BOOK REVIEW Please write an original 1000 word ook BOOK REVIEW OF Founding Brothers. This is a book review assignment, not a book report. Yes, you can establish the content of the book in your review, but do not simply retell the story. Instead, use that content to analyze the author’s style, purpose, and historian’s abilities. The key word is analyze. This will take some critical thinking on your part. Your criticism can be both positive and negative. However, make sure to back up, support, and substantiate your evaluation of the work.
Include the following elements in your review:
• Original Title
• Full Bibliographical Citation in MLA Format.
• Introduction – Include one or more general statements that give a quick indication of the work’s contents in
historical context and your reaction to it.
• Part 1 – In your summary paragraph, explain the purpose of the work and discuss the author’s thesis (main underlying idea). Include all the significant themes of the work, including the points the author emphasizes. This
should be a brief summary of the content of the book/article. Give the reader a good idea of what the book is
about and what the author believes about the subject—demonstrate that you have read and understood the
book!
• Part 2 – Critically analyze the book as a resource for understanding history–does the book have any value to us?
Should it be used to understand the subject? In this section, you should discuss things like the author’s
objectivity or bias, assumptions made by author, the author’s approach to the subject. Discuss the author’s
background– Who is the author and what are his / her qualifications for writing the book? What types of
sources did the author use in documenting his/her historical interpretation—which primary and/or secondary
materials did the author particularly rely upon?
• Part 3 – Present your critical evaluation, discussing both positive and negative features as appropriate. This is the area where you make your own subjective comments about the book. You should include what you specifically
liked or did not like. Support all your judgments with evidence from the work, paraphrasing and using selected short quotations from the work that are representative of the theme, tone, and style. Is the thesis well supported? Is the work thorough? fair? clear? convincing? significant? Is author’s use of evidence appropriate and on target? What did you learn? Perhaps point out areas in which you disagreed with the author, or things
that the author should have added to make the book more complete.
• Conclusion/Ending Paragraph – Give an overall evaluation as the conclusion of what you have said so far. In a review, make a recommendation about the type of reader likely to enjoy or benefit from the work.
• Format – The review should be typed, double-spaced, 12 font Times New Roman, with one-inch margins. Include
heading on page one with your name, course name, and date. Proofread your final copy carefully and make
corrections.
Matthew Voth
CSCS Summer Reading –
Founding Brother Book Review
8/14/2022
