BOOK REVIEW FORMAT

Book reviews are typed, double-spaced, and three to four pages in length. Longer and more in-depth book reviews may earn extra credit.

3 pts. Author, last name first. Book Title Underlined or Italicized. City
Published: Publisher, Year Published. Include if there is a bibliography (bib.), illustrations (illus.), maps, index, and how many pages (p.).

Example: McFeely, William S. Frederick Douglass. New York & London: W.W.
Norton & Co., 1991. Bib., illus., index, 465 p.

3 pts. Who is the author and the purpose or reason for writing the book. Located
within the Introduction, Acknowledgements, or on the book cover.

10 pts. Briefly summarize the book’s contents – five to six paragraphs.

2 pts. How are the chapters arranged?

2 pts. Is the writing style for academics, popular history, journal or something
else.

5 pts. What do you think of the author’s writing style? Easy to read, boring,
informative, colorful, dry, dwells on some subjects too long, too vague of
descriptions, etc.

5 pts. Personal conclusions you have made about the historical people or events
in the book. Two to three paragraphs.