Approaching politically sensitive naval history

How should a naval historian approach politically sensitive subjects such as Operation Catapult or the slave trade?

Address them openly and directly, acknowledge that participants may all look bad, and stay grounded in what happened.

Sensitive history should be explained as history rather than avoided because it produces uncomfortable judgments. The answer accepts that episodes such as Operation Catapult and the slave trade may leave participants or institutions without an admirable role. The historian's task is to state the evidence and context plainly rather than engineer a morally tidy cast. This approach distinguishes confronting a historical subject from trying to control a present political dispute through selective storytelling.