Austin College Dead Wake by Larson Book Review BOOK REVIEWS:Dead Wake by Larson 3 doubled space pages Determine the purpose of the book and the intended au

Austin College Dead Wake by Larson Book Review BOOK REVIEWS:Dead Wake by Larson 3 doubled space pages Determine the purpose of the book and the intended audience. The best place to determine both purpose and audience is usually in the preface, foreword, 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 feel 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. Ascertaining the author’s purpose is important. The writer should be judged by whether he or she achieved what he or she set out to accomplish. Also determine the audience for which the work is intended. Was the work directed mainly at professional historians, college students, or the general public? 3. Learn the author’s qualifications and viewpoint. 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 your library catalog; check Who’s Who in America, Contemporary Authors, Directory of American Scholars, or other directories. 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 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. For example, after the assassination of John F. Kennedy, many of his intimates, most notably Arthur Schlesinger, Jr. wrote biographical works. A reviewer could not adequately analyze Schlesinger’s Thousand Days without knowing something about his close relationship with the slain president. 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. The best place to find information on authors is in the Contemporary Authors database by Gale. Here’s how to get there: From Houston Community College Homepage click on Library. Next click Find. Next select Article Databases. Next Databases listed in Alphabetical Order. Next Contemporary Authors. You will then be asked for your library card number and once you enter it you will be in the database. Once in the database simply fill in the author’s name and you will receive a wealth of info about him/her. Writing an Historical Book Review
Writing an Historical Book Review
Writing a book review as an assignment in a history course is designed to promote at least four
important objectives: (1) effective writing, (2)) 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 “book 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. There are
six steps to preparing a review of a historical work. With some modifications, these steps also
apply to writing reviews of other nonfiction works. NOTE: All submissions are subject to being
checked for plagiarism using the software program “Turn-It In.” This program checks each
submission against a host of sources including previously submitted papers on the subject at
Houston Community College. Academic integrity is a serious matter. If you have a question on
this item review the college policy outlined in the syllabus and student handbook.
1.
Select a book.
One book has been selected to augment the text book for this course. Each additional reading
should be read and reviewed during its respective unit of the course as outlined in the syllabus.
2.
Determine the purpose of the book and the intended audience.
The best place to determine both purpose and audience is usually in the preface, foreword, 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 feel 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. Ascertaining the author’s
purpose is important. The writer should be judged by whether he or she achieved what he or
she set out to accomplish. Also determine the audience for which the work is intended. Was the
work directed mainly at professional historians, college students, or the general public?
3.
Learn the author’s qualifications and viewpoint.
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 your library
catalog; check Who’s Who in America, Contemporary Authors, Directory of American Scholars,
or other directories. 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 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. For example, after the assassination of John F. Kennedy, many of his intimates,
most notably Arthur Schlesinger, Jr. wrote biographical works. A reviewer could not adequately
analyze Schlesinger’s Thousand Days without knowing something about his close relationship
with the slain president. 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.
The best place to find information on authors is in the Contemporary Authors database by Gale.
Here’s how to get there: From Houston Community College Homepage click on Library. Next
click Find. Next select Article Databases. Next Databases listed in Alphabetical Order. Next
Contemporary Authors. You will then be asked for your library card number and once you enter
it you will be in the database. Once in the database simply fill in the author’s name and you will
receive a wealth of info about him/her.
Writing an Historical Book Review
4.
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.
5.
Outline the review.
The following outline is only a suggestion; it is not a model that you should necessarily follow
for all reviews. You may find it appropriate to add, combine, separate, eliminate, or rearrange
some points. Your paper should be in essay format (not showing this outline).
I. Introduction
A. Purpose of the book
B. Author’s qualifications (biographical information) and viewpoint
II. Critical summary
A. Thesis of the book
B. Summary of contents, indicating how the thesis is developed (Use examples.
While this will generally be the longest part of the review, you should make sure that
your paper does not become a mere summary without critical analysis.)
C. Author’s use of evidence to support the thesis and secondary points (avoid
numerous direct quotes.)
III. Style and presentation
A. Organization of the book
B. Writing style (word choice, paragraph structure, wit, readability, length, etc.)
IV. Conclusion
A. Historical contribution of the book (How does the book fit into the prevailing
interpretation of the topic? Does it break new ground? Does it answer a troublesome
question? Does it revise older interpretations? Does it merely clarify and simplify the
standard point of view? You may need to consult other sources when considering this
point.)
B. Overall worth of the book (Would you recommend it? For what type of audience
would it be best suited? Did the author accomplish the intended purpose?)
6.
Book Review Information Sources
The Houston Community College library has two great data bases available on line which are
great aids for this. To access these databases first go to main HCC website and click on
Libraries. In the next window in the right column click on History and you will see several
databases that can be used in exploring history subjects. There are two data bases in this list
Writing an Historical Book Review
which are especially useful for viewing professionally written book reviews they are: (1) EBSCO
Academic Search Premier and (2) JSTOR.
To use EBSCO click on it. If logging in from home you will be asked for your library
card number and once you enter it you will be directed to the database. Once in the database
click on Advanced Search at the top of the page. In the next window look for the FIND: block
type your book title. In the next block to the right (a pull down menu) select TI Title. In the
second line block which has a pull down menu select PS Reviews and Products. Next click
Search and a list of available reviews will appear. Select the ones you wish to review and you
will get some ideas of how a good review should look.
To use JSTOR click on it. Again if logging in from home you will be asked to enter your
library card number and once you enter it you will be directed to the database. Once in the
database click on Search. Next, click on Advanced Search. In the next window in the block for
all of these words type your book title. Next narrow your search by checking the box for Title.
In the next line click the box for Review. Next scroll down the page and check the box for
History – 15 Journals. To start the search, scroll to the bottom of the page and click on Search.
Next a list of all the reviews available will appear. You can click on Review to get an onscreen
view of the review but if your internet connection is the least bit slow this can be time
consuming. Another way to get the info is by clicking on Download in the last line of each
review listed. This will bring up a window for you to select the format for the download. I
recommend selecting PDF Economy. This will call up the file using Adobe Reader and you can
read, print or save the review. Note however this function will require that Adobe Reader
software be installed on your computer but it is a free download from the adobe.com web site.
A good book review should contain information about the author to establish his/her
credibility. The review should include something about the author’s education, examples of
other works published, awards received, organizational memberships and current position. This
information is readily available from other databases from the library. To find these databases
go to the library homepage at the HCC main website and on the column click on List of
Databases (Alphabetical). In the next window under the column titled Databases by title click
on C and select Contemporary Authors. In the next window you enter your authors name in
the box for Authors Name and click Search. Next you will be given a list of authors if more
than one is available. Select your authors name and you will be given a wealth of information
about the individual.
7.
Write the review
Follow your outline. Use standard written English. When in doubt, consult The McGraw-Hill
College Handbook or similar reference. Most historical works use the Chicago format
rather than MLA.
I.
Some guidance on how to submit your book reviews. Write your review in
a word processor like Microsoft WORD. Save your work in a rich text format (.rtf
file). After saving your work, enter the course and locate the Turnitin.com drop box
for that book. Create a title with your last name and the title of the book. Please
review the rubric below for my grading policy.
II.
The cover page should contain in the center of the page the title of the work
under review. (Reviews seldom have titles of their own.) Below the title should
appear your name. Toward the bottom of the page should be your course number
(History 1301, 1302, or 2301), and the date submitted. Please see this link:
http://www.writingmechanics.com/Hacker-Bish-CMS-Title.pdf.
Writing an Historical Book Review
III.
The review should be printed double-spaced using Arial style 12 point type
and the left and right margins should be set at 1.25 inches. The typical review
should be no longer than three pages plus your cover sheet and Works Cited
page.
IV.
If you quote from the book under review, simply follow the quotation with the
page number(s) in parentheses. For example: “The author makes the incredible
assertion, ‘Jefferson turned out to be America’s worst president’ (p. 345).” Avoid
numerous direct quotes in a short paper.
V.
If you properly research the author’s background information or cite other
sources for quotations, points of view, or facts, use a standard citation style. If you
use outside sources, be sure to include a Works Cited page. Please see the
following link: http://bcs.bedfordstmartins.com/resdoc5e/. Please be sure to read
Avoiding Plagiarism located under Supplemental information. If it is not your own
work, then cite your source!
VI.
Don’t be afraid to be critical of the book because your professor has selected
it to read or you are intimidated by the credentials of the author. If you don’t like the
book say so but be sure to explain why you don’t like the book.
VII.
Writing this review is not difficult. You can do well on the assignment if you
follow the basic guidelines above.
You may find it helpful to read published book reviews as a guide to the preparation of your own
review. Most historical journals, including the American Historical Review and the Journal of
American History, publish many short reviews at the end of each issue. Reviews in American
History, which prints longer reviews, is especially useful. To determine where reviews of the
particular book you have chosen have been published, consult the Book Review Digest or
the Book Review Index. Assume that your audience is college educated and well read, but do
not assume that your hypothetical reader has an in-depth knowledge about the subject of the
book under review.
8.
The Rubric – (I use this rubric to grade your essay.)
The table below is a rubric that I will use to grade your review. You can also use the rubric
before you submit your assignment to “self-grade” your own review. Accomplishing this step will
prevent you from overlooking one of the requirements for the assignment.
Performance Indicators
Objective/
Criteria
Cover Sheet
Not
Needs
Meets
Acceptable Improvement Expectations
No cover sheet
(0 pts)
Exceptional
Cover Sheet is
included as
outlined in the
Total
Points
Writing an Historical Book Review
Required Font
Required font
not used (0 pts)
Author
Background
Information &
Works Cited
Page
Biographical
information is
minimal or
missing
entirely. (0 pts)
Theme/Thesis
Author’s thesis
or presentation
of the
biographical
subject is not
stated (0 pts)
The review
contains an
abundance of
Spelling
spelling errors
that detract the
reader from the
content. (0 pts)
The review
contains an
abundance of
grammatical
Grammar
errors that
detract the
reader from the
content. (0 pts)
Big problems in
Style/Readabilit
sentence
y
structure,
grammar and
assignment
requirements (5
pts)
Arial, 12 pt font
is used as
outlined in the
assignment
requirements (5
pts)
Biographical
Biographical
Biographical
information does information does
information is
not include two not include one
provided
of these
of these
including
categories categories education, other
education, other education, other
historical works
historical works historical works
and career
or career
or career
achievements.(1
achievements.(5 achievements.(1
5 pts)
pts)
0 pts)
Author’s thesis
Author’s thesis
or presentation Author’s thesis
or presentation
of the
or presentation
of the
biographical
of the
biographical
subject is
biographical
subject is not
somewhat
subject is clearly
clearly stated (5
clearly stated
stated (15 pts)
pts)
(10 pts)
The review
The review
contains several contains a few
spelling errors. spelling errors.
(5 pts)
(10 pts)
The review
contains no
spelling errors.
(15 pts)
The review
The review
contains several contains a few
grammatical
grammatical
errors. (5 pts)
errors. 10 pts)
The review
contains no
grammatical
errors. (15 pts)
Problems in
sentence
structure,
grammar and
Sentence
structure,
grammar and
diction strong
Sentence
structure,
grammar and
diction
Writing an Historical Book Review
diction.
diction. Errors in
despite
Frequent major punctuation,
occasional
errors in
citation style and
lapses.
punctuation,
spelling. May Punctuation and
citation style
have several
citation style
and spelling. run-on sentences
often used
May have many
or comma
correctly. Some
run-on
splices. (5 pts) (minor) spelling
sentences and
errors; May have
comma splices.
one run-on
(0 pts)
sentence or
comma splice.
(10 pts)
excellent;
correct use of
punctuation and
citation style;
minimal to no
spelling errors;
no run-on
sentences or
comma splices.
(15 pts)
Recommendatio
Recommendatio
Recommendatio
n given with
No
n given with
Recommendatio
n given with no
clear and
recommendatio
limited
n
explanation. (5
complete
n given. (0 pts)
explanation. (10
pts)
explanation. (15
pts)
pts)

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