In this chapter, Brundage explains that while reading a book it is important to make yourself familiar with the title, subtitle, table of contents and inform yourself on the author of the book. It is also important to look at the preface and introduction in order to make yourself familiar with the book and author. Brundage explains that one of the most effective way to grasp the process of "active, critical reading" is to compare two works that are almost identical. By comparing them you can find out that they are actually written in different centuries, and focus on different things.
If you take the example of the American Civil War one Historian can focus on the background of the war, and others on its military, political, social, cultural, economic dimensions and impacts. Different authors can frame a subject differently as well as narrate and judge events differently. That way it is important to get two sides to a story in order to built up your understanding of a topic and comprehend it better and fully. If one of the work is written earlier on or in a different century it could have a different understanding of the subject, and the second one could be adding information to the first one and making it more complete.
While writing a research paper why is it important to compare two works that are almost identical? While reading a work, what other steps can be taken in order to get a better understanding of it?
Why is bias useful to Historians?
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