How has the historian crafted the book’s main argument? What evidence did the author use to prove and defend the argument?

Jacoby, Karl. Crimes Against Nature: Squatters, Poachers, Thieves, and the Hidden History of American Conservation.

A summary of the author’s primary argument: What is the author’s main idea

– what is the thesis? What is/are the most important question(s) the author is asking? The author wants to teach you something, to convince you about a particular historical idea

– what is it? What are the most important ways that author’s argument and evidence shapes our understanding of the historical topic? For historical fiction, ask similar questions. What is the author’s central theme or idea? What are the important questions that author is addressing in the work? The author wants to convey to the reader something – an idea, a point of view – so what is it? What are the ways the author uses historical evidence, and how does that evidence influence our perception of the book?

2. An analysis of the historical methods and sources the author used to develop her or his historical argument: How has the author organized the book – for example, is it organized chronologically, topically, thematically, or some other way? How has the historian crafted the book’s main argument? What evidence did the author use to prove and defend the argument?