Honors Modern World History
Current Scholarship Book Project
The Task: Events such as the
Cold War, fall of the Soviet Union, the Re-unification of Germany, events in
the
The Process: In
small groups (of 1 to 3 people), you will select a book from the following list,
or one of your own choosing, to read and prepare for a discussion with the
teacher. These discussions will be guided by your answers to the questions
below as well as some book specific questions on a separate sheet. You will
need to schedule two directed studies during the month of December for these
discussions. When the discussions are complete, each of you will need to turn
in written responses to the questions, as well as a reflection on the book’s
ideas and bias.
The Book List: The
books, listed by region, are all possibilities for study and should be
available through inter-library loan or through Amazon.com or Barnes and Noble,
Borders, etc. Books with
Post Cold War Europe: Levy,
Patricia: The Fall of the
Buckley Jr., William F. The Fall of the
Thatcher, Margaret. Statecraft: Strategies for a Changing World
(2002) ILL. Lady Thatcher is a former Prime
Minister of the
International Relations: Kagan, Robert: Of Paradise and Power:
Cold War: Von Eschen, Penny M.: Satchmo
blows up the world: Jazz Ambassadors Play the Cold War (2004) ILL
Holocaust Studies: Hegi, Ursula. Tearing the Silence: On Being German in
Goldhagen, Daniel. Hitler’s Willing Executioners:
Ordinary Germans and the Holocaust (1996) ILL A long and controversial book
about the Holocaust - fairly detailed.
Auturs, John and Richard Wolffe. The Victim’s
Fortune, Inside the Epic Battle over the Debts of the Holocaust (2002)
Browning, Christopher R. Ordinary Men: Reserve Police Battalion 101
and the Holocaust in
Reparations: Barkan, Elazar. The Guilt of Nations: Restitution and
Negotiating Historical Injustices. (2000)
Other: You may look at other non-fiction books
that relate to topics that we either have covered or will cover in the course.
These include genocides, modern Asia, Japan, post-Vietnam War era southeast
Asia, Russian government, foreign aid, aid for disasters such as the tsunami
that hit Indonesia, the Iraq war, South African issues since the end of
Apartheid, Justice in nations that have been marked by violence, foreign
financing of the Holocaust, etc. You will have time in the library during class
and after school next week to find a book to work on.
Guide Questions:
«
Who
wrote the book? What are their qualifications for studying and analyzing the
topic?
«
What
is the book about?
«
What
did you learn about the topic by reading the book?
«
What
is your perspective on the topic? Does it agree with the author? If so, how, if
not - why/how?
«
Does
it introduce any new scholarship (new information, a new understanding, a new
area of study, etc.)? If yes, what, if no, what is the new interpretation or
perspective that it introduces?
«
What
is the author’s perspective on the event/situation?
«
What
interested you in the topic?
Important Dates: Book
Selection Complete: Friday,
September 19
Progress Reports Due: Thursday, November 15
Written answers to questions
and meetings with Mr. Ames: No later than Thursday, December 18