How to master history?

Question

As for me, history subject is a dull subject although there is a few content that is interesting. I tried to make this subject as a wonderful, easy subject just like mathematics.

Answer 1

Take a few moments to think about yourself. You are living history! You have a story to tell even if so far it isn't too long a one.

History is made up of people with all their quirks, bad temper, bad judgement and glory days.

Behind every fact that they make you learn is a hidden history. The facts are just coat hangers. Try to flesh out the players in any segment of history you have to learn.

I visited the Galleries of Justice in Nottingham about five years ago with two of my kids. They are not English and they had no concept of English history, but being part of the unfolding story acted out in the museum that day has really stuck with them and they remember heaps of small details.

Why? Because the actors made it seem real to them! Make history real to yourself. Put yourself in the past and watch it come alive.

Answer 2

I would endorse what Christine, above has written.

Being a Scot, I have retained an interest in Scottish History and indeed that of England and the rest of the British Isle. Like yourself, I found the subject, as taught at school, a turn-off.

Since leaving school [1970] I found the best way to understand and retain facts was to read historical novels. Written by non-academical historians who had done their research.

For instance: NIgel Tranter [now deceased] wrote dozens of historical novels based on Scottish figures - William Wallace, Robert the Bruce, the Stewart kings, Macbeth amongst dozens of others.

Yes, figures from English history are also given the respect and honour that they deserve, also.

His "Macbeth" is a classic [an antithesis to the character assassination by Shakespeare]. Another is "Wallace".

As is the "Bruce Trilogy".

Tranter's writings, brought a more down-to-earth feeling to history. Look them up on Google.

Answer 3

If you really want to think of history, look at an object and think "how did this get into my possession?" That goes to who invented it, why, and what technology preceded it. And so on back through history....

In the 1980s, the BBC made a series called "Connections" presented by James Burke who pretty much did this. Try and get hold of a copy. Its really great.

Answer 4

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