The genoa conference european diplomacy 1921-1922 by carole fink

Instructions for Book Reviews WRITING AN HISTORICAL BOOK REVIEW Writing a book review as an assignment in a history course has at least four important objectives: (1) effective writing, (2) a substantive knowledge about a particular historical topic, (3) the development of a historical perspective and an understanding of the nature and use of historical research, and (4) an ability to think critically about the work of others. A typical summary Abook report@ can at best teach only the first two objectives. A critical book review goes beyond mere summary to inquire into the overall worth of the work. Choose a book in accordance with the instructions provided in the syllabus. When you obtain the book, glance at the table of contents and the bibliography, and read the prefatory material. Determine the purpose of the book. The best place to discover this is usually in the preface, forward, or introduction. What demand did the author intend to fulfill with the book? Did the author write because there was no satisfactory work available on the subject? Did the writer think that he or she had a new point of view on a well-worn topic? Perhaps the author wrote a popular account of a subject about which previous works had been dull and dry. Determine the audience for which the work was intended. Was the work directed mainly at professional historians, at college students, or at the general public? Ascertaining the author=s purpose is important, for, assuming that the purpose is worthwhile, the writer should be judged by whether he or she achieved what was meant to be accomplished. Learn the author=s qualifications and point of view. Find out the author=s academic background. Is the author a journalist, a professor, or a professional writer? Has this writer published other books on related topics? Consult the card catalog; check Who=s Who in America, Contemporary Authors, The Directory of American Scholars, other directories or the Internet. Point of view, however, is generally more important than credentials, since an author must be judged mainly by the quality of the particular work you are examining. A Pulitzer Prize-winner may later write an undistinguished book. But many first books, often derived from the author=s doctoral dissertations, are outstanding. Knowing the author=s point of view, however, may put a reader on guard for certain biases. A Marxist historian will often write from a predictable perspective, as will an extreme rightist. Biographers are often biased for or against their subjects. Look for information on point of view in prefatory materials, in the body of the book, and in reference works with entries about the author. Read the book. Read critically and analytically. Be sure to identify the author=s thesis–the main argument of the book. Look for secondary theses and other important points. See how the author uses evidence and examples to support arguments. Are his or her sources adequate and convincing? Does the author rely mainly on primary – firsthand, documentary – sources or on secondary sources? Consider the author=s style and presentation. Is the book well organized? Is the prose lively, direct, and clear? Take notes as you read so that you can return to particularly important passages or especially revealing quotations. Remember that being critical means being rational and thoughtful, not necessarily negative.