Greek Mythology
Assignment: Write a book review on Barry Strauss The Trojan War: a New History
Requirements: It must be at least 1,000 words (about 4 pages) NOT including footnotes or quotations.
Your review should consist of 4 main parts:
1) Introduction
In your introduction (1 paragraph) you should give a short introduction to the book itself. Remember, the introduction should preview the entire essay (you may want to go back after you have finished it and revise the introduction).
2) Summary
Summarize the book in about 3 pages. What view does Strauss take on the Trojan War? What is his approach to the problem of whether Homer knows anything about the Bronze Age Mycenaeans? What are the main points of each chapter? Focus on the most important issues as there is not room to summarize the entire book in any depth.
3) Evaluation
In about 1-page tell us what do you think of the book? What were the books strengths? Its weaknesses? Is his prose clear? Does he bring anything new to the debate on whether there is anything Bronze Age in Homer? Do you agree with Strausss approach or disagree? Is this really a new history?
4) Conclusion
Sum up your ideas in a paragraph. Conclusions generally try to answer the question so what? Why is it important to read Strauss book and how should we go about it?
