A Pocket Guide to Writing in History

I am a History Professor at a small, Christian, liberal arts college on the outskirts of Chicago. I have used this book, both the fourth edition and the fifth edition, in my Historical Methods course for the last four years. The fifth edition is a great improvement over the fouth. Overall, the book provides an excellent introduction to what historians do and how we do it. It defines primary and secondary sources well and provides a good list of questions to ask about each type of source. It talks about the types of writing assignments that are used in history and how to approach them. It gives a straightforward explanation of each step in the process of writing a research paper. It has a nice explanation of what plagiarism is (although like most scholars she describes it as a form of theft rather than fraud) and how to avoid it. Finally, it gives University of Chicago forms for footnotes and bibliographies in the back. When compared to the other introductions to history writing on the market--and I've looked at over half a dozen of them--Rampolla's book is shorter, more to the point, and less expensive than all of them (MUCH less expensive than some). The publisher is to be commended.

Very helpful guide to writing about history, or anything else. Helpful for both the undergraduate and graduate student who wants a refresher.

As a high school history teacher, I've created several writing tip sheets and links to writing websites for my students. All of these efforts were intended to help the motivated improve their understanding of good writing as well as their skills in writing. The Pocket Guide to Writing in History replaces all of my earlier efforts in one handy resource. With an introduction to research, note taking, formulating and supporting points with evidence, citations & bibliographies, it's an excellent guide for advanced high school and college students in writing in-class essays or lengthy, long-term research papers. The Guide briefly considers the different types of history writing assignments, and offers unique suggestions for preparation and execution for each format. Its primary referencing focus is on the Chicago style of foot/endnotes, the style most widely used in history. Plus, the 5th edition includes more up-to-date citation format examples for internet sources, a big improvement from the 4th edition. Writing is a key skill in this discipline, but most teachers have little class time in which to teach it. As a stand alone student resource, the Guide is the best option I've found. It could also be used in class for lessons on specific writing skills, or as a supplement to a major research paper assignment. I plan to recommend The Guide to all of my Advanced Placement students this year. Highly recommended.

A Pocket Guide to Writing in History is slim, but between its covers lies more style and finesse than the Chicago Manual of Style. Highly recommend for those wishing to raise their history grade or for those looking to improve their writing into a more concise form in general usage.

Dr. Rampolla is my Professor and it isn't pomp that makes her and every history teacher at my school recommend this book. It is really helpful and easy to understand. a must for history majors!