UNIVERSITY OF IOWA

DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY

History 16E:152 Modern Britain. The Twentieth Century

Fall Semester 2009

Instructor: Jeffrey Cox

Class: MWF 1:30-2:20 140 SH

Office: 109 Schaeffer Hall

Phone: 335-2298

E-mail: jeffrey-cox@uiowa.edu

Home Page: http://www.uiowa.edu/~c016003a/

Office Hours: Monday 2:30-4:00; Thursday 1:30-3:00, & by appt. History

Dept: 280 SH, hours 8-12, 1-5.

Dept. Phone: 335-2299

Dept. Chair: Colin Gordon

Objectives: the major purposes of the course are (1) to give you a general overview of the history of Great Britain in the twentieth century and (2) to improve your writing skills, especially persuasive writing. Like most courses in the history department, this is a course in rhetoric and you will be graded accordingly.

Doing well in the course: please come to see me for advice about any aspect of this course, especially if you are having problems or do not fully understand any of the course requirements or assignments. I would like to hear from anyone who has a disability which may require some modification of seating, testing or other class requirements so that appropriate arrangements may be made. Please see me after class or during my office hours.

The History Writing Center is in 303 Schaeffer Hall. Call 335-2584 or stop by to make an appointment for a consultation on improving your writing, www.uiowa.edu/~histwrit/.

Complaints: Academic complaints that cannot be resolved with the instructor should be directed to the chair of the History Department. For problems or complaints of any kind, including sexual harassment, the Office of the Ombudsperson provides confidential advice to students; call 335-3608 or e-mail “ombudsperson@uiowa.edu”.

Assigned Readings and Course Requirements

Reading: Peter Clarke, Hope and Glory. Britain 1900-2000 (Penguin, 978-0-14-101175-2)

E. M. Forster, A Passage to India (978-0-15-671142-5)

George Orwell, The Road to Wigan Pier (978-015-676-7507)

Andrea Levy, Small Island

These books are available at Iowa Book and Supply.

Oxford Dictionary of National Biography entries (ODNB)

(online) http://www.lib.uiowa.edu/. Click on Find Resources, Resources by Type, Dictionaries, scroll down to title.

Requirements:

1. Two midterm examinations. First 15%, Second 20%.

2. Final examination, comprehensive, 30%. (Please note: the final examination will be given only at the scheduled time.)

3. Papers: Three 3-5 page (typed and double-spaced) papers, one each on (1) A Passage to India (10%), The Road to Wigan Pier (10%), and Small Island (15%).

Please note: you must complete each assignment in order to receive a grade.

The examinations will be based on the material covered in the lectures. You will do well on the exams if you take a good set of lecture notes, and do not merely depend on the lecture outlines. The textbook will provide additional material on the topics covered in the lectures, and context for them, but the exams will not cover topics that are in the text, but not the lectures. On the exams, you will be graded on your ability to make an argument using the material you have learned in the course.

The papers will be graded on the quality of writing about the novel, with a focus on the novel in its historical context.

Schedule of Class Meetings, Textbook Readings, and ODNB entries.

http://www.uiowa.edu/~c016003a/

Please feel free to interrupt the lectures with questions.