Instructions

The bulk of the essay body will be an evaluation of how convincing the author/director’s presentation of their thesis was and a commentary on the book’s contribution to one’s understanding of important issues of that era (or today). To put it another way, the review is an analysis of the source, not a summary of its content.

• The review should be 2 pages in length using MLA format, Times New Roman, and 12-point font (If a title page or a bibliography are incorporated, they will not be included in the length.)
• The review should clearly address the thesis of the source and the way that the source relates to an understanding of the era it represents.  
• The review should identify key arguments of the source, along with distinctive features of the time period covered.
• The features generally included in a strong review include a discussion of the author/director’s main contentions, an explanation of the type of sources the creator utilized and the methods the creator employs in choosing and organizing those sources, and an assessment of the strong points or shortcomings of the source.
• Does this source change the way one should think about the subject and relate more generally to it?
• Make references to specific portions of the source to illustrate your evaluation. The challenge will be to do as much of this as possible and yet to not let it interfere with the restricted length of the essay. In other words, find creative ways to give examples from the book in a limited space.