Writing Book Reviews
A book review is an assessment of the work of other historians. Book reviews are used not only to report on the content of a book, but also to evaluate and critique the work by considering the author’s argument, structure, evidence, and logic. Historians also read book reviews to learn about fields that are outside their own specialties, which means the review should be written for an educated, non-specialist audience. The book review accomplishes these tasks in a limited number of words, usually between 500 and 750 words, or 2-3 double spaced pages. It is important to think of the book review as a short essay, which means that it, like a research essay, has an introduction, argument, body, and conclusion.
The Art of Criticism
Criticism, or evaluation, is at the heart of a book review. A good book review can tell other historians whether or not they should read a book and in what ways they should be cautious while reading it. Good reviewers, however, also give credit when credit is due. Authors make many decisions and encounter many obstacles when writing a book, most of which you will not be aware of while reading. Respecting this complex process should prevent you from criticizing just for the sake of doing so. Criticism must be constructive and you must be able to back your criticism up by drawing upon your own knowledge or logic. It is not enough to write, “I do not like the way the argument is developed.” What is wrong with the argument and how could it be made better? You might write, instead, “The argument, though strongly asserted, is not persuasive because the author has not used enough primary sources.”
The Introduction
The introduction to a book review should begin by giving the author and title of the book. This is usually done by placing the complete citation for the book at the head of the review, about which see part IV below. The first paragraph of the review should indicate the author’s intentions for the book; state the argument that is developed in the book in one, succinct sentence; situate the themes of the book with other, relevant works of history; and take a position on the overall strengths and weaknesses of the book. Like essays, good book reviews have a thesis statement, which is the argument you will be making in the review. For example, you are making an argument when writing: “In his book Innocence Abroad, historian Benjamin Schmidt successfully shows the relevance of Dutch activities in the New World.” This thesis suggests that the author was successful in achieving the goal and argument set for the book, while other thesis statements might be more critical about these accomplishments.
The Body
The body of the book review is used to answer a number of questions about the book, each of which may be handled in a separate paragraph. While it is not necessary—or, sometimes, even possible—to answer all of these questions, or to devote equal space to each one, the review must be as comprehensive as possible. What issues does the book cover? It is neither necessary nor desirable to summarize the entire book, or even each chapter. Instead, include a paragraph which indicates the chronological and thematic sweep of the book, the main issues that are addressed, and how these contribute to the overall thesis of the book. It is important in this section that you show a sound understanding of the material. What is relevant about the author and the audience? What other books has this author written to which this book contributes? Are there specific aspects of the author’s background (race, religion, education, nationality, etc.) that affect (positively or negatively) the author’s interpretation? Who should and who should not read this book? Why was this book written? What historical genre and theoretical approach best fits this book? Is this a biography, an economic, cultural, social, intellectual, environmental, political, military, or religious study? Does the author employ a feminist, Marxist, Whig, Annales, or revisionist methodology? Does the author offer an interdisciplinary approach by fitting the book into more than one genre or theoretical approach? Does the author use a theoretical approach that he or she is not even aware is being used? What evidence does the author use? Is the book based on primary or secondary research? Is the primary research based on archival documents or printed sources? Does the author’s choice to use certain evidence result in a skewed interpretation? Does the author fail to consider evidence or works that challenge his or her interpretation? Does the evidence presented suggest an alternate interpretation to you than was suggested by the author? Does the author base her or his interpretation on hard evidence (the facts) or on inference (informed opinion)? How, and how well, is the information presented? Is the book organized and structured well? Is the argument developed chronologically or thematically, or does the author use a combination of both? Are important themes and terms properly and sufficiently defined? Does the writing flow well or is it turgid or technically flawed to the point of causing problems for the reader? Are there intelligent transitions from one theme to the next? Does the introduction properly introduce the main themes of the book and provide the argument, and does the conclusion reflect well on the issues addressed?
The Conclusion
The concluding paragraph should comment on the overall significance of the work. What new questions has the author brought up or answered? What further work needs to be done on the subject now that this book has been written? This is also an opportunity to reflect on the overall strengths and weaknesses of the work. For example, if the author has placed too much emphasis on one theme to the exclusion of another, this is noteworthy. Do not use the conclusion to mention minor matters of style (such as typographical errors). Instead, focus on issues of key importance to historians, such as the strength of the thesis and the contribution of the book to its field.
Quotations and Referencing
Although quotations should be used sparingly in a book review, they are often useful when rehearsing the author’s specific thesis statement, the use of new or peculiar terms, or passages of special merit. Quotations should be followed with a parenthetical citation that includes the page number. For example, (p. 35). References to the book under review that are paraphrased may be done in the same manner. When citing from other secondary sources, such as the arguments of other historians, whether or not these are enclosed in quotation marks, include a footnote or endnote in the manner shown in part IV below.