Historical Writing

About the Course:

Intermediate-level honors seminar in which students read and critique major primary and secondary works from a variety of periods and regions.

Winter 2019:

In this seminar, we will explore aspects of historical writing through reading, discussion and written analysis of a series of terrific books and articles in history.  We will think about historical sources, methods, modes of analysis and especially writing: what makes these studies great?  The books will range across a variety of historical periods and genres.  A few examples: Nick Terpstra’s Lost Girls: Sex and Death in Renaissance Florence, a historical detective story in which the author puzzles out why one particular orphanage for girls had a shockingly high mortality rate; Jonathan Schlesinger, A World Trimmed with Fur: Wild Things, Pristine Places and the Natural Fringes of Qing Rule, a study of how pristine nature was invented in nineteenth century China; Lyndal Roper, Martin Luther: Renegade and Prophet, a vibrant new biography; Karl Jacoby, Shadows at Dawn: An Apache Massacre and the Violence of History, a reconstruction of a terrible and  perplexing massacre.

Pre-requisites:

Honors standing

Documents:

Schedule of Courses

Go to the Schedule of Courses on the Registrar's website to register or view scheduling information on all courses.