Essaying The Past: How To Read, Write, And Think About History

Description

Part research manual, part study guide, and part introduction to the study of history, Essaying the Past guides the reader through the nuts and bolts of producing good historical prose, offering key strategies and useful tips. - Includes expert advice on writing about history, conducting good research, and learning how to think analytically - Covers important topics such as framing questions, developing a strong introduction and topic sentences, choosing good evidence, and the crucial role of revision - An annotated case study takes the reader through one student's process of writing an essay and illustrates how strategies discussed in the book can be successfully implemented - Six appendices cover the major issues facing students today, such as the dangers of plagiarism and the role of the internet Essaying the Past: How to Read, Write, and Think about History......Page 1 Contents......Page 8 Preface to the Second Edition......Page 10 Preface to the Third Edition......Page 14 Acknowledgments......Page 16 Introduction to the Student: Why Would You Look at a Book Like This?......Page 18 Part I: Thinking and Reading about History......Page 22 1: History: It’s about Time......Page 24 Living with the Past......Page 25 Good History Gives You Hope......Page 27 A Habit in Time......Page 29 2: What’s the Story with History?......Page 31 Disciplinary Measures: A Profession Takes Shape......Page 32 Plural Pasts......Page 34 3: The Sources of History......Page 37 Primary Sources......Page 39 Secondary Sources......Page 40 Sources of Ambiguity......Page 41 Obscure References, Maine Events......Page 42 Scarcity and Plenty......Page 44 4: Good Answers Begin with Good Questions......Page 46 Good Students Have Answers; Great Ones Have Questions......Page 47 So, What Do I Ask?......Page 50 Net Gains – and Losses......Page 52 Stacks of Possibilities......Page 55 Going by the Book......Page 58 Notable Discoveries......Page 59 6: How to Read a Book without Ever Getting to Chapter One......Page 61 Pressing Matters......Page 63 Inside Information......Page 67 Going Back, Going Forward......Page 70 Topic-Sentence Hopping......Page 72 Part II: Writing about History......Page 74 7: Analysis: The Intersection of Reading and Writing......Page 76 Making Sense......Page 77 The Choice Factor......Page 78 Thinking with Your Heart......Page 82 The Secret Sauce of Credibility......Page 83 8: Making a Case: An Argument in Three Parts......Page 84 Reading Your Reader......Page 85 Writing the Equation......Page 86 Arguing about Time......Page 89 9: Defining Introductions......Page 91 Introducing the Question......Page 92 Introducing the Thesis (and Motive)......Page 93 Introducing the Key Term......Page 97 Introducing the Premise......Page 99 Watch Your Language: Diction......Page 101 10: Strong Bodies (I): The Work of Topic Sentences......Page 103 Inter- and Intra-paragraph Organization......Page 104 Directing Topic Sentence Traffic: Double Signposts......Page 106 Clues for the Clueless: Breaking Down the Thesis......Page 107 Don't Stick with the Facts......Page 109 11: Strong Bodies (II): Exposition and Evidence......Page 111 Too Much of a Good Thing: Using Quotations Selectively......Page 115 Seeing Is Not Necessarily Believing......Page 117 Beware of "Negroes" and "Orientals"......Page 118 Lies, Damn Lies, and Statistics......Page 119 12: Strong Bodies (III): Counterargument and Counterevidence......Page 121 Two Sides to Every Story – At a Minimum......Page 123 Don't Condescend......Page 124 Show, Don't Tell......Page 126 13: Surprising Conclusions......Page 128 Motivated Conclusions......Page 130 Taking the Long View......Page 132 Booster-Rocket Intros......Page 135 Conclusion Pivots......Page 138 15: Writing is Rewriting: The Art of Revision......Page 140 Conversation Counts......Page 141 The Writer as Hotel Manager......Page 142 16: Putting It All Together: The Research Essay (A Case Study)......Page 147 Katie's Bibliography......Page 148 Conclusion: The Love of History......Page 166 Appendix A: Writing an Essay: Ten Easy Steps in Review......Page 169 Document-Based Questions (DBQs)......Page 171 Book (or Other) Reviews......Page 173 Comparison Essays......Page 175 1. Why cite my sources?......Page 177 2. When and where do I cite sources?......Page 178 3. How do I format a footnote?......Page 179 Encyclopedia article......Page 180 Article on a website......Page 181 Blogs......Page 182 References to the same text after the first citation......Page 183 4. How do I format a bibliography?......Page 184 More than one source by the same author......Page 185 5. A final note......Page 186 Appendix D: Credit Scams: The Dangers of Plagiarism......Page 187 Five reasons not to cheat on an essay assignment......Page 190 What's the Domain?......Page 191 Free or Subscription?......Page 192 Is it Updated?......Page 193 Appendix F: A Glossary of Key Terms......Page 194 Appendix G: More Reading about Writing......Page 199 Index......Page 202 End User License Agreement......Page 0