Klal Yisroel has so much to be thankful to Artscroll. Not just for their wonderful translations of Tanach, Mishna, and Gemorah, but for their absolutely fabulous Jewish history publication. Both general and biographies. While the whole world is busy publishing all kinds of junk in the name of academic history, there are few like Artscroll that give us an accurate reading of Jewish history and personalities.
Baruch Hashem for Artscroll. Imagine the Dafim that would CV not be learned without “Uncle Art”.
I also agree with Shlishi’s statement, excepting that Artscroll B’Davka does ignore areas that are in reality (as far as what we are trying to acompish with a Biography) unimportant. Do we really need to know that at the age of 5, Gadol X got into a fight with his sister? Or that he brushed his teeth (or did not)? It doesn’t help our understanding of the Gadol, or help our Yiras Shomayim. This is not a “Historical” biography, as with all Yiddishe publications, it has a purpose.
Edited