Author Topic: History Buffs out there?  (Read 483 times)

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Offline Super Colin Blow

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History Buffs out there?
« on: February 01, 2019, 09:03:26 am »
I love history. Can't get enough of it. I took no fewer than 5 history classes in community college, and I think two or three at UMBC (full university outside of Baltimore). American History 1 and 2, Western Civ 1 and 2, and Era of the American Civil War. Though the weird thing is, I don't like U.S. history as much as other kinds.

One of the classes I took was Byzantine Civilization. I read "A Short History of Byzantium" by Lord Norwich, and that's what prompted me to study it further. Currently reading another book on them. I can't believe history professors and teachers once poo-pooed Byzantium.

Also love Rome, Egypt and Mesopotamia.

Any other history buffs?
WAR IS PEACE
FREEDOM IS SLAVERY
IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH

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Offline wilber

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Re: History Buffs out there?
« Reply #1 on: February 01, 2019, 09:51:58 am »
Always been a history fan. Favourite subject in school. Don’t know much about Byzantine history other than  Constantine himself and the fall of Constantinople. Something new to learn.
« Last Edit: February 01, 2019, 10:16:47 am by wilber »
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Offline Super Colin Blow

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Re: History Buffs out there?
« Reply #2 on: February 01, 2019, 10:34:27 am »
Excellent!

yes, Constantine is supposed to be the "founder" of the Byzantine Empire, though it was more of a gradual transition from Eastern Roman to "Byzantine" proper. And its "end" is the fall of Constantinople in 1453, to the Ottoman Turks, who moves their capital there. Gibbon wrote a "Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire". Gibbon was wrong: 1,100 years is a long time for a "decline and fall".

Any particular period/place you like?
WAR IS PEACE
FREEDOM IS SLAVERY
IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH

Offline wilber

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Re: History Buffs out there?
« Reply #3 on: February 01, 2019, 12:06:32 pm »
Excellent!

yes, Constantine is supposed to be the "founder" of the Byzantine Empire, though it was more of a gradual transition from Eastern Roman to "Byzantine" proper. And its "end" is the fall of Constantinople in 1453, to the Ottoman Turks, who moves their capital there. Gibbon wrote a "Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire". Gibbon was wrong: 1,100 years is a long time for a "decline and fall".

Any particular period/place you like?

Interests move around. I find that reading about one period will often put you onto something different. When I am reading historical fiction, I am constantly going on line checking on the historical figures and events portrayed in fiction. Being of English Irish roots and my wife Scotish, I lean more that way.  Lately I have been into Roman and pre Norman Britain, although I just read a Shaara novel on Sherman's march from Atlanta to Bentonville and the surrender. The Civil War period does interest me and I have read Shelby Foote and others. Interestingly, Constantine was in Britain when he was proclaimed Augustus by the Britains and Gauls and began his road to Emperor.
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Offline wilber

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Re: History Buffs out there?
« Reply #4 on: February 01, 2019, 08:26:32 pm »
I have had the Decline and Fall on my E reader for some time but haven't got around to reading it.
"Never trust a man without a single redeeming vice" WSC

Offline Pinus or Vid or...?????

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Re: History Buffs out there?
« Reply #5 on: February 01, 2019, 11:09:50 pm »
I recommend MAUS and MAUS II by Art Spigelman.
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Offline Michael Hardner

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Re: History Buffs out there?
« Reply #6 on: February 02, 2019, 06:09:52 am »
Loved MAUS.

I don't know if I'm a buff but I learn so much from reading history books.

- Books by Robert Caro
- Books I read about early American democracy
- A book on Andrew Jackson
- Canadian labour history also (I had a relative who was a rabble rouser)

American history is particularly interesting.  What do you recommend ?
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Offline wilber

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Re: History Buffs out there?
« Reply #7 on: February 02, 2019, 09:22:31 am »
I recommend MAUS and MAUS II by Art Spigelman.

Looks interesting.
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Offline Michael Hardner

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Re: History Buffs out there?
« Reply #8 on: February 02, 2019, 11:14:03 am »
Looks interesting.

OH, it's really great.  I actually dipped into graphic novel culture after seeing that.  Some great art there.
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Offline Super Colin Blow

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Re: History Buffs out there?
« Reply #9 on: February 03, 2019, 01:43:33 pm »
Loved MAUS.

I don't know if I'm a buff but I learn so much from reading history books.

- Books by Robert Caro
- Books I read about early American democracy
- A book on Andrew Jackson
- Canadian labour history also (I had a relative who was a rabble rouser)

American history is particularly interesting.  What do you recommend ?

You count as a history buff in my opinion! :)

I never finished it, but "Founding Brothers" was good. Joseph J. Ellis. It's interesting to me, too but I never really got into the U.S. as much as other types of history. In our schools they seem to place more importance on the civil war than on the Revolutionary War. However, I did study American history (one class was Columbus to 1876, the second was 1877 to present). I also took a class called Era of the American Civil War.

Did you read de Toqueville's "Democracy in America"?

Andrew Jackson was pretty interesting. Most people in the U.S. probably don't remember that Jackson started to expand suffrage closer to what they considered to be "universal suffrage" at the time. (I.e., "all white males over 21" = "universal".) Hence the era of "Jacksonian Democracy". [Fun fact: there were so many drunken admirers at his inauguration party at the White House, they had to move the celebration on to the lawn, for fear they were going to destroy the furniture, and basically trash the place.]

What does Robert Caro write about?
WAR IS PEACE
FREEDOM IS SLAVERY
IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH

Offline Michael Hardner

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Re: History Buffs out there?
« Reply #10 on: February 04, 2019, 06:39:29 am »

Did you read de Toqueville's "Democracy in America"?

Yes, not all of it but yes.

Quote
Andrew Jackson was pretty interesting. Most people in the U.S. probably don't remember that Jackson started to expand suffrage closer to what they considered to be "universal suffrage" at the time. (I.e., "all white males over 21" = "universal".)

As in Trump's "I love the uneducated"

Quote
Hence the era of "Jacksonian Democracy". [Fun fact: there were so many drunken admirers at his inauguration party at the White House, they had to move the celebration on to the lawn, for fear they were going to destroy the furniture, and basically trash the place.]

What does Robert Caro write about?

Caro wrote about the incredible Robert Moses, who worked himself into a position of untouchable power in New York City from (I think) the 1940s to the 1960s.  He basically was an unelected king, who ran transit and highway development as the head of New York's Transit 'Authority'.  He had his own revenue, even, as it fixed it so road tolls went directly into his budget.

But his real opus was what followed - a four or five volume (I think) set on LBJ.  I have read the first 3 or 4 and it's pretty incredible.  LBJ was as close as America could have to Stalin, a complete autocrat and yet contributed amazing policies that persevered longer than pretty much any in the US.

Offline Super Colin Blow

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Re: History Buffs out there?
« Reply #11 on: February 05, 2019, 02:52:53 pm »
I did not realize LBJ was like that, an autocrat. But yes he did do some positive things.
WAR IS PEACE
FREEDOM IS SLAVERY
IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH

Offline Michael Hardner

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Re: History Buffs out there?
« Reply #12 on: February 05, 2019, 04:44:44 pm »
I did not realize LBJ was like that, an autocrat. But yes he did do some positive things.

He personally betrayed a man who held him like a son, to pass the Equal Rights Amendment to create equality for black Americans.  It was the Democrats who were the party of racists at the time and LBJ changed that.

Offline Michael Hardner

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Re: History Buffs out there?
« Reply #13 on: February 05, 2019, 04:45:20 pm »
You should try 'The Means of Ascent' by Robert Caro.  It shows LBJ to be a conniving, dishonest, and ultimately brilliant political climber.

Offline wilber

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Re: History Buffs out there?
« Reply #14 on: February 05, 2019, 06:53:57 pm »
You should try 'The Means of Ascent' by Robert Caro.  It shows LBJ to be a conniving, dishonest, and ultimately brilliant political climber.

Dishonest but not a crook? Unlike Tricky Dick who also did some worthwhile things?
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