Lay out the argument that the author is making about Lincoln and critique whether or not he defends his thesis successfully. In other words, you are not offering a summary of the book or a book report, but are instead explaining to your reader what the author is arguing and if he is convincing. You do not necessarily have to agree with the author to find his work convincing.
Start with the book’s basic bibliographic information at the top:
Author. Title. Place of Publication, Publisher, Year. Number of pages.
After briefly introducing the author (in a sentence or two—what is his writing/scholarly background? What else has he written?) and the book (no more than a paragraph or two), state what the author is arguing and how he builds his case.
Your review should address the following questions:
–What is the intended audience (high schools, scholars, civil war buffs, general, etc.)?
–What type of evidence does the author use? What are his sources?
–Are his sources valid? Should he have used more or different sources?
–How is the book organized? (Chronologically? Topically?)
–What could he have done differently to improve the book?
–Are there any questions left unanswered after reading this book?
–Where does this book fit into the wide range of books on Lincoln?
Conclude by offering some general remarks on the book, including: would you recommend it—why or why not
Sample Solution
