Format for Book Review
A book review is a critique that provides substantial information about the contents of a book and simultaneously evaluates its
quality. There are essential components that are found in reviews that you should include. These essentials are the following:
A. Bibliographical information: List the author, complete title of the book, publishing location, publisher, copyright year,
number of pages.
B. Biography of book’s author: Provides relevant information about the author, including other works by the writer.
C. Subject or scope: A paragraph or few sentences that tell what the book is about—what the author covers about the topic
D. Thesis or main idea of the book: A paragraph that explains the main point the author is trying to make, his arguments, his
line of reasoning.
(Note: C and D may be combined into a single paragraph, but the elements must be clearly designated.)
E. Summary of content: This is a concise summary that provides highlights summarizing the main arguments supporting the
the author’s thesis or provides the main events in a narrative that illustrate the author’s main idea.
F. Analysis of the work: This is the reviewer’s critique that analyzes the quality of the work—the author’s approach and the
author’s assumptions; the quality of the author’s research-- the types and quality of historical sources and the use of
evidence from those sources; the validity of the argument or narrative—that is, the credibility of the work. The reviewer
should explain the main strengths and the limitations of the work.
(Note: If the reviewer has knowledge on the book’s topic that is relevant to the analysis, it should be shared in this section.)
G. Final recommendations: This is a conclusion that provides the reviewer’s evaluation of the work. Is it well done enough or
not well done enough to recommend it to others? (give reasons for either viewpoint). If recommend, what readership
might benefit from reading the work? What valuable lesson(s) might be developed from reading it?
Format Specifications:
1. Typed, double-spaced, 12 pt. font, 1” to 11/2” margins.
2. Body of paper 3 pages in length, either stapled or in a cover
3. Cover page with a book review title, student name, class, and date submitted
Evaluation Criteria:
1. Written in expository style with introductory and conclusion paragraphs
2. Organization of ideas in an introduction, body, and conclusion and within paragraphs is clear, logical and convincing
3. Writing conventions are observed, including sentence structure (avoidance of sentence fragments and run-ons)
and logical verb tense, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling.
4. Limit quotes to illustrative points only and designate all direct quotes with quote marks and abbreviated citations. Use
quotes judiciously, only for the following instances:
a. to make the review interesting Example: “The morning of the attack a blood-red sun rose over the distant hills.” (p. 326)
b. to illustrate one of your ideas Example: The experience of being captured for slavery was a terrifying one for many
victims as Olanda Equiano recounted, “ I was now persuaded that I had gotten into a world of bad spirits, and that they
were going to kill me.” (p. 54)
c. to provide information that is not commonly known—an unusual factual detail or a key point in the author’s
interpretation Example: There were times in colonial history that “poor whites associated closely and openly with
slaves. . . .” (p. 178)
5. Review considers the content of the entire book.
Be sure to proofread carefully your paper before submission.
Guide for Critical Reading of a History Book
Argument: a deliberate organization of ideas and evidence intended to support an author’s interpretation
Documentation
the act of verifying through documentary evidence; providing evidence as support
Evidence: something that provides proof; something presented to support a claim or proposition; in
usually found in the forms of primary and secondary sources
history, evidence is
Expository book: a work whose primary purpose is to convey knowledge; writing that intends to convey information or
explain a subject
Interpretation: the historian’s viewpoint about an historical subject, presented through the development of a thesis and a
supporting argument; it is an explanation of a series of related events
Monograph: a history book that presents a scholarly study about one specific subject
Primary Source: a written source or an artifact that originated during the historical period being studied
Secondary Source: a written source that presents the findings of an historian about a historical subject after he/she has
conducted research of primary sources; it is a work developed after the historical period of study
Term: a word that has a specific, unambiguous meaning within the context of a specific piece of work
Thesis: a statement or statements conveying the author’s main proposition about the subject of the study; it is the primary
claim made by the author that addresses the historical problem(s) and must be supported by argument
Valid: something that is logically sound and presented with a sound argument and evidence