Writing a Book Review

A book review of a secondary historical work must be critical, but critical does not necessarily mean negative.

1. Who is the author, and what are his or her qualifications? Has the author written other books on the subject?

2. When was the book written, and how does it fit into the scholarly debate on the subject?

3. What is the book’s basic argument? (This is the foundation of your review)

4. What is the author’s method? For example, does the author rely strictly on narrative or is the book analytical in some way.

5. What kinds of evidence does the author use? For example, what is the balance of primary and secondary sources? Is the author up-to-date in the scholarly literature? Any archival work?

6. How persuasive is the author’s argument?

7. Is the argument new, or is it old wine in new bottles?

8. Is the book well organized and skillfully written?

9. What is your overall critical assessment of the book?

10. What is the general significance, if any, of the book?

[Information was gathered from the website of the Department of History at Hamilton College]