Jacksgranda Posted June 10, 2018 Share Posted June 10, 2018 15 hours ago, Dindeleux said: Had to do my usual 1 line open post but this is a thread for people to talk about history. I am a bit history fan but really only from about 1850 up to the end of the cold war. Anything further back than that I tend to lose interest in as I find it hard to really think of what life was like. My favourite historical period is the 1945-1990 political challenges after WW2 and of course including the cold war. Appreciate that this is quite modern history. That's not a historical period - that's yesterday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The DA Posted June 10, 2018 Share Posted June 10, 2018 12 hours ago, Herman Hessian said: i fucking love history; the best thing that's happened to me this year is finally getting hold of volume one of a four-book set of very studious, analytical tomes about the hundred years war - i've had the other three for a while but - obviously - couldn't read them without the first one; just waiting until i have about six weeks free to plough through the three and a half thousand pages of intensely-researched, deeply tedious, immaculately presented stuff - marvellous mrs h was a bit perplexed when she asked me what i'd do if we ever dropped a shit-load of money on the lottery - like, a few million quid; unfortunately for her aspirations of a life of cossetted luxury in the bahamas, i'd rather underwrite a proper archaeological research project to establish *exactly* where the Battle of Hastings took place; staggers me that the location of the single most influential battle in english/british history is still open to conjecture; thousands of men were butchered and yet no-one knows where the burial pits are - amazing; look at the excavations around the funereal pits at the site of towton and the knowledge that has been forthcoming from the analysis there - forensic archaeology revealing exactly what sort of vicious pointy metal shit killed who, and how it happened; the discovery of Richard III under a car park in Leicester - how amazing is that - the burial place of an english king who was killed in battle - f**k's sake ! i totally get the devoted following that stuff like lord of the rings and whatever has around the world with the dramatic storylines and the heroes and the battles and stuff, but we had that sort of shit going on right where we live - from bannockburn to halidon hill and neville's cross, real people, big axes, bits chopped off, longbows, all of which made us what we are today - just extraordinary ! and - breathe....... This one? I've been trying to work up the courage for a few years now. Let me know if it's worth it. I love reading the authors' interpretations and opinions rather than just straight facts and personal anecdotal/oral histories. Gives me something to argue against. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brother Blades Posted June 10, 2018 Share Posted June 10, 2018 History was probably my favourite & strongest subject at school. Not really read any history books in the last 25 years, so will take an interest in any recommendations on this thread. Unlike most, on here, I don’t really like modern history, I prefer ancient history Roman, Greek, Egyptian & up to the dark ages & Vikings. Good thread OP. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chomp my root Posted June 10, 2018 Share Posted June 10, 2018 2 minutes ago, Brother Blades said: History was probably my favourite & strongest subject at school. Not really read any history books in the last 25 years, so will take an interest in any recommendations on this thread. Unlike most, on here, I don’t really like modern history, I prefer ancient history Roman, Greek, Egyptian & up to the dark ages & Vikings. Good thread OP. History was my 'bag' at school too. The only subject I really cared about but still didn't bother going in to take my Higher, I slept in but could have made it, my dad was the Janny and we lived in the grounds but I went down the beach with a mate instead. My dad had heard I wasn't there and came to chase me up, the look of disappointment on his face has stayed with me as I pushed past him and out the house. Did Higher history at night school in my 20's, wasn't bothered about the other subjects I fecked up. I enjoy a lot of historical periods but I must confess an interest in WW2 and after over the earlier ones. S'all good though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D.A.F.C Posted June 10, 2018 Share Posted June 10, 2018 Used to binge watch the world at war on backshift. One thing ive learned about history is, mostly, human beings are scumbags. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chomp my root Posted June 10, 2018 Share Posted June 10, 2018 3 minutes ago, D.A.F.C said: Used to binge watch the world at war on backshift. One thing ive learned about history is, mostly, human beings are scumbags. Certainly the ones that make the headlines. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Saintee Posted June 10, 2018 Share Posted June 10, 2018 I'm a total history fanatic. Especially Ancient Rome and the American Civil War. One of the most amazing things I've done is to visit Nero's Golden House in Rome. Amazing! Currently reading about the 1645 Witch-hunts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacksgranda Posted June 10, 2018 Share Posted June 10, 2018 35 minutes ago, The Saintee said: I'm a total history fanatic. Especially Ancient Rome and the American Civil War. One of the most amazing things I've done is to visit Nero's Golden House in Rome. Amazing! Currently reading about the 1645 Witch-hunts. Did these occur in Ancient Rome or during the American Civil War? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chomp my root Posted June 10, 2018 Share Posted June 10, 2018 10 minutes ago, Jacksgranda said: Did these occur in Ancient Rome or during the American Civil War? Or at quarter to five in the evening. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enigma Posted June 10, 2018 Share Posted June 10, 2018 I'm a total history fanatic. Especially Ancient Rome and the American Civil War. One of the most amazing things I've done is to visit Nero's Golden House in Rome. Amazing! Currently reading about the 1645 Witch-hunts. One of the best History documentaries you can watch is the Ken Burn US Civil War documentary series, available on Netflix. I lap up most of his stuff, really enjoyed the series he did about the Roosevelts.My personal favourite history/archeology documentaries are the first two Silk Road series made by NHK and CCTV in the 80s, fascinating. Both on YouTube and I’d recommend them, if a bit slow paced. I haven’t been able to find the third online or in English.Time Team was a great show, synonymous with Sunday afternoons. Sad it’s no longer with us but they started fucking about with the format a bit too much in the end. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NotThePars Posted June 10, 2018 Share Posted June 10, 2018 +1 to the Ken Burns docs. A lot more even handed than a lot of documentaries. His Vietnam War ones are worth a watch as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 10, 2018 Share Posted June 10, 2018 I love social history. Find stories about people and how they lived in the past in fascinating. A House Through Time and Back in time for tea that the BBC did earlier this year were both brilliant. Probably most interested in how Railways changed life beyond all recognition Christian Wolmer and John Thomas are probably the two best authors among many.Also love political history and at uni my dissertation was about voter turnout at elections and I loved the data about why elections were higher or lower and the reasons why. History is braw.Sent from my SM-G930F using Pie and Bovril mobile app Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herman Hessian Posted June 10, 2018 Share Posted June 10, 2018 5 hours ago, The DA said: This one? I've been trying to work up the courage for a few years now. Let me know if it's worth it. I love reading the authors' interpretations and opinions rather than just straight facts and personal anecdotal/oral histories. Gives me something to argue against. yup - them's the ones - it's taken me nearly five years to get a (nearly) matching set of hardbacks - they'd best be good ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herman Hessian Posted June 10, 2018 Share Posted June 10, 2018 11 hours ago, Heart of Northern said: I watch time team and anything that Alice hippie chick is in. very much in favour of alice roberts, and the whole time team "female student down-blouse shots whilst kneeling in a trench" thing.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Ferrino Posted June 10, 2018 Share Posted June 10, 2018 Used to live where there's apparently an undiscovered Roman Villa in the fields near our old back garden. If you went for a walk after field had been ploughed there was all sorts of bits of reddy-orange tiles or bricks on the surface. Have a few bits of what I think are box flue tiles in the garage (with the scores accross), probably shouldn't have picked them up but no one else seemed to be giving a shit before the frost got them. Buying a detector and joining a club is also on my to do list. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chomp my root Posted June 10, 2018 Share Posted June 10, 2018 1 hour ago, Herman Hessian said: very much in favour of alice roberts, and the whole time team "female student down-blouse shots whilst kneeling in a trench" thing.... Sorry to take it even further off topic but chebs are ace. Sorry, where were we..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joey Jo Jo Junior Shabadoo Posted June 10, 2018 Share Posted June 10, 2018 Dr Alice is absolutely superb, as is the brunette that does all the classical stuff. Bettany Hughes I think. As is the blond that does all the middle ages crap, Lucy something. As is... There's something about history, not sure what it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chomp my root Posted June 10, 2018 Share Posted June 10, 2018 15 minutes ago, Joey Jo Jo Junior Shabadoo said: Dr Alice is absolutely superb, as is the brunette that does all the classical stuff. Bettany Hughes I think. As is the blond that does all the middle ages crap, Lucy something. As is... There's something about history, not sure what it is. Chebs. Historic chebs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joey Jo Jo Junior Shabadoo Posted June 10, 2018 Share Posted June 10, 2018 10 minutes ago, chomp my root said: Chebs. Historic chebs. I have no idea what you are on about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 10, 2018 Share Posted June 10, 2018 Second World War became a bit of an obsession over the years. I've read hundreds of books on every aspect of the war. Some books that are stand out are both Stalingrad and The Battle of Berlin by Antony Beevor, Armageddon: The Battle for Germany, 1944-1945 by Max Hastings, also Forgotten Soldier by Guy Sajer (a particular favourite and highly recommended). Quote from Guy Sajer (who wrote about his experiences on the Russian Front): 'I had often thought that if I managed to live through the war I wouldn't expect too much of life. How could one resent disappointment in love if life itself was continuously in doubt? Since Belgorod, terror had overturned all my preconceptions, and the pace of life had been so intense one no longer knew what elements of ordinary life to abandon in order to maintain some semblance of balance. I was still resigned to the idea of death, but I had already sworn to myself during moments of intense fear that I would exchange anything - fortune, love, even a limb - if I could simply survive' Quote from Stalingrad (taken from a German Officers diary) as well describes the hell of the battle: “The street is no longer measured by meters but by corpses ... Stalingrad is no longer a town. By day it is an enormous cloud of burning, blinding smoke; it is a vast furnace lit by the reflection of the flames. And when night arrives, one of those scorching howling bleeding nights, the dogs plunge into the Volga and swim desperately to gain the other bank. The nights of Stalingrad are a terror for them. Animals flee this hell; the hardest stones cannot bear it for long; only men endure.” Epic stuff. Currently reading a book about the Commonwealth forces in Burma. Forgotten Army. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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