The Indian Frontier Book Essay Description Book essays are the mechanism that historians use to evaluate monographs (books) published within their specialty. They make an argument about the authors interpretation. The most important element of this essay is that it is a commentary, not merely a summary. It allows you to enter into dialogue and discussion with the works creator and with other audiences in that field of history. That dialogue is the essence of historiography. The elements contained in book essay include: a concise description of the books structure and a summary of the content including a relevant description of the topic. as discussion of the overall perspective, argument, or purpose of the book. an examination of the source material used, particularly the authors use of primary sources. an explanation of how the work clarifies United States history. Instructions Read the book. Use the following sets of questions as a guide: Who is the author? Nationality, political persuasion, training, intellectual interests, personal history, and historical context may provide crucial details about how a work takes shape. What is the thesisor main argumentof the book? If the author wanted you to get one idea from the book, what would it be? How does it compare or contrast to the world you know? What has the book accomplished? How does the author support her argument? What evidence does s/he use to prove her point? What does this book add to the study of that topic? How has this book helped you understand the subject? Once you have made your observations and assessments of the work, carefully survey your notes and attempt to unify your impressions into a statement that will describe the purpose or thesis of your essay. Develop an argument using specific evidence from the book. Point to examples from the work, using quotes from the text, that highlight the important parts. Organize your argument and evidence and draft your essay in Microsoft Word or Google Docs to prevent the loss of your work due to a technical malfunction. Use the bibliographic entry listed above as the “title” (headnote). Most book essays are organized similarly with an introduction that introduces the argument of the essay, the author, and their argument, a body of evidence to support the argument of the essay that summarizes the work and draws on specific details, such as quotes or paraphrases, from sections of the book as examples, and a conclusion that reiterates the argument of the essay and explain what it has contributed to United States history. Be sure to cite the page number in parentheses of for quotes or paraphrases used from the work. Book essays must be at least 750 words. The guidelines for this book essay are based on https://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/book-reviews/. Required Criteria Successful book essays: Summarize the contents and structure of the book under examination. Assess the authors argument. Critically examine the sources used. Provide discussion of what the book contributes to United States history. Cite evidence from the book in parentheses appropriately. Meets the minimum word count. Grading Rubric 24-25 = Meets all required criteria and is well written. 22-23 = Meets all required criteria. 20-21 = Meets all required criteria, but fails to meet the word count. 18-19 = Meets the word count, but fails to meet one of the other criteria. 16-17 = Meets the word count, but fails to meet two of the other criteria. 15 = Fails to meet any of the required criteria.
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