Historical Book Review

GUIDELINES FOR WRITING THE HISTORICAL BOOK REVIEW

The historical book review must contain the answers to the specific following questions. It must be in the format of a well-written essay, use a font of 10 or 12, be double-spaced between lines , use Spell and Grammar Check, and be 3 pages long.

INTRODUCTION: State the author’s thesis. Why did he/she write the book?

SUMMARY:
1. Identify the type of book (military, biography, autobiography, slave narrative, politics, etc) and its main subject.
2. 2. Describe the author’s support for the work. What sources did they use, what research did they do and where?
3. What are the main components of the author’s argument/thesis?
CONTEXT:
1.When was the book written, what is the date of publication?
2.Who is the author? What are his/her credentials? What is the author’s background?
3. What is the author’s theoretical perspective? Is it narrative or revisionist history?
CRITIQUE:
1. How are historical events described? Chronologically or thematically?
2. How effective is the author’s use of the evidence (sources, primary and/or secondary)?
3. Does the author prove the thesis? Are you convinced by the author’s arguments?
HISTORIOGRAPHY
1. How does the book relate to previous history? Is it new research or a new way of interpreting the sources, events?
2. How might the book affect future historical writing? Can the methods be used by other historians in other fields?
3. Who is the author’s audience? General public or other historians?
CONCLUSION
1. What is your impression of the book? Did you like it? Why or why not?
2. What was its affect on you? Would you recommend it to others? Why or why not?

CITATIONS
YOU MUST CITE ANY MATERIAL USED FROM THE BOOK OR ANY OTHER SOURCE YOU USE IN YOUR PAPER. Any use of direct quotes or paraphrases must be cited in the paper. To answer the questions, you will need to cite the book. Use MLA method of citation. Include a Works Cited page that includes the author’s name, city of publication, publishing house, and the year of publication.
NOT CITING THE AUTHOR OR OTHER SOURCES IS PLAGARISM AND AUTOMATICALLY EARNS A ZERO GRADE FOR THE PAPER.