Topic: Book Review
12 font Times New Roman
Choose 1 book from the following:
“The Science of the Soul”
“River of Dark Dreams”
“Black Jacks”
“Facing East from Indian Country”
Follow through all the points:
1. Provide a brief synopsis of the book’s theme and argument
(You are expected to provide a concise synopsis of the author’s argument and the book’s content. Discuss the who, what, where, and when of the assigned book. Make sure to explain what time period the book covers (the Civil War, the American Revolution etc.), what historical actors (men, women, slaves etc.) the author discusses, and what geographical locations the book covers. Additionally, you should address what argument they believe the author is making about the past. Why is the author writing this book?
2. Your judgment on the author’s argument
(Do you believe the author is successful in posing and defending the argument? What are the strengths or flaws in the presentation? What improvements would you suggest?)
3. Evaluate the sources the author uses to support their argument
(Discuss what sources the author uses to make their argument. Such sources include things like government reports, diaries, novels, newspapers, material objects (like tools, clothing etc.), fashion, interviews, and other artifacts from the past. Are these sources valid? Do you find them problematic in any way? Either way, give your assessment of the sources)
4. Does this book challenge the existing history on this subject?
(Think about any meaningful ways this book challenges the existing historiography, or the body of literature on this subject. For example, if your book is on women or the Civil War, how will this work affect our understanding of that particular topic?)
Topic: Book Review
12 font Times New Roman
Choose 1 book from the following:
“The Science of the Soul”
“River of Dark Dreams”
“Black Jacks”
“Facing East from Indian Country”
Follow through all the points:
1. Provide a brief synopsis of the book’s theme and argument
(You are expected to provide a concise synopsis of the author’s argument and the book’s content. Discuss the who, what, where, and when of the assigned book. Make sure to explain what time period the book covers (the Civil War, the American Revolution etc.), what historical actors (men, women, slaves etc.) the author discusses, and what geographical locations the book covers. Additionally, you should address what argument they believe the author is making about the past. Why is the author writing this book?
2. Your judgment on the author’s argument
(Do you believe the author is successful in posing and defending the argument? What are the strengths or flaws in the presentation? What improvements would you suggest?)
3. Evaluate the sources the author uses to support their argument
(Discuss what sources the author uses to make their argument. Such sources include things like government reports, diaries, novels, newspapers, material objects (like tools, clothing etc.), fashion, interviews, and other artifacts from the past. Are these sources valid? Do you find them problematic in any way? Either way, give your assessment of the sources)
4. Does this book challenge the existing history on this subject?
(Think about any meaningful ways this book challenges the existing historiography, or the body of literature on this subject. For example, if your book is on women or the Civil War, how will this work affect our understanding of that particular topic?)
