HIST 3452

I took this course with Beorn - a West Point grad, an Iraq War vet, a really cool guy in general. He's also an expert on World War II and an excellent, well-organized lecturer. Perhaps the best thing Beorn brings to a course on WWII is a military science perspective. He's knowledgeable about weapons, tactics, and much else regarding the military and warfare. The subject matter is World War II. Each lecture is structured and participation is encouraged. The textbook is very good and the reading load is very manageable. There are pop quizzes in lecture, though none of them are especially difficult. Students are assigned to read a particular war memoir and write a paper about it. There is no midterm exam, and the final exam is take-home and easy. The center-piece of this course is an archival research project in Special Collections. This project is a little intimidating and a pain to get through, but it teaches skills valuable to historians. The project is completed with a partner and is completed in stages. Importantly, the grading on the various parts of the project (and in the course overall) is pretty generous. If you have an interest in World War II, take this class. It is very interesting and not too difficult. Also - take any course you can with Beorn. He's an excellent teacher and a great guy to know.