Book Response: James E. Crisp’s Sleuthing the Alamo: 

This paper is on Book Response: James E. Crisp’s Sleuthing the Alamo: Davy Crockett’s Last Stand and Other Mysteries of the Texas Revolution.

Book Response: James E Crisp’s Sleuthing the Alamo

Book Response: James E. Crisp’s Sleuthing the Alamo: Davy Crockett’s Last Stand and Other Mysteries of the Texas Revolution

Specifics:
Write a short essay (3 full pages, double-spaced) that critically examines James Crisp’s book.  Your paper should address the following issues:

1)            What is the central thesis of the book?  Does the author provide sufficient evidence to back up his assertions?  Focus on key arguments.

2)            How does the author structure his argument and “prove” his thesis; in other words, what are the major points of the book?

3)            What is the significance of this work?  Are there any new revelations and/or contributions to historical understanding?  Does this book challenge the traditional narrative (traditional story of the Texas Revolution)?  If so, how?  How is the author’s approach “revolutionary”?

4)            How does this book fit into the larger historiography (how historians have covered this topic) on this subject?

5)            Critically assess the book.  Does the author successfully prove his case?  Has he left out key information?  Do you feel that he needed to take his analysis in a different direction?  Be critical, but provide a cogent analysis.

Be sure to address all of the points listed above (although you’ll spend more time on #1 and #2).  You’ll need to push yourselves to provide a scholarly assessment of this work.  To do well on this assignment, your essay will need to be both well written and well argued.

Avoid: 
1st person, contractions, and no informal writing or slang.

Format:
Double space, one-inch margins, full 3 pages of content

Quotations: 
For direct citations, include page number (p.2); be sure to introduce book and author at the beginning of your essay.