Why history?

Jo here. I was having lunch with two of my sisters and the talk turned to why and how children suddenly become enthusiastic about a particular school subject. Both my sisters were teachers. We then moved on to epiphany moments in our own education.

One sister remembered how she found history boring in school, but that when she went to teacher training college and began to use primary sources, it came alive and fascinated her. Primary sources, of course, are from the time -- letters, diaries, newspapers, legal rulings, plays et al. Such documents give us the voice of the time, and sometimes every the voices of ordinary people going about their everyday lives.

Do you remember when you fell in thrall to past times?

I did a degree in history, unfortunately back in the day when social history wasn't much regarded, so it was mostly about international relations and political movements. :: yawn!:: My career as a writer has given me a beautiful excuse to wallow in primary sources a lot, and the internet has made it so delightfully easy.

I can't however, pinpoint where and when I fell in love with the past.

It feels as if I was born that way. Even as a young child I preferred fairy tales, which are presented historically, to anything set in the modern world, such as the Dick and Jane type of Ladybird book. When I started reading novels, they were historical as often as I could get them.

My father was an influence, for he was keen on history, especially of the more romantic type. I grew up on Robin Hood, Hereward the Wake,and Bonnie Prince Charlie. I loved the drama and the costumes.

So, share the when and how of your love of history. I'll give a pick of my books to the author of a randomly selected share. (A pick of those I have, that is. I'll send a list.)

Here's an interesting springboard to some primary sources. It's a teacher resource, but of general interest.

http://www.teachingdegree.org/2012/10/22/bestonline-library-networks/

Googlebooks.

I particularly like googlebooks, because I can put in publication dates in order to get works that my characters might have read. They have made it a bit tricky, for some reason. I have to put in a search and get results and then scroll to the bottom of the page to click on advanced search, where I can put in the date parameters.

Just playing around for this blog I discovered a new-to-me work called The World, published in 1761. I don't have time to explore it now -- I don't! I can't! I mustn't! -- but part of the introduction is an almost irresistible hook.

"My design in this paper is to ridicule, with novelty and good-humour, the fashions, follies, vices and absurdities of that part of the human species which calls itself the World, and to trace it through all its business, pleasures and amusements. But though my subjects will chiefly confine me to the town, I do not mean never to make excursions into the country; on the contrary, when the profits of these lucubrations shall have enabled me to set up a one-horse chair, I shall take frequent occasions of inviting my reader to a seat in it, and of driving him to scenes of pure air, tranquility and innocence, from smoke, hurry and intrigue."

I don't! I can't! I mustn't!

Oh, all right. Just a little peep. Ah, what I first find are stories laid out to illustrate vices and virtues. The first one is complicated, but it certainly illustrates the way of the world at the time. I'll capture it, clean it up, and make it available in due course.

So back to you. When and how did history get its hooks into you?

Cheers,

Jo

 

 

 

 

 

 

Comments

[Margot]

For me, it's the people that make history come alive. And historical fiction has always been where I "meet" the people and times.

Up until middle school, I found history as boring as most of my classmates (our textbooks certainly didn't help). Then I read a book based on the life of Cesare Borgia, and Renaissance Italy became my obsession for a while.

My interest in history has pretty much worked this way ever since. I'll find some historical fiction I love, and then I'll happily read nonfiction about the time and primary sources from the time. But if I've never read a (fictional) book set in that time period, then my interest also tends to be nonexistent. It's the getting to know people from the time that really draws me in. Otherwise it's just facts, and while objectively they can be interesting, I don't connect with them in the same way that I do with people's stories. (That said, a good biography works, too, but usually I won't pick them up unless they're set in a time I'm already interested in.)

[Martha Andrews]

I fell in love with history because of a teacher in elementary school with a teacher that had us "live" the medieval period for 4 weeks. We picked four projects and had to describe the life,smells, and problems of life.

Each period of history was taught like that and then in High School--World History took on all major religions and history and that was like reading an exciting book.

History and the life of people in the past is what caused things that happen today! I love all the wonderful little known facts about famous historical people--such as Marie Antoinette didn't KNOW cake cost more than bread! She was raised to be a queen NOT a peasant! Cardinal Richelieu did a lot to stir up the tumult but it was all put on Marie Antoinett

Our older daughter told me they'd covered the Middle Ages in two days--I was shocked and then we sat down and I told her she had some work to do for ME! I had her really study this period and the next ones that were glossed over in school.

I discribed the smells and the rushes on the floor and told her the fear and starvation that people had to fear in these periods of time.

To this day,Jenni has a huge respect for history and it's affect on today's world!

People that don't know history are doomed to repeat it.

[Martha Andrews]

Sorry but I forgot to mention in College I had Period Costume and never had to study!We started with the fig leaf and worked up to that year in the 1960's! That was so much fun and what an education on how history shows that people are people and quite crazy when it comes to high fashion.

Thanks for this longer discussion.

[Cara Elliott/Andrea Penrose]

Jo, not sure what got me hooked, but like you I was drawn to history as soon as I could read. Dick and Jane, with their little dog Spot seemed so "meh"—Robin Hood and King Arthur and their worlds were so much more interesting. I've never lloked back.

[LoriA]

My parents let me watch The Six Wives of Henry VIII and Elizabeth R when I was about ten, and that launched my interest in history. After that, I read a lot of historical novels from the library, and started buying them when I could. I loved Anya Seton's Katherine when I broke down and bought it. (I wavered over the $1.25 cover price, and went back to the store -- the local Woolworth's -- a few times.)

I read Robin Hood and King Arthur, too. (We read T. H. White's The Once and Future King in 5th grade (age 10).

I was looking forward to studying English History in 7th grade (around age 12), but left that school before I could do so. I have two bachelor degrees, one to be practical (it wasn't!) and the other in history, with a focus on the medieval period.

I don't usually read history books from cover to cover, but I always look things up. I like social history, and I also like the sense of where things came from, and how things developed. For example, people didn't have the same sense of "this is my country" that we have today. And royal princes and princesses rarely married for love. (My reaction to Prince Charles getting engaged to Lady Diana Spencer was not "how romantic!" but that it was probably time for him to marry. I've been surprised to realize how many people thought it was a love story. I was also surprised to discover that Diana thought it was, too.)

I don't read as many historical romances as I once did, because, along the way, the tendency seemed to be not to care so much about the history, the sense of place, the setting. Too many heroes and heroines come across as modern. When authors don't even make an effort to learn easily accessible details (e.g., correct titles), there are often other items and actions that don't make sense for the time and place as I understand it (if the author doesn't understand titles, she may not know about class differences, for example, or how proper people would be in formal situations). I want to see people who overcome their time and place, not ignore it. If they do something unusual, I want them to know it's unusual.

[Melanie]

For me Jo, it all started with a movie called Room with a View. A delightful Edwardian confection with Oscar Wildes social witticism, although to fair I already loved visiting Castles and 'Country Houses' before that. Then I fell in love with historical Fashion and after that I started digging: what did Debretts actually look like? how cold was a Medievel Castle? how long was the underground railroad? you see where I'm going with this?
School, unfortunately, was no help. I took History as an option and spent 2 years studying the minutiae of WW1 & 2 BOR-RING!! although now I love it, which I can only atribute to the fact that I choose to investigate, rather than am forced to. I do find however I have favourites: Regency, Art Nouveau and Deco, Egyptian and Minoan always fascinate me and I can read endless books and watch endless documentries on these.

[Jo Beverley]

Interesting, Margot, about the fiction being the gateway to the history.I've certainly done research after reading a book, but I've become fascinated by historical periods, people, or places on their own.

Jo

[Jo Beverley]

Martha, it is a shame that history is so often neglected in schools. IMO it's also a shame that they emphasize recent history, probably because they think it's more relevant. But the more distant past is often more gripping.

Jo

[Jo Beverley]

"I want to see people who overcome their time and place, not ignore it. If they do something unusual, I want them to know it's unusual."

This is so true, Lori. For me, too, a historical romance should grow out of that particular time and place.

Jo

[Jo Beverley]

Movies, Melanie, yes! And TV programmes. We Wenches did a blog or two about that. I remember Ivanhoe and Robin Hood on TV. And movies like Ben Hur and The Cid. Fabulous stuff.

Jo

[Anna Barber]

My parents shared their love of history with me and my siblings. Their shared hobby was geneology, so our family history was dinner time conversation. Every Sunday drive they told us about the history of the area. Every family trip was about history, often in search of an elusive ancestor. So I guess you could say my love of history is in my blood.

[Jenny Reid]

It seems History has always been favourite of mine, and I was always happy studying it at school - at least the social history of the era. Bit like you Jo, political history could be a bit ho hum! I was lucky enough to have a wonderful history teacher in year 11 and 12 who somehow managed to combine the two which was wonderful. She used customs and clothing and food to "cover the skeletons" of the politiclans and political history she was teaching. As far as reading is concerned the first really historical novels I remember reading was Katherine, closely followed by Desiree. As a result of those two books, I had to discover the history about both periods.

[LouisaCornell]

I can't remember not loving history. I spent most of my day in the school library from the time I entered first grade and the books I loved to read most were history books. When I found out we were going to be stationed in England I read everything I could find in our school library about England's history. The three years I lived there were an amazing dream come true. I guess I truly believe in order to know where the human race is going we have to know where it has been. I taught history for a couple of years and I tried to infuse my lessons with the idea that history is made by ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances. I tried hard to show what life was really like in the past in order to give my students an appreciate of how far we've come and how far we have to go.

[Rita Burnett]

I loved books for as long as I can remember. I was lucky to have a mother who considered reading important and there were always books in our house. I started loving historical fiction when I found a book by Gladys Malvern when I was in junior high school around 1962. I started with Saul's Daughter and read everything I could find by her. It was innocent romance, but based on real people in history. I have been interested in history ever since.

[HJ]

For almost as long as I can remember I've loved reading, and as a child I wold devour any book I could get hold of. I think my love for history started by reading some excellent historical novels for children by Geoffrey Trease and Rosemary Sutcliffe, and others. Then I was fortunate enough to have a superb history teacher in my senior school - she was so good that it never occurred to any of us that history might not be fascinating to everyone! She organised some very good school trips, too, which fleshed-out what we were learning. But undoubtedly my historical fiction reading continued to reinforce my love for the subject.

[Amanda Hughes]

As long as I can remember, my imaginary playmates wore long dresses or tricorn hats, a connection long before I could read. Fifty years later I am still a fanatic for Colonial America.

[Ella Quinn]

I was very fortunate in my history teachers, thought I hate memorizing dates. But in university I studied international relations. It had the best of both history, social customs and politics. I used to get distracted in the library stacks, now it's on the internet.

[Donna]

I can't remember ever *not* loving history, but I think the genesis might have been reading my mother's book club copy of Gwen Bristow's Celia Garth when I was in the 4th grade. I fell in love with Celia's beautiful picture on the dust jacket and then Celia's story during the American Revolutionary War. I still have that same book and it has been re-read many, many times.

[Mary Jo Putney]

LOL about the irresistible new history source whispering seductively in your ear! Ah, I know it well.

Like you, I always liked history. LOVED fairy tales and myths and legends. My father was an American history buff with a leaning toward the Civil War, but I always found the American Revolution more interest. Maybe because it was more Englishy? I guess I was a born Anglophile.

[Gail Mallin]

Thanks for an interesting post, Jo. Like so many of the other people who have left comments I can't remember a time when I didn't find history fascinating. What I do remember is my grandfather telling me stories about ancient Greek myths and tales about life in Roman times when I was a really young child, which led to a deep interest in the ancient world which endures to this day. I love lots of other periods too, the Regency is a particular favourite, but funnily enough anything after than World War One doesn't attract me at all. Not really sure why, but maybe it's because it is within living memory so it's lost a bit of the magic for me.

[Jo Beverley]

Anna, I love the idea of history coming to life through genealogy. I do some genealogy, too, but I haven't been able to go back far. The most is my husband's family to the mid 18th century, but as they were itinerant farm laborers there's not much excitement and romance there!

Jo

[Jo Beverley]

Let's have a cheer for all the great history teachers who made it come alive.

"As long as I can remember, my imaginary playmates wore long dresses or tricorn hats, a connection long before I could read. Fifty years later I am still a fanatic for Colonial America."

Fascinating, Amanda. I think my childhood imagination went toward wizards and fairies. That's still historical, though, at least in feel.

Jo

[Jo Beverley]

Gail, I can't feel anything after WW I as historical, either. Anything 20th century at all, really. My father fought in WW I, so it does feel "contemporary" to me.

As I have a queasy feeling about the Victorian age for some reason, that takes me pretty well back to the Regency!

Jo

[Jo Banks]

I am glad I am not the only one who likes to think history really only starts or ends(depending on your view point ) with the regency.I think my love affair with that period started with the Scarlet Pimpernel (read mostly by torch light under the covers!)progressed to jane Auaten (GCE O level set books) and then I found Georgette Heyer and as they say the rest is history!

[Sherrie Holmes]

Two things fostered my love of history: television and romance novels. As a child TV westerns were an essential staple for me. This in turn led me to childhood books taking place in historical times. As an adult, I got into the Gothics and loved their mystery and moodiness, often set in crumbling castles. And finally, historical romances sealed my fate. When I became a writer, historical research became a passion. I've never lost that passion for history. (And I have some serious suggestions for how high school history teachers can turn a "dull" subject into one of passion! I hated my history classes in school--they were dry and boring.)

[theo]

I can't remember not being drawn to 'old things.' I've always loved antiques, would rather dress in stays than what we wear now...but I think part of that comes from my relationship with Victoria Holt. Love her or hate her, I found her when I was 9 or ten and never looked back. She was my introduction to historical anything and made it much more exciting than any history teacher I had, ever did. It just seemed natural to write in the same genre I fell in love with.

[Anne Gracie]

Great post, Jo. For me, the love of history was very much sparked by some excellent fiction I read as a child — Henry Treece, Rosemary Sutcliff, and Georgette Heyer, among others.

I never really thought of it as "history" though‚ just exciting stories and fascinating worlds and characters. But then I read every kind of book I could get.

[Leah Weller]

I fell in love with history, medieval history above all else, when I read The Wolf and the Dove almost 20 years ago. I will always regret not letting Woodiwiss know how much that book changed my life. It gave me a love for reading that I hadn't had up until then and brought that love for learning as much as I could about history into my life. I can spend hours online just going from link to link reading and before I know it, half a day has passed me by. Basically anything from the Vikings through to the Regency interests me but my soul feels a yearning from the conquest through the Plantagenets. Ah, to be able to time travel..... :)

[Joan Wilson]

Living so close to the Roman sites in the north east of England .
History has always fascinated me, from early in my school. My Aunt was a headteacher and we often went on jaunts to different places, Hadrian's wall, the great North road and the great west road to Carlisle. Hexham, Otterburn, Flodden field and when I could read, well, History was all there in BOOKs. I still check back on history after I read regency( or any historical) novels to make sure everything is right and proper. :) Joan