Official reports and private papers can contain very different accounts of a naval officer. Alex describes finding a personal explanation for an assessment of an unnamed destroyer officer's energy and stamina. He treats it as interesting context while explicitly questioning whether it can be used, because the story lacks substantiation. The example separates evidence of what someone wrote or believed from proof that the underlying anecdote happened.
Notable Point · 4:41:49-4:43:49
What private naval papers can and cannot establish
An anecdote about officer assessments illustrates the difference between useful context and substantiated evidence.