The Problem of Pamela Bradley (3 Viewers)

[classics_chic]

Pamela Bradley. You either love her, or love to hate her. So what's the deal with her?

You must not quote her. She's OK if you either don't get it or need a summary if you do get it. If you want above a band 4 you need to get some other sources, and quote/ paraphrase from them. For Greece, try Herodotos (Herodotus), Thucydides, Burckhardt, Plutarch, and Bury and Meiggs. For Rome, try Suetonius, Caesar, Cicero, Plutarch, Livy, Tacitus, Scullard, Grant, and many others. I can't help with Egypt sorry (although Herodotos says some stuff about it!).

______________________________
"Pamela Bradley is a waste of time."
Dr. Ben Brown, University of Sydney
ANHS1003 (Archaic Greece) Lecture 1

 

[hatty]

where bradley got her info from is very similar to where scullad gets his info from.
but because some markers like being dickheads, they tend to discriminate her just because she didnt go to some flash uni.

so instead of quoting her directly, find her source, and quote that instead.

 

[tina_goes_doo]

What? Seriously? i've never heard that we wernt allowed to quote her. Then again, i've never really had a reason to quote her. Thanks for the heads up guys! I'll keep that in mind.

 

[hatty]

no tina, you CAN quote her, (ive spoken to the head marker for all the histories), its just that if you do, markers tend to discriminate against her just because she didn't go to a flash uni (havard, oxford whatever).
if ur desperate. quote bradley all the way.

 

[angelduck]

Ok, i must be serious here, YOU CAN QUOTE BRADLEY!!!!! remeber this please!!
The main point i think they r trying to make is that if u do, you should back her up with other historins and primary sources. Then again, if u r good ancienters, you should do this anyways, so i dont really understand what the prblem is? YOU WiLL NOT LOOSE MARKS FOR QUOTING A HISTORIAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[silvermoon]

generally speaking, i tend 2 use the sources that Bradley uses, quote them and paraphrase Bradley for explanations of the quotes. seems 2 work ok 4 me

 

[angelduck]

Yeah, but in her explanation of certain things she says some good things as well!!

 

[tina_goes_doo]

To quote or not to quote....damn this, i'm making up my own historian!

 

[angelduck]

Yeah, but Tines, theres no need to just make one up, i dont mind if u use me *cough* i mean AP Lewis to support ur point

 

[Demandred]

Didn't she go to Cambridge?

 

[classics_chic]

YOU WiLL NOT LOOSE [sic] MARKS FOR QUOTING A HISTORIAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!

True. But all the ancient history teachers, teachers who are markers, lecturers (now not just the one I had in first semester, but others as well), and anyone who loves Ancient History sees Bradley as a bit of a joke. And what's more, she's not a historian, she's a textbook writer. See those exercises in Bradley's books? See the division into school-convenient paragraphs? That makes all the difference.

 

[leginag]

HAHAHA... there is a point..which shows just ONE flaw of the BoS system...but yes...scullard is "more respectable".
Shows that even in todays society we are very heavily prejuidiced..except not as openly as before...we just got smarted

 

[angelduck]

Meh, its the BOS, what can you expect?? Im sure theyd value the opinion of a well educated elephant though.....

Nope, i got no idea where that came from, sorry.

But, i still dont quite understand why Bradley is frowned upon, i mean, so she wrote a textbook, did BOS not realise SO DID EVERY OTHER HISTORIAN!!!!! its not like you cant quote (when doing Rome) the auther of "gracchi to Nero" (i soooo cant remember his name) Seriously, BOS confuses me muchly

 

[Caratacus]

Well there are text books & text books. Scullard's "From the Gracchi to Nero" is a serious academic survey of the period. Bradley's book is aimed directly at HSC students. How about "Indiana Jones Discovers Ancient Rome"? That's a "textbook" too. I dare you to quote it in the HSC!

 

[angelduck]

Meh, dont dare me, i seriously will!
It dont matter really, as long as ypu remmeber to ALWAYS back up one historian with anmother, or with sources, then its okay, and then you can use Bradley.

 

[silvermoon]

But, i still dont quite understand why Bradley is frowned upon, i mean, so she wrote a textbook, did BOS not realise SO DID EVERY OTHER HISTORIAN!!!!! its not like you cant quote (when doing Rome) the auther of "gracchi to Nero" (i soooo cant remember his name) Seriously, BOS confuses me muchly

yes, u can quote Scullard - however, Scullard's work is NOT a school-kid, basic HSC textbook. Bradley is frowned upon because her work is a joke really, sooo basic its not funny.

 

[tina_goes_doo]

And plus, it's always healthy to make fun of people. HSC markers need a laugh too!

 

[angelduck]

Lol, its true, then again, i think they get enough amusement from seein us poor lil' yr twelvers swettin it out over exams

 

[classics_chic]

yes, u can quote Scullard - however, Scullard's work is NOT a school-kid, basic HSC textbook. Bradley is frowned upon because her work is a joke really, sooo basic its not funny.

You have to remember that Bradley sometimes contradicts the main texts in her simplification... that's another reason to avoid her like the plague. Especially in Egypt and Greece- in Egypt she's popularising (very very dangerous) and in Greece she's making it understandable to modern western ears (also bad move, you shouldn't view a culture in view of another.

Anyway, I hope I've been helpful... that's just my five cents on Bradley- she can lull you into a sense of false security!

 

[silvermoon]

nothing wrong with a false sense of security...beta than a terrible sense of dread...then again, i really cant afford 2 get bad marks in this subject. average, yes, bad no. damn. may have 2 work on that then!