History
Book Reviews
by Dr. Michael Nelson, Department
of History
Objectives of the history
book review
- To show me that you have learned (comprehended)
the material.
- To provide you the opportunity to discuss
(synthesize, analyze, evaluate) the material.
- To allow you to improve your writing
and critical thinking skills.
For what am I looking?
This is not a book report. That
means do not simply summarize the work; I have read the
books and already know what each contains. Rather I want you to
go beyond a summary and evaluate each work: what are its
strengths, weaknesses?
Specifications
- Typed, double-spaced, numbered, stapled
with 1 inch margins and a "respectable" font size
- No cover page is necessary
- Length is minimum of 3 full pages
- You need not cite pages from the book
(even quotations) unless you use a source other than the work
you are reviewing. Outside sources are not required but can be
very helpful, especially other published book reviews.
Structure
Papers should be structured in the following
fashion:
- Heading: Present the standard bibliographic information
about the book. An example: Woods, Randall Bennett. A Changing
of the Guard: Anglo-American Relations, 1941-1946. (Chapel
Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1990) Pp. 472.
- Introduction: This
should introduce the subject (book, title and author), put it
into a larger context, and clearly state your thesis. Essentially,
a thesis is a statement that gets to the core of the work--what
you are going to argue.
- Body:
This section is where you provide the "meat" of the
review. Not only should you provide a succinct overview of the
work, but also analyze, synthesize, and critically evaluate it.
At times, some issues will jump out at you and demand some kind
of comment on your part. Other times you will have to work to
find points on which to focus. To assist you, here are two areas
of inquiry:
Content: What do you think
of the ideas of the book? Has the author covered the subject
well? How would you appraise the scholarship, objectivity, or
arguments? Did the book stimulate your interest and thought?
Has the author achieved much in writing this book? Does he or
she answer the "so what" question? That is, does the
book contribute to your knowledge of history in general and of
this course in particular?
Style: What do you think of the book as a publication?
Did you enjoy reading it? Why? How would you appraise the author's
style, vocabulary, clarity, and organization? Are there features
such as maps, charts, tables, or illustrations? If so, are they
necessary? What would have made the book more readable?
- Conclusion
Writing Style and Grammar:
- The Writing
Center, located in Neville 206, has tutors who will work
with you at any point as you write your paper. Call 7083 or stop
by to make an appointment for a writing conference. Their Web
site has a section on writing
resources.
- Use book reviews in published history
journals as examples.
- Style guides are available in the library,
bookstore, and on-line:
Some helpful hints:
- Do not end sentences with prepositions.
- Avoid passive voice (was fought,
were debated, is shown,
are noted). Put the one doing the action first: The British
fought, Lincoln and Douglas debated, Jones shows, Smith notes.
- Do not use large, complex words, when
simple ones will work.
- Avoid first person (I, we) and second person
(you).
- Make sure that your paragraphs are organized
in a clear and cohesive fashion. Do not change subjects all of
a sudden in the middle of a paragraph.
Unnecessary, but important:
- Plagiarism is unacceptable in any way,
shape, or form!
- Papers are due during class. Given that
you have ample time to prepare these, I encourage you to get
them done prior to the night or day before they are due.
Likewise, if you have any questions, feel free to run them past
me. I will gladly work with you in writing and editing these
papers.
- Since we are all in college and each
of us has access to the modern technology of computers, I do
not tolerate errors. I expect you to proofread your work and/or
have someone proofread it. If I find more than three (3) different
errors, I will quit reading the paper and grade it on the material
I have covered.
- Turn papers in on time; late papers will
be accepted but will have points automatically subtracted.