History - is it just me who hates the subject?

Lucygirklwhile I am every bit as pessimistic as you I find happy events in history such as the Scottish Enlightenment.

Undine, I agree there is need for history. We often like to know who we are and seek to learn this from reliable sources.

We as individual also like to think about what it felt like to live in for example the Stone Age and the Bronze Age, as you say. I now this feeling .

Undine, understanding the human past involves keepng no "crusty academics" on one's the what-to-read- list. Instead if we are wise we read only historiographers who are approved by their peers.

In addition there are objective standards for historicity of sources of information.

Just started to read, in a dipping in now and again sort of way, The Plantagenets - The Kings Who Made England - Dan Jones. Lots of horrible goings on then to England's immediate neighbours, but here's how I look at it, they might have been the Kings of England, but essentially they were pretty French for ages when they were busy subjugating the Welsh and Scots! and before those Frenchmen became the Dukes of Normandy they were Norseman, so there you have it most of the world were rotters, it was a dog eat dog society pretty much everywhere all over the globe, it was conquer or be conquered! and no say in anything if you were a mere serf, life was short and nasty for most.

I'd like to think it's better today, but as we know in many parts of the world it isn't!

I don't think history is any worse than the News!

Today's news is tomorrow's history 🙂

I don't think history is any worse than the News! Social history can be fascinating, and personally I love the Stone Age and Bronze Age. I believe history has a purpose - we need to learn from the past so we can create a better future but sadly that has yet to happen, so it can be depressing. Also, history is written by those who won in wars, so probably quite often unreliable. Another point is that crusty academics do not like to give way on their cherished ideas, so sometimes what is put forward as historical 'fact' is, in my opinion, questionable. History is probably stranger than we imagine.

I am certainly not suggesting that we read nothing but military history, but I think to pretend it doesn't exist is self-delusion.

Every other history is affected by military history, whether agrarian, industrial or social, the assertive/aggressive instincts that lead to war are the drivers of agrarian, industrial and social history.

This instinctis represent, even in groups like the Quakers, who are pacifist. That spirit lay behind many conscientious objectors and the many social pioneers that Quakerism gave rise to from Elizabeth Fry, Joseph Rowntree, John Woolman and many others.

I dislike the sort of 'history' that Luckygirl has been reading. I enjoy social history, and a particular passion of mine is the history of place names in Britain and their links to the ancient lives of our ancestors.

Nobody likes killing but it happens just the same. We have major wars at the moment in Ukraine and Israel/palestine. Lots of people being killed in each. Not to mention all the minor wars or civil insurgencies in Burma, Somalia, Saharan Africa.

Then there is the genocide of the Uighirs in China, Putin's wholesale despatch anywhere and everywhere of his enemies. The North Korean populace, gradually being starved to death by its megalomaniac tinpot dictator.

Killing on a largescale, is happening now, and has happened in the past. Trying to pretend it never happened or because you do not like it, trying to ignore it because is somehow offends your sense of delicacy or how things ought to be. I am going to be very guarded what i say here because I do not want to offend or upset anyone, but it strikes me as a failure to accept what life is and also explains why the killing continues.

The floodgates opened for genealogy with the advent of the Internet and DNA testing. I have no doubt for many, set against a backdrop of personal histories, the desire to imbue oneself in the social conditions of the time of whoever the focus is has never been greater. History in all its guises continues to fascinate, I love reading about it, from the fairly modern to way back in ancient times.

I don't much like the killing everyone aspect of history but I do think history important, fascinating and it shows us that there are many ways to live. And lessons to learn from it. I know that call the midwife isn't a history programme but it does raise a lot of issues, for example, thalidomide, which led us to realize how it is so very important that drugs are tested before letting them loose on the population, how important it is that women have access to birth control, and what it was like for women before we had that. Made in Dagenham shows us what it was like before women were entitled to equal pay. Blinded by the light shows how it was like for the immigrant community in an English community, it's a sin about the gay community,how it was socially acceptable to be racist or homophobic, that sort of thing All history, all in my lifetime. Going back further, so many more things, even further back even more. People have always striven to make things better , and other have always said we can't afford it businesses will go under if we can't employ children cos they are cheap, the cost of making the machines safe will put us out of business, making the slag heaps stable isn't necessary, we haven't got the money, women can't possibly have the vote, they don't understand all the issues and so on
You need the background, what was going on in society at large obviously, but not just learning about the killing. One side effect of learning all about kings and queens is the obsession some have with the Tudors, Henry VIII in particular. But an unwillingness to find out more about the period, what it was like for the vast majority of people

So much will IMO depend on the teacher (and probably an interesting textbook, as unlike From Ur to Rome as possible.)

Both DD’s thoroughly enjoyed history at senior level, but then they had a brilliant teacher.

Scarlettsnan, love The Last Kingdom series of books, isn't it fantastic how an author can spin you off into a journey of discovery about a period of history. The book by the historian Michael Wood In Search of The Dark Ages is my go to for this era, I know it's always said but he really does bring the past to life! There's a new revised copy out that may just go on my treat list......

I love history and geography, they are what made our world. It's not all about rulers, how about the inventors, the artists, the naturalists etc they are all part of our history, and what about family history. My great, great, great grand father and great great grandfather were hussars in India, OK probably doing a lot of things I wouldn't approve of but maybe not all bad, and twice when I've been there (running art/cultural holidays) I've walked the same streets wondering if that's where I got my love of horses and travel from, my grandfather in London had a very interesting obituary and seemed a caring man. My mum used to say I was like her mum, wife of a farm labourer in Fife, who used to organise trips and group activities in the village, I only knew one grandparent and that was my other grandmother. Still it's good there is variety and we like different things x

I love History❤️❤️
Currently watching The Last Kingdom
About Alfred the great, the Saxons and the Dane’s … dramatisation based on Bernard Cornwall books Fantastic

History was my best subject at school. It fascinated me from a very young age. My teachers, and I, initially assumed I would read history at university, but when I mentioned this to anybody, at school or at home, the immediate reaction was 'Oh are intending to be a teacher'. And the one thing I knew with absolute certainity was that I did not want to teach. So thinking i was doomed to teaching if I read history. I looked around and decided to read economics instead. i then took different aspects of history as options most year and did far better in that than my other subjects, However it was the 'other subjects' that gave me a successful and lucrative caareer.

My younger sister did read history and went to work for a heritage organisation, By the time she died prematurely in her 40s, she was the Director of the organisation. Thus showing me, too late, that a degree in history did not doom you to teaching.

But then I discovered archaeology!

Josh Widdicombe g.co/kgs/G6UXuGL

If you're interested in history then have you watched this programme?
It uncovered a truly remarkable family tree!
Josh could hardly speak at some points, he was so overwhelmed.

I dropped History before O Levels as I found it boring, especially having to remember names and dates. However in 6th form I did General studies A Level alongside my 3 Sciences as a bit of light relief. In preparation for that we were taught current affairs by a history teacher who talked us through the history of much of what was in the news. We looked at the history of the trade unions and I suddenly realised the value of history, the past informing the future.
History is taught very differently in schools these days. Back in my day we learnt facts and were told what to think. Nowadays students examine sources and have to make up their minds about the truth after analysing them. I guess it is a more scientific approach - studying evidence - which appeals to me as a scientist. I enjoyed supporting students in History lessons and learnt a lot.

I absolutely love history. It was definitely my best subject at school. I started off reading for a history degree at university and was told by my tutor that I was "earmarked" to go on and do my doctorate in it. Foolishly I decided to change course and got a pretty mediocre degree in a subject that I honestly have no interest in!
I love reading history books and am currently working my way through a pile of WW1 military history books which belonged to my dear late husband. I thought I already had a reasonable grasp on WW1 but have had my eyes opened. The Western Front (Richard Holmes),The First Day on the Somme (Martin Middlebrook) and Mud, Blood and Poppycock (Gordon Corrigan) are all excellent.

I truly believe some people have an inborn interest in history and some don’t, just as some people seem naturally religious and for others, that part of their makeup is missing.

My capable, gregarious DD is completely uninterested in history, excusing herself from a guided tour with the family not long ago. Unlike some on this thread, I’m not judgmental about this difference between us. Although blessed with many practical gifts, loving history is not one of them.
I call it “rent a womb” when you find your offspring are very different to you😁

My sister and I are very interested, she is Tudor mad and if she had had a white wedding, would have had a Tudor design dress. (A Tudor headdress, along with traditional Russian, being one of the most flattering to wear).

Mallin. We are not the result of history. We are the result of a man and a woman having sex.

😂😂😂
Quote of the day!!

I can still close my eyes and see my Grammar School history teacher, she was tiny with grey hair in a bun and she knitted throughout 90% of the lesson.

I have engaged with the subject more when our children were studying it at school, and found it fascinating.

MaizieD

I do think it's a trifle unkind to say that people who 'hate' history are stupid...

I agree.

Mallin. We are not the result of history. We are the result of a man and a woman having sex.

History is the systematic study and documentation of the human past. A baby can be born without anybody having done that! I doubt the Vikings were thinking much about systematic study when they were raping and pillaging.

Luckygirl did not say she hated history. She said she hated the study of history where there's a concentration on war and bloody conflict - or wtte.

I do think it's a trifle unkind to say that people who 'hate' history are stupid...

I absolutely LOVE History.
Really really LOVE it
Bring on the past