There's a scholar born every minute: This way to the eejit

In “There's a scholar born every minute”, the author aims to explain the background to Brown and Hackley's co‐authored paper, “The greatest showman on earth”, and respond to the comments of Richardson and Tadajewski.

The major concerns of the authors' critics are addressed, after a fashion. The author also attempts to account for their unorthodox approach to historical writing.

The authors are innocent of every charge levelled by Richardson and Tadajewski. Except one, which the author hides in a footnote hoping no one will read it.

The rejoinder is all style, no substance. So there!