YES, TAKE THIS CLASS! Professor McBride is by far one of the BEST professors at UCLA, so you should feel fully confident in taking any of his classes. He is a very understanding professor, and is genuinely trying to make sure that everyone does well, he is not out to get you at all. His lectures are great, he posts the lectures slides (super informative) and does a great job covering the material thoroughly & reviewing for the midterm. In-person midterm, take-home paper final, couple other assignments mixed in throughout the quarter but very manageable. Would 100% recommend.

Not a history major, not a poli sci major. TAKE THIS CLASS!!! I'm a psych major and needed a class that fit into my busy schedule, so took this as an elective. I have never been so happy to take a gamble on a class I wasn't sure of. I've never been crazy interested in history, nor have I ever been that good at it. However, Professor McBride changed my mind completely. This class is so interesting and eye-opening, there was never a day that I wasn't excited to show up to class. He is able to make anything easy to understand and it is so clear how passionate he is about his work. He is always ready to help or further clarify something. The midterm was very fair and he hosted a great review session during normal class time to review. The assignments are spaced apart and ask for enough information to show you're learning but aren't unmanageable. I loved this class and this professor so much, I would take this class over again if I could.

McBride is a very kind and engaging professor. The class is very manageable and the material is worth learning, he makes a lot of connections to today. I do want to re-emphasize how great McBride is!!!

Dr. McBride is an awesome lecturer and a fair grader. He makes this class even more interesting than it already is, and the workload is pretty manageable too. His slides are well-written and packed with information and analysis, so I'd save those as study materials. You'll have two exams and two assignments: a paper based on an assigned topic (you can choose from two or three) and a course diary. The diary is basically a free A if you complete it and provide some original opinions. There's a lot of reading, but it's all translated to or written in English, and if you pace yourself, you'll be fine.

I would take this class again 100 times over! If you want to take it, make sure you are ready to read as there is a good amount of reading. They are not boring readings though! Everything you read is interesting but I am sure that if you miss some readings it won’t affect how you do in the class. There is a midterm and 2 essays, all of which the professor adequately prepares you for. The lectures are detailed and engaging. I suggest taking as many notes as you can. I have no qualms with this class or professor at all.