Essaying the Past (eBook)

Jim Cullen teaches history at the Ethical Culture Fieldston School in New York City. Cullen, a former Preceptor in the Expository Writing Program at Harvard University, is the author of several books, including The American Dream: A Short History of an Idea that Shaped a Nation (2003) and the forthcoming, provisionally titled Sensing the Past: Hollywood Actors as Historians.

Acknowledgments ix

Preface to the Second Edition xii

Introduction to the Student: Why Would You Look at a Book LikeThis? 1

Part I Thinking and Reading About History 5

1. History: It's About Time 7

2. What's the Story with History? 14

3. Th e Sources of History 21

4. Good Answers Begin with Good Questions 30

5. Search Engines, Research Ingenuity 37

6. How to Read a Book without Ever Getting to Chapter One 47

Part II Writing About History 61

7. Analysis: Th e Intersection of Reading and Writing 63

8. Making a Case: An Argument in Three Parts 72

9. Defi ning Introductions 80

10. Strong Bodies (I): Th e Work of Topic Sentences 92

11. Strong Bodies (II): Exposition and Evidence 101

12. Strong Bodies (III): Counterargument and Counterevidence112

13. Surprising Conclusions 120

14. Scaling the Summit: Crystallizing Your Argument 127

15. Writing is Rewriting: Th e Art of Revision 132

16. Putting It All Together: Th e Research Essay (A Case Study)140

Conclusion: The Love of History 160

Appendices

A Writing an Essay: Ten Easy Steps in Review 164

B Essay Varieties: DBQs, Reviews, and Comparison Assignments166

C Let's Give a Hand: Bibliographies and Footnotes 173

D Credit Scams: Th e Dangers of Plagiarism 184

E Web of Lies? Weighing the Internet 189

F A Glossary of Key Terms 193

G More Reading About Writing 198

Index 200

"...a useful, relatively clear guide on how to write and frame a history essay or research paper, with a structure which easily allows the reader to dip in and out of the book. Its clear prose makes it much more accessible to younger students....pleasing and clear, [it] makes the theoretical process of showing someone how to write an essay fun. [The author's] style is engaging, and his pop culture references are particularly appreciated throughout....an excellent tool for history teachers and students in a secondary school." - The York Historian

Praise for the first edition:

"There's a level of sophistication in Essaying thePast that is disguised by its utterly clear and engaging style.Jim Cullen tells students just what they need to know to writeabout the past."
- Mari Jo Buhle, Brown University

"The ultimate insider's guide to historical writing,the new gold standard in the field."
- Kerry Walk, Otis College of Art and Design

Praise for the second edition:

"Newly revised and better than ever, Essaying thePast remains the single most useful resource for historystudents and instructors in high school and college."
- Burke Miller, Northern Kentucky University

"Jim Cullen presents a compelling case for the historicalessay as a tool of learning and plots the course for success with arare combination of clarity, sophistication, humor, and easycandor."
- James E. Wadsworth, Stonehill College

"A clear, concise and engaging guide to the practice ofhistory. Jim Cullen excels in walking students through all thesteps of researching and writing a persuasive paper."
- Carter Jones Meyer, Ramapo College of New Jersey

"In this first-rate book, Jim Cullen delivers a conciseand accessible guide to the critical work that historians do:reading, writing, and thinking about history. Students will find itinformative and a pleasure to read."
- Elizabeth Smith-Pryor, Kent State University

"With lucidity, verve, and empathy, Cullen lays thewriting process bare, including fumbles, setbacks, and paths nottaken. In analyzing the writing of history, he also shows why itmatters."
- Roberta Pergher, The University of Kansas