The Daily Quarterly invested millions of dollars into its own Beagle Pilot Feasibility Study and confirmed the results: It is unlikely that a beagle would be able to pilot a WW I aircraft.
Providence, RI—In his new book, Brown University history professor and World War I historian Dr. Gregg Guidi exposes the truth behind the longstanding story made popular in both the funny pages and in song about Snoopy fighting the German fighter pilot known as the Red Baron.
Guidi said he’s spent his entire career searching war documents, army archives and newspaper accounts and has finally finished his 2,871 page book putting to bed the “disturbingly historically inaccurate” myth that the beloved “Peanuts” star took on the Red Baron during World War I.
“Snoopy didn’t serve in the United States Armed Forces, he did not engage the Red Baron in an aerial dogfight and he was not a World War I flying ace, as he so callously refers to himself in accounts I’ve read,” said Guidi. “And now, I have enough evidence to call out this cowardly dog.”
Guidi said this myth is “literally like saying Garfield the cat fought Genghis Khan. Literally.”
The book, titled, “What’s Black and White and Never Fought the Red Baron All Over?” will hit bookstores November 18th, just in time to coincide with the Thanksgiving Charlie Brown special.
“Since 1966, Charles Shulz and Snoopy have been trying to fill the minds of the American public with inaccurate, unsubstantiated, and I think, potentially very, very harmful misinformation about a beagle dog facing off against an historical figure,” Guidi said. “I think it’s dangerous, I think it’s irresponsible, and I think it’s high time that this nonsense be rectified and pulled from the television airwaves. It’s doing a disservice to history and to World War I historians everywhere.”
After the storyline of Snoopy fighting the Red Baron first appeared in the comic strip in 1966, Florida-based rock band The Royal Guardsmen released the song, Snoopy Vs. The Red Baron. The Peanuts Halloween special, “It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown,” also included scenes of Snoopy taking on the Red Baron, whose real name was Manfred von Richthofen, and who was shot down and killed on April 21, 1918.
“The notion that a dog, any dog, could pilot a Sopwith Camel would be laughable, if it weren’t so disturbingly historically inaccurate,” Guidi said.
Yeah well the idea of a dumb stupid beagle as the ill-fated annoying flying ace is not really laughable at all and the real part of him his, he’ suddenly boring and uninteresting to look at!
I think the above comments are nonsense! It’s a cartoon..a cartoon that sent, and still does today, some very good messages. Pulling a little bit of history into it is not dangerous or irresponsible. It makes kids wonder “Who is the Red barron?’ thus prompting them to reach in and discover a little history. Most people don’t really believe a cartoon dog fought the real red barron, but might just learn something from having a bit of history incorporated into a wonderful classic cartoon!
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Now come on people. I saw it with my own eyes! saying that Snoopy didn’t shoot down The Baron is like saying we never landed on the moon. I’m going to bookmark this link over with The Onion, since clearly this “Historian” is not reporting on any facts….SMH.
I think what this author really needs is time with a female beagle! Snoopy needs to decorate him and make him part of his dog house Christmas display!!
Then how do you explain all those bullet holes in Snoopy’s doghouse, hmmm? I think the author has way too much time on his hands! Seriously, get a life!
Who cares, That stupid beagle became whacky just feels boring as the WW1 flying ace.
Seriously, it is nothing but a children’s cartoon. There are plenty of other cartoons that include partial truths as well. There is no harm in including some history into a cartoon and making the cartoon character the hero. This happens in a lot of children’s stories. This “historian” needs to limit his criticisms to things that are claiming to be fact, not to stories that are obvious works of fiction.
This Brown Proff is most likely a Liberal. My great grandfather has photos taken by him of the dead Baron and Snoopy, having just landed after his victory, cutting the iron cross from the fuselage of the aircraft. There is also video tape footage of those Aussies taking the prize and beating Snoopy with a Sunday Gazette, true down under Wankers and probably Cat Lovers too.
This author cant tell the difference between fiction and something claiming to be fact.
This piece is hilarious.
I read this book and it was dumb.
I heard that the pilot that shot down the red Barron had a pitcher of his beagle on the dashboard of his plan
There is a huge flaw in this historian’s analysis. Snoopy flew as a volunteer in the British Royal Air Force. So of course there is no record of him in the American armed forces.
If Snoopy wasn’t Flying it why was it called dog fighting? Please respond, need answer ASAP.
Dr. Gregg Guidi mentions: “The notion that a dog, any dog, could pilot a Sopwith Camel would be laughable, if it weren’t so disturbingly historically inaccurate!” Obviously Dr. Guidi spreads “alternative facts”. :-) There is even proof that Snoopy’s girlfriend Fifi is flying a Sopwith Camel F.1 (civilian version, twin .303 Vickers MGs removed). Photographic proof: http://s3.storage.akamai.coub.com/get/b137/p/coub/simple/cw_timeline_pic/b7f3883b42f/71ff890021df5531991ff/big_1481881026_image.jpg