Essaying the Past

Jim Cullen teaches history at the Ethical Culture Fieldston School in New York. He was previously a Preceptor in the Expository Writing Program at Harvard University. He is the author of nine books, among them Imperfect Presidents: Tales of Misadventure and Triumph (2007), The American Dream: A Short History of an Idea that Shaped a Nation (2003) and Born in the U.S.A.: Bruce Springsteen and the American Tradition (1997).

Acknowledgments ix Introduction to the Student: Why Would You Look at a Book Like This? 1 Part I Reading to Get Writing 5 1. It's About Time 7 2. What's the Story with History? 14 3. The Sources of History 20 4. Good Answers Begin with Good Questions 29 5. Search Engines, Research Ingenuity 36 6. How to Read a Book without Ever Getting to Chapter One 46 7. Analysis: The Intersection of Reading and Writing 60 Part II Writing to Get Read 69 8. Making a Case: An Argument in Three Parts 71 9. Defining Introductions 79 10. Strong Bodies (I): The Work of Topic Sentences 89 11. Strong Bodies (II): Exposition and Evidence 98 12. Strong Bodies (III): Counterargument and Counterevidence 107 13. Surprising Conclusions 115 14. Writing is Rewriting: The Art of Revision 121 15. Putting It All Together: The Research Essay (A Case Study) 129 Conclusion: The Love of History 148 Appendices. A Writing an Essay: Ten Easy Steps in Review 152 B Lending a Hand: Bibliographies and Footnotes 154 C Credit Scams: The Dangers of Plagiarism 163 D Web of Lies? Weighing the Internet 168 E DBQs and Reviews 171 F A Glossary of Key Terms 176 G More Reading About Writing 181 Index 183