How to write an historical book review
...ate what he/she has read. Criticism is not always adverse. The critique of the work should include the following points, which you will want to integrate into paragraph form--it's not desirable to create a separate section, or paragraph, for each of these. The points are: A. The author’s particular bias or point of view. Is the writer impartial, objective or prejudiced, sympathetic to any social class or group or economic and political practices? Why have they written this book--do they have “an ax to grind?” For example, a participant in the Russian Revolution of 1917, World War II, or the German Revolution of 1989 who then authored a work on the subject would bring certain opinions, biases, and experiences to their book. As a reviewer, you should be conscious of this--read the preface or introduction, where such information is often located. B. The “internal validity” of the work--does the author prove the stated thesis to your critical satisfaction? In other words, does he/she provide a sound and convincing argument? Or have certain questions been raised and then not answered? Writers will often identify in the introduction, or the preface, the questions they plan to address in the book--thus read the preface or introduction carefully before you begin the work itself. C. The literary quality of the book. In your opinion, is this a well-written book, interesting and enjoyable? Or is it colorless and dull? IV. HELPFUL SUGGESTIONS AS YOU WRITE A. You may feel uneasy about writing a critique of a book on a topic you know very little about--that’s quite natural. So, obtain some assistance before you begin your review by checking what other reviewers have said about the book. Check scholarly book reviews in professional journals such as the American Historical Review, the Latin American Historical Review, the Journal of European History, or any of the dozens of similar such publications available online from the JSTOR resource, at http://www.jstor.org/, or check the numerous print journals in the field of history, located in the Library and Technology Center (LTC). Ask the reference librarian if you need help! B. Write the review in your own words. Plagiarism is stealing and will absolutely not be tolerated. If occasionally you find it necessary to use material from the book you are reviewing, use quotation marks to indicate that it is not your work. Also, should you read or refer to another book review as you prepare to write your own, remember that any material you use from this source must also be cited. Unsure about plagiarism? Always ask before you submit your work. C. Use the English language correctly. Grammar and spelling are a fundamental part of any well-written review. You will be required to demonstrate an adequate command of edited standard written English. This means that excessive errors (in general, more than three per page) may result in the paper being returned for mandatory revision before it will be accepted. Take advantage of the spell- and grammar-check options offered by Microsoft Word. Not sure how to use those tools? Ask for help at the IT Help Desk, in the LTC. Writing a [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) 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 "book report" can at best teach only the first two competencies. A book review goes beyond mere summary to inquire into the overall worth of a book. There are six steps to preparing a review of an historical work. With some modification, these steps also apply to writing reviews of other nonfiction works. 1. Select a Book. Your instructor may provide a reading list, but if he does not, you will find that locating an appropriate work can be a very important part of the learning process. Start, of course, with the Suggested Readings after each chapter in the text and with the card catalog in your college library. Check standard bibliographies, and try consulting the footnotes or bibliographies of other works. When you locate a likely book, give it a "once over." Glance at the table of contents and the bibliography and read the prefatory material to make sure that the book is appropriate to your assignment. Ask yourself if the topic seems interesting, for you will probably write a better review if you have some affinity for the subject. Most importantly, talk to your instructor. S/he has read many books and has probably graded hundred of reviews, so seek him/her out for advice. 2. 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 she write because there was no satisfactory work available on the subject? Did she feel that she had a new point of view on a well worn topic? Perhaps she wrote a popular account of a subject about which previous works had been dry and dull. Determine the audience for which the work was intended. Was the work directed mainly at professional historians, at college students or the general public? Ascertaining the author's purpose is important, for, assuming that the purpose is worthwhile, the writer should be judged by whether she achieved what she set out to accomplish. 3. Learn the Author's Qualifications and Viewpoint. Find out the author's academic background.Is he a journalist, a professor, a professional writer? Has he written other books on related topics. Consult the card catalogue and/or the Directory of American Scholars.Viewpoint, 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 a undistinguished book. But many first books, often derived from the author's doctoral dissertation, are outstanding. Knowing an 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 well as an extreme rightist. For example, after the death of Charles de Gaulle, many of his intimates, most notably Jacques Soustelle, wrote biographical works. A reviewer co...