Writing History Essays: A Student's Guide

by I.W. Mabbett

To write history successfully, it is essential to understand the nuts and bolts of technique as well as the underlying principles which are too rarely made explicit, but which govern the whole process. I.W. Mabbett carefully analyzes these principles, and takes us step-by-step through the stages of the process. He shows how history differs from other disciplines, outlines the methods of historical research and writing, and clearly illustrates their application to writing assignments, essays and dissertations in history.

Genres: History

172 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Anson Cassel Mills · Rating 2 out of 5]

Writing History Essays is the sort of textbook that gets adopted in gut reaction to the rising flood of illiterate student essays. Mabbett is a model of thoroughness and earnestness, the sort of author one hopes will succeed. Nothing, however, can disguise the essential dullness of his book.

Here is Mabbett on the use of language in history writing:

“For practical purposes, though, we cannot afford to be excessively pedantic in deciding what we can allow writers to say; ordinary language carries many conventional assumptions which are harmless unless we specifically wish to challenge them. Real tendentiousness appears when a writer deliberately chooses words implying a debatable belief.” (51)

Here, in turn, is a parallel passage from Barzun & Graff, Modern Researcher, (5th edition):

“It is evident that the domain of ideas is full of unexpected turns, misleading appearances, pitfalls of every kind. And since ideas are what make the fact important and interesting, the reporters of events will fall into one trap after another if they are not adept at handling ideas.” (139)

Is there any doubt about which sort of prose one should encourage novice historians to read-even if actual students will probably read neither?

[Jonathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A useful guide for undergraduates or advanced high school students, but long enough (and British enough in style) that it will take a certain amount of focus for them to get through. I picked it up in hopes of recommending or assigning it to my own students. I'd say that it will work for many upper-level history classes where students are expected to produce real research papers, but that it would be overkill for freshmen or other students just learning the basics of composition. And you'd need to allow most students a couple of weeks to read it; it's 160 pages long. (It would be a great for a college historiography class or senior seminar; it even includes an appendix that briefly but effectively describes major approaches and schools.)