Bellesiles anti-gun book now serves as "bad example" in history course.

Central Connecticut State University, History Department ^ | 8-6-02 | http://www.history.ccsu.edu/syllabi/Warshauer_syllabus501.htm

[Atlas Sneezed]

Course overview:

History 501 focuses on historiography, historical method, and history as a professional discipline. Central to our inquiries will be historiography, the differing schools of history that develop around a given subject. Historians often investigate the same information but arrive at markedly different conclusions, or find additional information that adds new understanding to the study of a subject. The class will discuss some of the influences that cause historians to make what are often contrasting arguments. Additionally, students will learn how scholars go about evaluating another scholar’s work. Moreover, students themselves will engage in this evaluation process by writing a review of Michael Bellesiles’ work, Arming America: The Origins of a National Gun Culture. This book is available at the Campus Bookstore and the Other Bookstore. There is also a required Course Packet that is available at the Other Bookstore only.

The other main component of this course deals with the use of primary and secondary sources. We will hold at least one class in the library, both to learn about where sources are located and to work with reference, government document, and inter-library loan librarians to discover what types of collections are held by both our library and other libraries in the area. -- The course will culminate in a major research project that incorporates the research and historiographic skills learned and discussed in class. The student and instructor should agree upon a project within the first week or two of class. All topics must be on Connecticut or New England history unless the student has special permission to engage in an alternative subject.

Class Assignments:

(These assignments are explained in more detail in the Course Packet.)

1) A 3-5 page book review of Michael Bellesiles, Arming America: The Origins of a National Gun Culture. Worth 15% of the final grade.

2) A 5-7 page review essay on Michael Bellesiles, Arming America: The Origins of a National Gun Culture. Worth 25% of the final grade.

3) Formal Prospectus for Final Paper. Worth 15% of the final grade.

4) Student Commentaries. Worth 5% of the final grade. Failure to provide your peer commentators with a copy of your paper on the assigned day will result in a full grade reduction on your final paper.

5) A 20 page primary research/historiographic final paper. Worth 40% of the final grade.

....

Explanation of Course Assignments:

1) A 3-5 page book review of Michael Bellesiles, Arming America: The Origins of a National Gun Culture. Worth 15% of the final grade.

· This review should be written without investigating any other reviews of Bellesiles’ work. The purpose of the assignment is to determine what you, as a reader, take away from Bellesiles’ argument. Indeed, this is one of the keys of any book review. Students need to first identify Bellesiles’ argument, then evaluate it. Is it logical? Does he support it with good evidence? Is the book easily understood? These are just some of the points that a reviewer should consider. Please see the section on “Understanding and Writing Book Reviews,” that follows the explanation of class assignments. (Make sure that you follow proper citation format when reviewing Bellesiles’ book.)

2) A 5-7 page review essay on Michael Bellesiles, Arming America: The Origins of a National Gun Culture. Worth 25% of the final grade.

· After a thorough class discussion in which students have researched five reviews and or articles on Bellesile’s work, students will write a 5-7 page review essay incorporating new ideas gleaned from the class discussions and the writings of scholars. Thus your essay should take into account new arguments that may alter your original conclusions regarding Bellesiles. (Make sure that you follow proper citation format when writing your essay. You will be incorporating new sources into your paper and must cite everything correctly.)

....

[lepton]

neat. Of course many FREEPERS would have a problem with the first 15% of their course grade.

[coloradan]

Shedding some light on the cockroach named Bellesiles.

[.45MAN]

(((((PING))))

[TC Rider]

I hope this prof has tenure. Otherwise he could be on the way out for exposing lib fraud.

[crazykatz]

This is just great....he is made the example of HOW NOT TO GET CAUGHT WRITING LIBERAL CRAP!!

[willieroe]

Shedding some light on the cockroach named Bellesiles.

...as the students add to Bellesiles' bank account, since his book, obviously, would be a mandatory purchase for the class.

[Shooter 2.5]

That was my first reaction. The fraud is laughing all the way to the bank.
What is that saying again? Everyone has a purpose in life, if only to act as a bad example.

[Larry Lucido]

I'm now reading "Undaunted Courage" by Stephen Ambrose. Good book, but it contains a plaudit from Bellisiles. Made me wonder whether to continue reading. I hope Ambrose disassociates from Bellisiles in future printings.

[dansangel]

"...as the students add to Bellesiles' bank account, since his book, obviously, would be a mandatory purchase for the class."

I agree this is disturbing. However, I take solace in the fact that most, if not all, college campus bookstores will buy back the books and recycle them. I like to think that the same, worn and recycled copies are making the rounds semester after semester.....

[Shooter 2.5]

You're probably right.
The books should stay in perfect condition for a long time. After all, why would anyone have to open the book up to learn that it's a lie. Reading the front and back covers should be all that's necessary.

[thucydides]

In case you hadn't heard, Ambrose himself has been found to have committed extensive plagiarism in more recent work. Nevertheless, Undaunted Courage is a wonderful book. I think Ambrose sunk into a money-making fast cut-and-paste approach to writing, but Bellesiles is outright fraudulent, not copying other people's words, but making up things and lying about non-existent sources.

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

1) A 3-5 page book review of Michael Bellesiles, Arming America: The Origins of a National Gun Culture. Worth 15% of the final grade.

· This review should be written without investigating any other reviews of Bellesiles’ work.

Imagine a sincere liberal skull-full-of-mush following this instruction, going ga-ga over Bellesiles' con, and writing a pean of praise for it!

And then . . .

[Billthedrill]

Imagine a sincere liberal skull-full-of-mush following this instruction, going ga-ga over Bellesiles' con, and writing a pean of praise for it!

And then . . .

Oh, yes. Academia is really, really angry at Bellesiles in its own stodgy way - the problem isn't just the humiliation of having bought into an outright fraud, it's that it will cause the unwashed to look askance at any future pronunciamentos issuing from the "experts." That is not a healthy thing if you are one of those "experts." And this is a very, very subversive course.

[Larry Lucido]

In case you hadn't heard, Ambrose himself has been found to have committed extensive plagiarism in more recent work.

I didn't know that, and it's disappointing if true. I thought D-Day was great reading too, and if he lifted parts of that I hope he at least had reliable sources to plagarize from.

[Maelstrom]

Hold up a second...

...exactly where is it mentioned that this is an example of what *not* to do as a historian?

(Do not use Warshauer’s, “Shooting from the Hip.”)

[thucydides]

The recent allegations concerning Ambrose relate to his book on the bomber pilots, "The Wild Blue." Ambrose has apologized for taking phrases from others' work. It is too bad, because generally Ambrose has written on themes that are very positive for our country. I just think he got into a money-driven cut-and-paste job to rush out books and make money.

[The Person]

Actually the prof. teaching this course loved Arming America, thought it was great.