Essay 5
Write a scholarly review of The Formation of a Persecuting Society.
3-5 pages. Draft Due Friday, April 18. Final Copy Due Monday April 21.
A good scholarly review accomplishes the following things:
- It gives an accurate and succinct summary of the book's thesis and methodology, so that someone who has not read the book could understand what it is about.
- It explains how the book fits into current scholarly discourse and assesses the significance of its contributions to the field of knowledge.
- Using specific examples, it assesses how well the author has accomplished what he set out to do. Often a reviewer will also question the relevance of the author's goals and raise additional issues he wishes the book had addressed.
- It is concise and maintains a professional tone.
Examining and imitating models is the best (in fact the only) way to learn how to write a scholarly review. I recommend you go to the periodicals room in Olin Library (on the left as you enter the building) and flip through the book reviews at the back of various journals. The American Historical Review and Speculum are good places to start (keep in mind that some very poorly written reviews do manage to get published--use your best judgement when picking writers to emulate). I will also give you some reviews you may use as models. Here's one. Here are two that came over the History of Antisemitism list this week.
Here is a negative review.
What are the main things you should strive for in this assignment? CLARITY AND CONCISION! I cannot stress these two qualities strongly enough. To achieve clarity and concision you must go through more than one draft. REVISE, asking yourself at every turn whether the words you've chosen express precisely what you want to say. REVISE, using Lanham's paramedic method (or your own) to tighten your prose and cut out every extraneous word. No paper that does not display admirable clarity and concision will make it into the "A" range.
Book reviews are challenging because they must be brief yet balanced and illuminating. Start early.
| Please staple a checklist to the back of your paper. Papers containing apostrophe errors will not be accepted. |
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