fall of Richard Nixon paved the way for the rise of Ronald Reagan and modern conservatism in 1970s America. But for a number of historians and editors at scholarly presses, the book’s title has taken on an unexpected second meaning. 'We’re all discussing the invisible bridge between the arguments made in Perlstein’s book and the citations living elsewhere online,' said Mick Gusinde-Duffy, editor in chief at the University of Georgia Press. The mammoth political biography checks in at 880 pages—and retails for $37.50—but it contains no bibliography and not a single endnote or footnote. That’s because Perlstein and his publisher, Simon & Schuster, kept the citations out of the book. Instead he posted a full list on his personal website, rickperlstein.net ... Perlstein said his decision was based on the lack of conversation among readers about the sources he used in his first two hit books, Nixonland and Before the Storm. This time, he said, he wants to foster more interaction with those readers ..."