BOOK MUST BE APPROVED BY INSTRUCTOR
The extra credit will consist of a book review. The book chosen conform to the time period of the course. The book must be approved by the instructor. The paper will be five to six pages in length and will count 25 points toward the final grade. The paper will be typed and double-spaced with a 12-point font and Times New Roman Script and in the proper MLA or APA format. Any paper turned in late will receive get a 5-point deduction. No paper will be accepted after a week. The format is as follows:
Selection of Book:
The student may use any book covering this period of history. Each book must be approved by the instructor. Failure to obtain approval will result in a grade reduction. The book must be 300+ pages and contain and extensive bibliography.
Length of Review:
Five to six pages in length, not including the cover page.
Format:
Typewritten and double-spaced. It must be in a 12-point Times New Roman font. The review should be in either an MLA or APA format. The review should be in the following order: Author information, summary and critical analysis. A bibliographic citation should be placed at the top of page one. (Example)
Perret, Geoffrey. Winged Victory: The Army Air Forces in World War II.
New York: Random House, Inc., 1993
A. Author Information: Should include date and place of birth, college education, occupation and a list of the author’s other publications. Include the date of the author’s death if applicable. This section should be no more than a page.
B. Summary: Summary of the book. This section should be no more than two pages.
C. Critical Analysis: Analyze the book’s importance as a piece of scholarly work. Discuss the author’s basic thesis (ie: The book’s primary argument or major point it is attempting to present.) Quote at least two sentences that illustrate the thesis.
Discuss the books sources. Does the author depend mainly on primary materials or secondary materials? Is the author working from oral histories, archives or just books and articles? Discuss the books validity, credibility, point of view, etc. Do you agree with the thesis? Why or why not? Discuss the books strong points and weak points. Does the author prove his or her thesis? Use specific examples from the book to support your statement. State clearly your opinion of the book. This section is the most important section and, therefore, should be the longest.
Note: Avoid using humor, contractions or “I”. (ie: “I think”, I believe”, etc.) All are inappropriate and reflect poor writing style.
