Blog 4 History

Loyal readers of B4H know that Chris and me are both in graduate school. I’m not sure how Chris’s experience is in the load of reading that he had in his undergraduate experience compared to his graduate one, but I know that for me the load is less in graduate school than it was in my undergraduate. But i realize that may not be the case for many students out there. Furthermore, one book a week can be stressful for people who work full time as opposed to those who only focus on school on a weekly basis.

This interesting blog had a piece last month on how to read a history book in one hour. I think this can be a helpful tool for students in undergraduate or graduate programs out there. I know it can be very helpful for historians (as a full time history student at CSUF, I consistently had to read about 3-4 300+ page books per week). Perhaps it could be useful for high school students too (But only if they have a background on what they are reading, and perhaps, if Chris agrees, with AP students who need to fill a lot of information quickly). Anyhow, here is the list:

1. Create a clean space–a table, the book, paper and a writing utensil, and nothing else.

2. Read two academic reviews of the book you photocopied beforehand. Don’t skip this step, these will tell you the book’s perceived strengths and weakness. Allow five minutes for this.

3. Read the introduction, carefully. A good intro will give you the book’s thesis, clues on the methods and sources, and thumbnail synopses of each chapter. Work quickly but take good notes (with a bibliographic citation at the top of the page.) Allow twenty minutes here.

4. Now turn directly to the conclusion and read that. The conclusion will reinforce the thesis and have some more quotable material. In your notes write down 1-2 direct quotes suitable for using in a review or literature review, should you later be assigned to write such a beast. Ten to fifteen minutes.

5. Turn to the table of contents and think about what each chapter likely contains. You may be done–in many cases in grad school the facts in any particular book will already be familiar to you, what is novel is the interpretation. And you should already have that from the intro and conclusion. Five minutes.

6. (Optional) Skim 1-2 of what seem to be the key chapters. Look for something clever the author has done with her or his evidence, memorable phrases, glaring weaknesses–stuff you can mention and sound thoughtful yourself when it is your turn to talk in the seminar room. Ten minutes, max.

7. Put the notes and photocopied review in a file folder and squirrel it away. These folders will serve as fodder for future assignments, reviews of similar books, lectures, grant applications, etc.

8. Miller time. Meet some friends and tell them the interesting things you just learned (driving it deeper it your memory).

Of course, this can be a difficult thing for someone like me, who was taught to read a book from beginning to end. But I hope this is a helpful tool for y’all.

A few weeks ago it was “color Sunday” here in the mountains of western Colorado. Though I sometimes wish I were closer to the east and its historical battlefields and places, I do confess it would be hard to leave Colorado’s mountains. In the fall the Aspen trees turn the most brilliant and rich color of gold you have ever seen. It is a most beautiful thing. I wanted to share this earlier, but I have been unusually busy…

After watching the U.S. soccer team get booted from World Cup competition I went for a run to get some of my pent up emotions released. My son is a pretty good soccer player and we love the game. I suspect like many of you (who watched these past 3 games) had similar reactions. I was flabbergasted by some of the officiating. Today’s final game was no different. The penalty kick call before half should have been a no-call.

During my run I was able to reflect on the games. The U.S. team simply was not good enough to advance; we all know this. They are not yet at the same level as the top teams in the world. Today’s game was an example. A good team does not put themselves in a position where a poor call by an official can kill them. The U.S. team had already given up a goal because of a mistake, which they were prone to do in every game and each time, it seems, the other teams capitalized, as good teams do. Had the U.S. showed up in game one and scored a couple goals or got a tie, today’s game would have had a completely different look. Not that Ghana would have lost, as they are a very good team. (I am also happy for them and hope they do well in the second round.)

As Americans we too often, it seems, like to blame others and point fingers and usually at other Americans. Sometimes we need to accept the fact that we are not as good as we thought, and that we have made some mistakes. Did we have the right team or the right coach or the right strategy? Think about Iraq in a similar fashion.

I do congratulate the U.S. soccer team for getting to the World Cup as it was not an easy task for them. Perhaps with some changes and new young players coming up, they can build on their 2002 success.

One of my favorite lines from one of my favorite movies (THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION) pretty much sums up why I love to go to the ocean every year. If you remember, Andy tells Red he hopes he can join him in “Zihuatanejo.” He tells him what the Mexicans say about the ocean, “They say it has no memory. That’s where I’d like to finish out my life, Red. A warm place with no memory.” The key being a “warm” place without a “memory.” Sometimes forgetting is a good thing to do, while enjoying numerous cervezas. So that is where I will be starting tomorrow through next Sunday. We have a time share (house, photo above looking out our back door) right on the ocean where my kids can wake up early in the morning and collect sea shells, rock crabs, and star fish in the tide pools during low tide while my wife and I watch from our bedroom window. In the afternoon, it’s walks along the ocean, and in the evening we sit in chairs as the tide comes in, washes over our feet, and the sun sets. I have to say I will not miss anything (well not much) here in the real world.

Zihuatanejo

		    ANDY
	Tell you where I'd go. Zihuatanejo.

		    RED
	Zihuatanejo? 

		    ANDY
	Mexico. Little place right on the
	Pacific. You know what the Mexicans
	say about the Pacific? They say it
	has no memory. That's where I'd
	like to finish out my life, Red. A
	warm place with no memory. Open a
	little hotel right on the beach.
	Buy some worthless old boat and fix
	it up like new. Take my guests out
	charter fishing.

LATER IN THE MOVIE...

	    ANDY (V.O.)
	Dear Red. If you're reading this,
	you've gotten out. And if you've
	come this far, maybe you're willing
	to come a little further. You
	remember the name of the town,
	don't you? I could use a good man
	to help me get my project on
	wheels. I'll keep an eye out for
	you and the chessboard ready.
		(beat)
	Remember, Red. Hope is a good
	thing, maybe the best of things,
	and no good thing ever dies. I will
	be hoping that this letter finds
	you, and finds you well. Your
	friend. Andy. 

THE FINAL SCENE WHEN RED JOINS ANDY AT THE OCEAN

		    RED (V.O.)
	I find I am so excited I can barely
	sit still or hold a thought in my
	head. I think it is the excitement
	only a free man can feel, a free
	man at the start of a long journey
	whose conclusion is uncertain...
	I hope I can make it across the
	border. I hope to see my friend
	and shake his hand. I hope the
	Pacific is as blue as it has been
	in my dreams.
		(beat)
	I hope. 

To read the screenplay…

Military historian (and author) Victor Davis Hanson spoke last Thursday at Lehigh University and according to the student newspaper his central theme was that, “wars are a product of human nature and emotional grievances rather than material conquests.”  For some time now this has been a topic debated among sociologists, anthropologists, psychologists, and, of course, historians.  “We’re not going to end war until human nature changes,” Hanson was reported as saying. “Every once in a while war solves problems.” War is indeed the great “arbiter.” Nature versus nurture, irrationalism, or the ever popular “civilization is responsible,” have been conjured up as arguments.  According to historians Richard A. Preston, Alex Roland, and Sydney F. Wise, in their excellent book Men in Arms: A History of Warfare and it’s Interrelationships with Western Society, “any organized armed conflict between national or ideological groups must be regarded as warfare.”

Speaking at a conference in London recently,  historian Justin McCarthy, reportedly claimed that a source known as the “Blue Book” chosen by Armenians to prove claims of genocide against them, is one of the products of British war propaganda bureau’s efforts of misinformation during first world war. B4H Judgment: Ugly

Socialism in France is going about as well as can be expected with the news of the recent riots by an estimated 1 million. Some of them “threw bottles and Molotov cocktail petrol bombs.” The protest was against an initiative that would make it easier for employers to dismiss employees under the age of 26 during a two-year trial period. Is socialism working in France? It appears not, 25% unemployment rate and riots speak volumes.