Reevaluation is useful; cherry-picked history is not

How has postmodernism affected naval history?

Constructive work reevaluates the past with new evidence; the problem is theory-driven cherry-picking, a risk present in any school of history.

Revisiting old conclusions in light of new evidence is normal and useful historical practice, including work written by postmodern scholars. The label alone does not determine whether a history is sound. The warning sign is a theory chosen first and an evidentiary focus narrowed afterward to make it appear stronger. This danger is not unique to one school, so all historical arguments require attention to what evidence they include and omit.