How did you get into history?

[Melanie]

My grandmother was an English teacher who also loved history. Initially, I was only interested in the Colonial Era and JFK, but as I've grown older, I find myself interested in other historical events, as well.

[Simon]

My interest is mainly WW1 and WW2, Naval and Military and Political and Social. Some ECW, Rome, Anglo-Saxon, Political Thought (Plato to Nato as they say). At school it was 1688 to 1815. Some biography eg Napoleon, George III, Alanbrooke, Portal, Fisher, Churchill. Toll on the Pacific war, Spruance bio.

Not a Kindle fan, but my shrinking shelf space means I may weaken !

[Jim]

The WE WERE THERE series.

[Suburbanrockdoll]

I got into history in high school. I took advanced history courses where we discussed some interesting things. One of my U.S. history courses started with 6 weeks on the 1960's. The book we read was called Coming Apart: An Informal History of America in the 1960s . The history courses in European history were equally (probably more) interesting.

[Phrodrick slowed his growing backlog]

My first hero, if that is the right word was the USS, or technically the USF Constitution. I was reading anything that looked like it was about that ship, from before I could read.
Much later in High school I had a History teacher who would introduce each new county (this was what was then a very typical Western history class) and connect the culture of that society with its geography and place in the world of trade. Suddenly History was not just about dates and kings, it had a logic.

[Simon]

To add to my November comment. I always enjoyed history at school, Mr Hill. I was not very good at essays. But after school finished I got better at essays. Read history for pleasure. Parents visited historical sites a lot. Military history a must.

[Simon]

Now am 63 and retired, my time is my own. The library has expanded greatly in 3 years, the only downside is I suffer from insomnia which impacts on concentration the following day !

[Phrodrick slowed his growing backlog]

Simon wrote: "Now am 63 and retired, my time is my own. The library has expanded greatly in 3 years, the only downside is I suffer from insomnia which impacts on concentration the following day !"

I can help you with the sleeping prob. Take up reading my longer reviews.

[P.J.]

I LOVE history! As soon as I could I would drive all over the UK looking for burial chambers, stone circles etc, but even before that I was fascinated with the history of our world, the people, especially the Tudors and how we lived. I love finding out bits of information, especially how women's rights became stronger and how in many cultures, they have always had equality to men, such as Vikings, Saxon etc. Women rocked!!

[Simon]

OK PJ a question regarding women in the 17c. The most common cause of death was childbirth, no surprise there. What was the 2nd common cause of death ?

See below for answer.

[Simon]

Hearth death. Catching fire, long skirts and low fires. Not a nice way to go !

[P.J.]

Simon wrote: "Hearth death. Catching fire, long skirts and low fires. Not a nice way to go !"

Hello Simon,
Good question and yes I would have said accidents in the home or men's violence against women, or sexually transmitted diseases?

[Mary]

Hi, my name is Mary,
I’m studying history at present and have the most remarkable opportunity of living with a retired history teacher: an awfully kind lady: my good friend’s mother. This week I sat my first-year exams and according to my mentor, I smashed it, "Yippe-Dippee-Doo-Daa."
I struggled at school and family, when I lived at home, laughed at me for trying to improve myself through books. Until I joined Goodreads, I would read high-street novels, but now - outside of my studies - I’m reading European political intrigue: to me these works are more thrilling than the novels I once read.
I did, before leaving Manchester, talk to a man, in his late years, on the bus to work: he told me, a good book will always teach you something.
I don't do social media, I did, but suffered too much abuse. I get upset easily. I am tiny and I was very timid.
I now live in the south-east corner of Britain. I work in a garden centre and love it.
I will try and read all the posts; I can't promise I'll add to them.
Please be kind to me.

[Clive]

My family lost many in both wars: the second taking the greatest toll. The family moved from Wales to London in the years between the two. After 1945, the family turned its back on the church, but every Sunday they came together in one house to remember those that they'd lost. This continued into my generation: from school years I was drawn into trying to understand the how and the why.

[Clive]

Mary wrote: "Hi, my name is Mary,
I’m studying history at present and have the most remarkable opportunity of living with a retired history teacher: an awfully kind lady: my good friend’s mother. This week I sa..."

Well done, you deserve it. With the work you put in ...

[Jimp]

History crept up on me. First I joined Goodreads. I then began following other members, reading reviews and the comments, more especially the comments, some of which were informative and had humour: not bland. I found your group because my home page told me Mary had joined you. I am a Goodreads friend with Mary (a history student). Becoming friends with John Sterling (he writes first class reviews) led me to Mary and they have a great and ongoing banter. I began reading what they read, what I think would be called 'light' by the academics, but I found to be really entertaining history. And as Mary often states, "A good book will teach you something." And, Mary compared to me is a whipper-snapper, yet her reviews taught me to interrogate the book, look for the questions that it raises and seek answers. Reading, for me, was a sleeping pill: now I read at the table with the www at the ready.

[Beth]

Mary!

And, I agree, 'History is not boring'. I don't read the high-end stuff, but as far as I'm concerned what I read is history and and it is exciting, terrific, edge of the seat, page turning.

Girls doing what needs to be done, in difficult times, such as WW2, is history in my book.

[Jan]

It was my favorite subject in school, followed by English. I guess they were the natual choices for a bookworm. I always liked museums, too.
I was never interested in the dates and wars so much, though. I prefered to know about what the "real" people were doing. I still do. I have no interest in celebrities and the best biographies are about the forgotten heroes rather than Hollywood figures.

[Phrodrick slowed his growing backlog]

Jan wrote: "It was my favorite subject in school, followed by English. I guess they were the natual choices for a bookworm. I always liked museums, too.
I was never interested in the dates and wars so much, th..."

I certainly understand this POV and the shift towards a fanfare for the common man(person) is one of the good things that has happened in history in the last 50 or so years.

My interest was and remains more on how people lead and why decisions were made. I may read the occasional Hollywood bio, More my style has been a long term project to read a good bio of every US president, in order. There is none for Ford, so that project is kinda stuck.

The Oxford History of the US has published some very good titles, and I plan to go back to finish those books too.

All of this points hard at the huge gaps I have in so much as basic histories of the rest of the world. From time to time I check in on at least some of of those gaps.

[Jan]

There are quite a few with ratings over 3.5.

[Dave]

When I entered college I honestly couldn't decide whether to major in English or Political Science, and it occurred to me that if I majored in History I could do both. It was liberating. I ended up in the social and cultural areas of the field.

[Jan]

Beth wrote: "Mary!

And, I agree, 'History is not boring'. I don't read the high-end stuff, but as far as I'm concerned what I read is history and and it is exciting, terrific, edge of the seat, page turning.

..."
Mary, I suggest you try A Woman of No Importance by Sonia Purnell. I read it for a history book club. I gave the book a 4 and Virginia Hall a 5. She was an amazing American woman who started aiding the allies before the US entered WWII. She was in the underground and a bad ass.

[Phrodrick slowed his growing backlog]

Jan wrote: "Beth wrote: "Mary!

And, I agree, 'History is not boring'. I don't read the high-end stuff, but as far as I'm concerned what I read is history and and it is exciting, terrific, edge of the seat, pa..."

With some apology, I want to ride on your suggestion with a plug of my own.
Given all the garbage about the need for a female James Bond:
There is ample history of real women at many levels of secret operations that women have no need to cash in on an existing franchise.

Start with anyone of a dozen just from the history of WW II and build whatever fictional plots needed. Women have reason to take pride in their own and heck with any of the too many JB flicks.

Special Agent Julia Child would be a lot of fun if only because of name recognition.

[Jan]

Phrodrick wrote: "Jan wrote: "It was my favorite subject in school, followed by English. I guess they were the natual choices for a bookworm. I always liked museums, too.
I was never interested in the dates and wars..."

Have you read a good biography of Christopher Columbus? One that does not sugar coat the genocidal maniac tendencies? I would love to find one. Thanks.

[Liam]

À propos the earlier discussion of women in military and/or intelligence roles, don't forget the late Susan Travers- she was the only women ever accepted into the French Foreign Legion, among other things. Her memoir, Tomorrow to be Brave: A Memoir of the Only Woman Ever to Serve in the French Foreign Legion, is one of the best books I've ever read...

[Jonny]

I got into history very young, I think it began with me reading the bible. Then it turned to me reading about dinosaurs and it just exploded from there. I didn't really understand what I was reading the entire time but I always loved it. It felt like I was reading stories from the past,

Though of course as I got older I began to connect more with the personal/human side of it.