The world of 1900,and historical context

The World of 1900,
and Historical Context;
Reading: Textbook:
Twentieth Century p. 1-28; Conflict & Cooperation; A.J. P. Taylor, The First World War: An Illustrated
History

Assignment: Paper 1 – Source Critique of A.J.P.
Taylor The First World War: An
Illustrated History – 1,500 words.
An important ability of historians is that
of being able to critically evaluate sources.
Your assignment is to read the book provided, and critique the author’s
work.
Proceed first by reading the source
material to get an understanding of the writer’s approach and general treatment
of his subject. Second, re-read the
material critically, looking for points that indicate descriptive or evaluative
comments. Third, make notes of the
author’s key points about your chosen topic.
Fourth, consider these questions:
Does the author reveal his biases or
preferred historical interpretations?
What evidence does the author provide for his interpretations?
Is that evidence compelling? Is there some aspect missing from the
interpretations, and if so, what, and even better – why?
What
significance does the author attach to both the role of historical figures
and to the war itself? Why?
Why is
this writer’s work important to the study of early twentieth century
history?
Have you
supported your point of view with evidence, and cited that evidence
correctly?
Have
others written about this work?
Locate and read a critical scholarly review or article about the
work.
Fifth, in no more than 1,500 words, write
an evaluation of the work.
Introduction: Indicate who wrote the work and state directly whether or not you
believe that he or she succeeded in making clear arguments. Include a bibliographic entry in Chicago
Manual of Style (Turabian) form. Your determination in this regard should come
at the end of the introduction, a section that should only be a single
paragraph in length. That determination
is your thesis statement.
Exposition: You should briefly summarize what the source is trying to
explain. The introduction and your
summary should be no more than a quarter of the critique.
Body: The majority of the critique should reveal the author’s point of
view, biases, emphases, implications, etc.
These analytical paragraphs should take up the majority of the critique
and should respond to the questions above.
Do not say that you like or dislike what he or she wrote – just analyze
what they have written. Support your
analysis with evidence.
Conclusion: Your conclusion should state whether or not you believe that the
author succeeded in his or her stated aims in proving or demonstrating a
particular case. The conclusion should be a paragraph in length, beginning with
a restating of your thesis statement.

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