2.8
Quality3.4
Difficulty35%
Would Retake101
Reviews35%
Would Retake
101
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
24
4
15
3
18
2
25
1
19
What Students Say
“methods and postmodernism”
H129 - 3.0 rating“Philosophy and grammar are the big concerns for him”
129A - 2.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
21%
Textbook Required
64%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Stable
-0.04 avg changeRatings by Course
2001
5.0
(1)129ABC
5.0
(1)HIST202
5.0
(1)HIST129Q
5.0
(1)HISTORY4B
4.0
(4)Difficulty by Course
129ABC
5.0
EUROHIST
5.0
HISTB
5.0
HIST129E
4.5
HIST129
4.4
Reviews (101)
He provides all the lecture notes in the reader so you only have to listen in class. He uses comic style slides to teach the course contents; it's always enjoyable. But if you fell asleep, he'll come wake you up in front of the whole class.
No Comments
He was unreasonable in his expectations of his students. He assumed that we knew things that he never talked about. He was not available to his students and was condescending in his demeanor. Did not clearly specify his expectations.
Very good professor, had me laughing half the time. Very enjoyable lectures. Good class for anyone who doesnt like history.
Extremely funny, makes a joke of just about everything. Not too much reading. Only history class i got an A in and I am a History Major.
Lectures are great, he always makes jokes and keeps you interested; reading isnt very hard
I love his man - regardless of what people say and what he has said to me. He dicks you around and makes you feel like****, BUT he does it because he really wants you to learn. Once he gets to know you, he is more willing to open his heart and be much nicer to you. NO PASSIVE SENTENCES!!!!
really funny. intersting comments when the mike was left on accidentally. haha
I went into this class dreading that I had to take a history class BUT Sonnino started the first lecture with a histerical story of how he became a history professor and how he hates history... the rest of the class was just as amusing, I loved this class and the work load was very reasonable.
alright, despite the high ratings...its ridiculous how much i dreaded this class. As a history major I had never slept in a history class until him. the lectures are dry and stoopid and he brushes over everything. not impressed at all with his lectures and i learned almost nothing but his opinion.
I don't get the high ratings either. As a history major, I thought he was terrible. He isn't passionate about history, and his jokes are SO lame...he tries really hard. Things are still unclear. You might like him if you aren't a history person because he's easy though.
He was funny and made jokes a lot. If you don't like to write then take his class. No papers, just 8 little 150 word papers throughout quarter. All lecture notes are in reader. Not that much reading expect for the 2 books we had to read but midterm and final was all essay format. That might get you.
Im the farthest person from being a history major; i dreaded taking class, but he made it interesting and got to point. he told history how it is not how someone analyzed it to be. dont have to write long essay just 150 words each week- super easy.
I think it's pretty clear from the other comments - he's a good teacher if you're not that into history and want GE credit, but if you like history and you genuinely want to learn about this time period it's best to take another teacher for this class! Funny guy, but I didn't learn anything and the 150 wd papers were annoying.
He was halarious, I listend to him and thought "this is me in 200 years." He actually brought a pike into class! I got a C- on his midterm and I am an A/B student so that worried me, but even that couldn't keep me from liking this guy and learning somethings about history along the way. History majors are all a bit nuts anyway to study dead guys.
I loved his lecture notes in the reader, it was very helpful. But you should still go to lecture because it makes more sense after he explains it. Also, make sure you study for the tests!! He has a good sense of humor, but his lectures still got a bit boring.
Good lecturer, very clear. However, his honors section was a ****. Tinge of sexism (I'm f), didn't want to go over things he thought were clear enough in lecture. Unless you're a hst. major (like I was), take it with a TA and you'll be fine.
Prob the best lower Div hist prof I had. He is so funny, and makes it easy and fun to learn!
He was a great lecturer it was his tests that killed! He thought you should have got it the first time no explaining it a second time
I love this professor. He's funny, witty and makes Louis XIV seem really interesting...who woulda thought. Oh, I'm not just saying that because he gave me an A+ in one of his classes.
Hilarious guy...made otherwise boring material very entertaining. The class isnt the easiest, theres lots of stuff you have to learn, but he's the first history professor at this school that kept me awake.
Make sure you study and study hard. I pulled a C on the first exam by just studying. On the final I pulled a 97% but studied 64 hours on finals week just for this class. Tough class but definitely fair.
Very interesting, helpful and funny as hell!
his lectures are organized but boring. he is an ok speaker but he says umm after every other word which is very annoying. he spits when he talks too, so stay away from the front row. I despised his views on the renaissance as well, and felt he was pretty biased. an ok class that is a good GE class. very fair test grading which is nice
Sonino Is AWESOME!! Definitely take this class. He is hilarious! But, I learned a lot in this class. I like the way his class is set up and I liked his lectures. Very entertaining and informative class.
As a history major, I really disliked him as a person. He tries WAY..,and I mean WAY too hard to be "cool" and funny. He also dumbs things down a lot and doesn't really teach you useful skill in historical analysis. But he's easy, and there's ONLY a super cheap reader (no textbooks at all). So it's good if it is for a GE.
IF YOU ARE NOT GOOD AT GRAMMAR OR WRITTING ESSAYS ON PRIMARY DOCS YOU WILL FAIL. He will not help ou either good lk
Best professor I've had thus far. Good at giving another view of history, one that is by and large ignored by most others. Truth is, he knows his stuff and his point on the Renaissance, while biased, uncovers the truth behind what really happened.
I find his lectures funny and he is able to keep students' attentions with his quirks and jokes. I think it's good for a GE class. Some may find that he does dumb downt he material but it's a GE.
If you pay attention and do the readings you will undertstand the points he's trying to make. It's refreshing to get see a different kind of historian like Sonnino. His tests reflect how well you understand his theories and ideas, but doesn't force you to accept them. Overall, great profrssor and fun class.
Mad professor but very interesting and funny lectures, spreads anti-church anti-gov propoganda. Only has midterm and final 50/50 an hour each. The questions are simple and broad base only need to buy course reader which is cheap! Attend all sections very important and great material covered, grad school stuff.
Class was a joke. Not difficult, but definetely frustrating - class offers an in-depth analysis of historical documents but a shallow, confusing summary of historical people and events. Information is presented in a garbled manner in both the lecture and reader. Lectures are an effort in frustration, as he lists off a salvo of names and events.
This professor dummed down the material significantly. Tried to make things easier by only making us buy a reader, but vague notes made concepts difficult to understand. Is very proud of his ideas, and not helpful during office hours. very condescending. I Didn't learn anything I could take to a future history class.
Sonnino dumbs down material, only provides documents that he himself translated, and preaches about Martha Stewart and propaganda. It is definately a large part his sense of humor, but the class should not be based on his opinions and it is.
Sonnino is ok. I really liked the fact that the only reading that I had to do was a few pages from a reader each week. Also, rather than having to write a term paper, all that was required was weekly paragraphs of 150 words. As others have noted, he does dumb down the material but I think that this helped make the class a little more interesting.
I think he is reallllly chill teacher. He gives you EVERYTHING...right in the reader. Notes and all. Its not a bad class at all and I hope that I get sonnino as a teacher again soon. He makes it really easy for you. Just read what he gives you...you are in college...you have to do soome work.
Class is pretty easy; everything you need is in the short readings and the lecture notes he provides. Lecutres are interesting and usually pretty funny, but you don't always have to go. He has an interesting take on the Renaissance...plus you have to love a history prof who will tell everyone that he hates history.
I was in his honors section a few years back, worst mistake ever. He would pick one or two people a week and spend a good hour ripping apart their one paragraph for the week...he would make you rewrite your entire assignement for having something like having one passive verb.
Wow, this guy is bad. It appears easy, but becomes difficult because he rips you for one passive verb and preaches his ideas non-stop. If we are taking a history class, teach history! Instead we get his distorted and pessimistic take on the world. I am all for different approaches, but present them objectively. Hist dept is great so take anyoneelse
Wow. This isn't a history class, it's a class on grammar. DO NOT TAKE HIM! I cannot stress how much this man ruined this subject for me. Be warned, grades are not commensurate with effort. Do not take this professor.
No Comments
This is a hard one to rate, because at first I hated the class because of all the grammar and little assignments, but then I realised it was the only class I wasnt falling asleep in, he listens to everyones points, always replies to emails that same day, and is very leniant with deadlines, so the stress level is quite low. Stick it out!
This guy is terrible and the class sucks. You get 8 2 page papers to do, but if you fail one, you fail the whole class. His style of teaching is terrible and very hard to follow. DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS!!!
Don't hate on Sonnino. This class always makes me laugh and all you have to do is highlight his lecture notes.
Funny, different take on History. Absolute dictator about grammar (learn how to not use the passive voice). I'd recommend taking him, but after you've taken another history class so that his spiel will have some resonance. I disliked him the first time I took him, but grew to appreciate some of his iconoclasm in a later class.
You have to write 8 papers one page in length but you receive NO GRADE for them. You have to simply pass them all or you FAIL the entire course. For fulfilling a writing requirement, all the writing you do is pointless. His views on history are unique. All you are provided with is his notes. No textbook, so if you have a question your scewed!
One of the worst professors i have ever had. 8 one page papers due for no credit. MIdterm ad Final are 50% of grade each. Does ID's on midterm and final but chooses things he either doesnt go over or thigs that are unimportant in how he lectures about. Just took his early final and even the TA's looked shocked when they first looked at the test.
Horrible, horrible teacher. The way he teaches the class causes it to function as nothing more than a platform for his ludicrous ranting and half-baked theories of history. The papers were worthless, the exams were horrendously unfair (testing on minutiae that he never stressed in class at all), and by the end of the class, I had learned nothing.
Worst history professor taken so far @ UCSB, this is coming from a history major. His style of teaching is completely ridiculous as well as useless. There's a reason why other History professors dislike him, he believes his method of teaching is superior than other professors which is complete bullsh-t. This guy needs to stop teaching asap.
ID parts of midterm and final pretty tough. Essay questions easy and predictable for the most part. Weekly writing assignments were useless, I had to re-write mine several times and they don't even count as part of your grade. Although lectures are funny and keep you from falling asleep...don't take it if your looking for an easy class.
At first it seemed really pointless and the one page papers were ridiculous, but in the end I actually liked it. If you fully grasped his overall points, the essay portions of his test were easy. The important thing is to always take notes during class (even though he gives you an outline), because the notes he gives you are not enough to do well.
I never went to lecture or took notes. The reader is relatively cheap and in it, there is a simplified version of the lecture notes. We had a 150 word essay due every week which was easy and you cold rewrite it as many times as possible. In addition, midterms and finals-just stick to the main concepts and you should do fine. I got a B in the class.
People hate on Sonnino, but he's not that bad. Hilarious to listen to, although the way he structures lectures is pretty terrible. Midterm and final are not that bad, as the essay questions are easy to deduce and the ID's are fair. Only complaint: 50% midterm and 50% final determine your entire grade (curved 1/3 letter grade for section attendance)
He's not bad, but still is not a great professor (and still relatively hard). The IDs on the exams are the hardest part. And the weekly papers kinda suck. But just take the class PASS/FAIL!!! and then you will pass no problem.
He doesn't have a textbook, you only use a reader since he really doesn't teach by the book. The weekly writings are a pain, especially since you don't get a grade for them. You're not allowed to use certain words, 'cause he doesn't "believe in them". Also comes up with his own vocab terms. A side from that...he's pretty funny.
DONT TAKE UPPER DIVISION WITH THIS MAN. For lower division, he's great. A T.A. b/n you and him allows you to sit back and enjoy his insanity. He is completely arrogant, irrational, and boring. On papers if you don't give his exact ideas back to him you fail. He assigns papers 24 hrs bfor they're due. I'm a 4.0 history major and this was unbearable.
This class was a joke. I have never so much destested the teaching methods of any man or woman in my whole academic life. Sonnio masquaraded this class as a 'History' one but I instead spent the term learning about hit personal attitudes towards philosophy and the world. If you didn't agree with him exactly he berated you and marked you down.
A strange guy who is a good researcher and publishes a lot but who sseems to have contempt for his own field. Why he works so hard at it I don't know since he sees no larger patterns or meaning in the past. It's ll just complex stories about one of kind individuals and their specific decisions and beliefs for him. Not a useful or defensible view.
the guy is a control freak who cannot see anyones veiw but his own. he is not a nice human being in general and thinks he knows or discvoered everything about european history. if you thinking about taking a class with him do not. good words to describe re pompous, self centered, arrogant, and boring
An odd duck. He speaks Italian, so I was able to practice my Italian with him. But he gives little guidance as to what he wants from students. Be ready for him to jump down your throat, or praise you highly for something, and you still won't have any idea what he is assigning you to do. He is fairly funny and gives pretty interesting lectures.
This man is difficult--my impression is he is looking for an argument or even a fight. The class is interesting enough, but you MUST agree with him. Even then (and I am a very hardworking student), you can find yourself in his cross hairs. If you don't like criticism (the mean kind) stay away.
This man is not an effective teacher in any sense of the word. He is egotistical, self-absorbed, senile, and inhospitable. "My class is not a history class but a philosophy and grammar class instead," is one of his favorite phrases. If you value your own opinion, like history, and don't want to ruin 75 minutes of your day..don't take this fowl.
absolutely despised him. did not teach history at all, the class was more of a writing class to learn how to write in his style using the topics of history. he is egotisitical, senile, and a bully. i had to take his class in order to graduate and now i am in fear that i wont be able to because of his hard grading style. its also difficult to kn
GREAT TEACHER. Buy into his system, and you will not be dissatisfied. I took 3 of his classes and learned a lot. I am amazed at how many people thought he was egotistical(It's his sense of humor!) He has a strict writing style you must follow, but once you understand it, class is a breeze. Easy, funny, cool, informative and enlightening. Take class
He provides you the opportunity to resubmit your papers based on his corrections but then finds new faults that he ignored first time round. His insistence on following his style of writing is irrelevant to any other courses you study but essential to pass his course. Do your best to follow his guidelines but if possible dont take this class.
All you have to do is ask for help and he will give it! He is very clear about what he expects from his students. No passives and the like.
HORRIBLE! HORRIBLE! HORRIBLE! Do not take any classes with this professor. Lectures are pointless, midterm and final have extremely specific questions which is very hard being that there is sooo much information to study (with no review sheet). When I asked my TA what to focus on, she said "everything" which as you can imagine is very unhelpful
A very funny and interesting professor. The way he teaches is refreshing, especially his ideas on the Renaissance. Have to have an open-mind for his class, because if you're closed off from his ideas you'll fail. Don't need to accept what he's preaching but grasp the concept all the same. Personally, he's my favorite professor, top of the list.
Prof. Sonnino is seemingly past his prime. While the material can be interesting at times (largely due to his zealous retelling of his version of history) the lack of a textbook, unconventional teaching methods, and density of the material make doing well in this class somewhat difficult. If you do take this class, agree with him and his opinions.
I will miss Prof. Sonnino's class. Maybe it depends on the TA, but I haven't once felt pressured to agree with his self-admitted radical opinions. Honestly, I find Prof. Sonnino's method to be admirable: he wants people to approach history with an eye on sorting historical fact from "truth". It also helps if you get his eccentric sense of humor.
Don't take as a GE, so much work and the midterm/final are extremely random and difficult, oh and you only have 75 minutes for both. This class is basically memorizing the notes he gives you.
Sonnino offered interesting perspectives that definitely have influenced my views on the time periods we studied, but the class wasn't my favorite. I did enjoy his humor though. I will say the final was terrible. There was almost no questions on the second half of the class. The TAs grade using Sonnino's reader so study the reader.
He cares more about ensuring you write according to his style than the actual content. Philosophy and grammar are the big concerns for him. He is nice, but his style won't be used for any other class and getting bad grades because of one grammar error (passive voice) can easily hurt your grade.
A very strange whose hard to decipher and not worth your time to try to do so. Appears to be contemptuous of all other historians and even of his own research/career. Why he became a professor is anyone's guess. Just got him a good lifestyle I guess.
Detests social sci. methods and postmodernism. And while his hatred of the latter is largely understandable, his own approach is combination of crude, "pack-rat" empiricism" and what he sees as retrospective existential psychologizing about particular individual motives. He seems to think that any other take on the past is groundless theorizing.
Do not take Sonnino. He is the worst professor that has ever existed. He is a very interesting person, but he is very old and very forgetful. He lets you re-write papers, but that is pointless because he will tell you to do something and will get mad when you do it. The content is very interesting but his lectures are dull and he's horrible.
I transferred to UCSB from a community college and he is literally the worst professor I have ever had. His lectures are rants about the subject and will make you question if this school is giving you the education you deserve. Do not take. His grading rules are ridiculous and if your opinions don't match his prepare to get an F.
Professor Sonnino is an interesting professor with a different style of teaching. He clearly dictates at the beginning of the quarter that this class is going to be difficult. That being said, he is a very nice man who genuinely wants to expose his students to a new style of learning. The personal attacks of him on here are very unwarranted.
Not recommended for GE or electives
Some of his ideas are interesting. Nevertheless, his lectures are kind of boring and he expects a lot from the students. If you don't think exactly like he does, he would not let you do well. If you are looking for a class for GE or credits, look for others.
I received my Ph.D. a few years ago and can aver Sonnino was my favorite prof in the hist department. The man has attitude. We called him "the troll" because he acts and looks like one. In a department and school replete with P.C. and feminists, Sonnino was refreshing. His 4b lecture on the "Renaissance sucked" was the best I've ever witnessed.
Sonnino is a great professor. He's there to help and teach you. My writing has improved so much thanks to him as he gives very helpful feedback and will go over every paper, even sentence to sentence with you. Although, yes he is a tough grader, he will help you and let you rewrite it to improve your grade. The comments here are unfair.
Have taken him twice now and thoroughly enjoyed each time. His lectures are funny given you understand the context from which he speaks. His help with writing is trying to get people to analyze sources, not regurgitate historical events and arguments. All around, his classes are engaging!
Poor lecturer, tough grader, does not communicate well what he wants for his assignments. Visiting during office hours did not help
Unable to present his ideas effectively to the class. Will not accept any view other than his own in papers and does not communicate what is expected, being vague in his directions. This course did not help me understand the material at all and is not worth the time. DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS OR PROFESSOR AT ALL COSTS!
Lectures are very boring and given in old fashioned way with him just rambling the whole time and it is very boring to listen to him, as this period of history just really isn't that interesting, maybe it is for you, but to me this class is just terrible as he doesn't give you specific things to study, as he just seems to switch periods randomly.
I dont think I have gone to a single lecture of Professor Sonninos where he did not make me laugh at some point. Sonnino brings a unique perspective to history which will challenge you to think beyond the way you have been previously told that things are. It is obvious that Sonnino genuinely enjoys teaching & puts a lot of time and effort in.
His lectures are useful but they drag on, as long as you buy the course reader (basically a textbook of just his notes) and pay attention to that you should be able to achieve an okay grade. Pay attention to his opinions on history, as he will ask you to argue from his perspective on the midterm!!
Sonnino was one of the most difficult proffessors I've had so far. His lectures are really boring and doesn't engage the class in any of his arguments. He expects you to memorize the reader, he makes you buy, and agree with his opinion on everything. He tests on his own opinion and if you were paying attention in the class. DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS!
This class is definitely not recommended. You will be tested on his personal opinion of history and construct your answers in a way that match his views. While the course reader is dense, there isn't an excessive amount of information but you will be tested on small details.
Multiple prior reviews have stated that Prof. Sonnino asks you to agree with his personal viewpoints on exams. This is NOT TRUE! The prompt asked us to analyze HOW he presents his argument, NOT whether you agree with him! Very fair class as long as you show up to lectures. Exams are short and straightforward. Sections are extra credit!
Horrible
I should have switched out from this class as soon as I went to the first lecture. He is very much a rambler. He doesn't give you a clear understanding of the course and isn't very easy to understand. Also had to buy a $45 dollar course reader with a bunch of rambling lecture "notes". Just a terrible, really bizarre class. Run away if you can.
A bit rambly during lecture, but exams are straightforward and fair. Exams ask you to analyze how he constructs his argument, not about whether or not you agree with it. Show up to lecture and/or section, and its smooth sailing. Also, no textbooks required, only a course reader for $35.
He is just so confusing. His lectures are all over the place and he invents concepts that he will ask students to write a two page paper on. Make sure you try to understand how this guy thinks if you are going to take a history course with him because he will test you on it. Also he somehow managed to turn interesting material into a boring lecture
He Is an amazing a thoughtful man. He makes you rethink the way you've always looked at history with his peculiar teaching method and his unconventional approach to history. His way to lecture is unique and really makes you feel what history is all about. He doesn't give insane amounts of assignments. He's gonna make you work and improve yourself.
This class is incredibly frustrating because the professor does not give any feedback grade wise until the end of the course (he simply gives a letter grade). To top it off, his lectures are repetitive and not memorable. Take any other history course, trust me an interest in the source material will not be enough to get you through this class.
In online class, the lectures did not matter much. They provide context to the readings, but the majority of the learning is in the reading and writing. He will make you think in ways that you havent before. Read the readings, go to the discussions, and prepare to get harsh feedback. You are not as great a writer as you probably think. Keep trying
He is only accessible by phone, which is his personal phone. You need to call his phone for office hours or extra help. There was no TA and sections are run by the professor. I tried calling him 10+ times about a question regarding my paper and he never answered. Weekly reading and 100 word papers. Reading is difficult.
I am a huge medieval history lover, so I thought this would be an enjoyable and challenging class to take. However, his grading on papers was completely insane. You will never reach his standards for writing. Don't take this class if you love history -- arbitrarily gave out A's only to some. Students who worked hard still got no mercy.
Sonnino seems to have convinced himself that only his idiosyncratic approach to historical inquiry and teaching is the legit one. Enough said. Often too scattered and silly to take seriously.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
21%
Textbook Required
64%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Stable
-0.04 avg changeRatings by Course
2001
5.0
(1)129ABC
5.0
(1)HIST202
5.0
(1)HIST129Q
5.0
(1)HISTORY4B
4.0
(4)Difficulty by Course
129ABC
5.0
EUROHIST
5.0
HISTB
5.0
HIST129E
4.5
HIST129
4.4