Book Critique Assignment (the killer angels)

The critique is a formal written assignment that is four to six typed (double-spaced) pages in length. All margins – top, sides, & bottom – must be 1 inch and the font size should be no larger than 11. The student will read Killer Angels for this assignment. Failure to follow the guidelines and requirements set forth here will result in a zero for the assignment. This assignment is NOT a summary of the book; rather it is a critical analysis of the thesis of each book, the supporting evidence presented and other information in the book. In defining your criticisms, good or bad, you will support your points with examples from the book. You MUST provide page numbers with your examples. Copying or cutting and pasting from any source will be considered plagiarism and will earn the student an “F” in the course. Therefore, remember to cite all your examples. Also, DO NOT go to reviews or other written works on these books; that is plagiarism and will result in an “F” for the course. The content of the critique will include the following: 1. Do not use a cover page nor place the finished paper in any type of notebook or binder. Place your name, ss#, hist 1301, and date you turn paper in on the upper left-hand corner, 1 inch from the top of the page. Skip 2 lines and write a title for your paper, centered on the paper. All papers must have a title, or points will be taken off. Skip 2 more lines, and begin your introduction. I WILL NOT accept any paper that does not follow these guidelines. 2. Introduction: Begin with an introductory paragraph including the subject of each book and the purpose of the student (thesis of critique.) NOTE: The first time you mention the books in your paper, the full bibliographical information must be given, including the author’s name, the FULL title of the book (in italics), place of publication, publisher, date published. (Example: This is a critique of J. D. Mackie’s A History of Scotland (London: Penguin Books, reprint 1991.) Thereafter, you may shorten the title but it must always be in italics. After the first mention of the author’s name, refer to him by his last name only, no titles. DO NOT REFER TO THE AUTHOR BY HIS FIRST NAME. Failure to have a thesis (of your paper) will result in a loss of 5 points. 3. Body: It might be best to organize the paper according to criticisms. For example, you might want a paragraph pertaining to the author’s use of documentation. In this case, you would make a statement regarding the book’s documentation and then support your argument with relative examples from the book. The next paragraph may include an analysis of the author’s style, etc. The body of the paper is an analysis of the book, NOT A SUMMARY. A good way to encourage criticism of the book is to ask yourself some of the questions listed below while reading the book and writing the paper. You should discuss some or all of these points in your paper in any order. However, the questions marked with an asterisk ( * ) MUST be addressed in your paper. The other questions are optional and may or may not be relevant to your book or your criticism of that book. Please remember to state what the thesis of each book is (this is different from YOUR thesis); failure to do so will result in a loss of 10 points. Goal of author: *what was the author’s goal or purpose in writing this book (thesis) *how well did the author prove his thesis? (If the book is a collection of primary sources, consider the thesis of the editor.) *what was the overall theme of the book? *was it easy to see the author’s arguments and follow them? Why? did the author reveal an obvious bias? Where, how, why do you think? Style: What audience did the author write for? Was the style appropriate for a student audience? If not, did the author assume too Much? Not enough? What was the level of vocabulary What was the style – humorous, sarcastic, cynical, dry, etc? Did the author effectively communicate the substance of his work? Give examples Did you learn something -what, where, etc? Did the book influence you in anyway? Provide examples. Give examples of the best and worst writing. Documentation: *Is this a primary or a secondary source? Why do you think so? *how well did the author document his work? *how detailed was the information? Too much? Not enough? Give examples *what kind of sources did she/he utilize? Interesting? *did the documentation add or subtract from the work? In each case/question, the student must give specific examples, utilizing references from the book, giving page numbers. In some cases, you may use brief quotes to support your argument. ALWAYS GIVE EXAMPLES. It is always better to paraphrase the author. However, you may use quotes if there is absolutely no other way to prove your point. If you use direct quotes, do not use long quotes; keep them short. After making a point or criticism, utilize phrases such as: for example; to illustrate; such as, etc. This allows for better transition and encourages you to follow your points with examples. Below are several examples to illustrate: another example of Ziegler’s vivid detail in The Black Death was illustrated in an English royal order. This order declared that butchers dispose of the human carcasses outside the city because the air had become “corrupted and infected” from “…(the)putrid blood running down the streets and the bowels cast into the Thames(154). McDonald blamed nineteenth century historians for romanticizing history (v-vi). He remained consistent with this theme when he argued that the great system of checks and balances, of which Americans are so proud, occurred by accident, rather than by design (186). Furthermore, a theme throughout the book was the difficulties of marriage for educated women. This was illustrated on page 50, by the character, Miss Schuster-Slatt, who said, “…A great woman must either die unwed, … or find a still greater man to marry her.” 4. Conclusion. This part of your paper may include your overall thoughts on the book as well as: What did you learn from the book? Why did you select the book? What did you like, dislike? Would you recommend this book? Why/why not? Did the book live up to your expectations? Did it reflect your life in any way? Does it reflect today’s society in anyway? This critique is an essay with paragraphs and complete sentences. It must NOT be broken or segmented. You may not have internal lists or use bullets. Furthermore, colloquial language is inappropriate. You MUST employ the SIMPLE PAST TENSE of verbs throughout the paper. The only exception is in the discussion of recommendations for the book. For example: I read the book. I thought it was good. She wrote well. He stated that the thesis was….. The book was especially enlightening when Jones said…. This paper will be graded on a basis of 100 points. Factors I will consider when grading will be: 1. Following directions 2. Content of the paper 3. thesis of paper and supporting evidence 4. Use of examples 5. Grammar and punctuation 6. Overall appeal – a sloppy paper will result in a low grade. 7. Quality of introduction and conclusion When you are finished, send the paper to me as an attachment through Eagle Online. PLAGIARISM Remember, all quotes from the book, either direct or indirect, must be documented. All papers turned in will be check for plagiarism, using software that searches books, journals, and the web. The student can use footnotes or parenthetical documentation. Failure to do so, however, will result in an “F”. Not documenting your quotes is cheating and will be handled according to the policy discuss in your syllabus. All papers submitted WILL be checked for plagiarism.