Historical research shows up in smart nonfiction books all the time such as Walter Isaccson’s Pulitzer prize-winning biography of Benjamin Franklin. What is it about this type of research that lends...

Historical research shows up in smart nonfiction books all the time such as Walter Isaccson’s Pulitzer prize-winning biography of Benjamin Franklin. What is it about this type of research that lends itself to popular consumption?

Isn’t it enough to just have an eyewitness for a source of information? Why bother with authenticity and accuracy as criteria?