Due date: November 2, 1999

By now, you have read Keegan’s account of the Battle of the Somme in its entirety and discussed its means of argumentation. Now, write two or three paragraphs below describing Keegan’s evidence and how he interprets it. Examine which questions he asks, how he collects data to support his answer, and what interpretive methods he uses to make sense of the data. You may want to choose a particular section of the chapter for this detailed examination.

In-class, you should read each others’ papers and discuss any similarities or differences in the conclusions you drew. In particular, examine the way Keegan manages to combine a variety of perspectives into a single, unified view and whether you, as an interpreter of Keegan’s text, share that perspective. Did he leave anything out? What kinds of evidence did he prefer to other kinds?

Confused about WW I? Here’s a link to the article on it in the

Encyclopedia Britannica

Want to know more about logic? Here is a well-written chapter on it.

Logic and Argumentation