History

Some ideas for studying History during the lockdown/transitioning to undergraduate study (adapted from Dan Townsend @ww1teacher on Twitter)

Idea 1: Why not Take a free history course on something like FutureLearn? Learn more about something you are interested in, surprise yourself by exploring an area you know nothing about (when I looked there was a course on ‘Preserving Norwegian Stave Churches’ that is completely outside my comfort zone) or get ahead by choosing something related to your university course. Here is a link for a course that I liked the look of, ‘WW1 Heroism: Through Art and Film’ (https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/ww1-heroism-art-film)

Idea 2: Why not listen to some podcasts? If a course is a little too much for you and you want to focus on broadening your historical knowledge, then there are lots of excellent history podcasts out there. Try these for starters:

  • In Our Time https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qykl/episodes/downloads – BBC Sounds – Melvyn Bragg speaks to experts on a range of topics, not all historical. A quick look at recent ‘history’ episodes shows that you can learn about Marie Antoinette, the 18th century gin craze and the Valladolid Debate (a 16th century dispute over the enslavement of native Americans).
  • He’s not quite our very own @TheHistoryMan but Dan Snow’s (@TheHistoryGuy) History Hit https://www.historyhit.com/podcasts/ is a good listen, again with historical ‘experts’ (along with authors trying to flog their books). Recent episodes include Globalisation in 1000 AD; Australia, Anzac and History (might have to give this one a listen); and Criminal Subculture in the Gulag.
  • If you want to combine a moment of calm in your day with ‘virtual’ walks over the First World War battlefields (if that’s your thing) then there is nothing better than Paul Reed’s (@sommecourt) The Old Front Line https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-old-front-line/id1505204931. As well as exploring well-trodden battlefield sites he also takes you to ‘forgotten’ battlefields like the Boar’s Head, just north of the Somme, which took its deadly toll on the Royal Sussex Regiment on 30 June 1916.
  • Again, not strictly just a History podcast but Malcolm Gladwell’s Revisionist History http://revisionisthistory.com/ is always a fascinating listen. Anyone familiar with Gladwell’s work will know that he re-examines stories – mostly from the past – and asks whether we have really got them right. It is a journey through the overlooked and misunderstood. It will hopefully inspire you to challenge the orthodoxy and look at things in new ways. Recent episodes include ‘The Obscure Virus Club’ (sounds topical) and ‘The Queen of Cuba’.
  • And if you’re itching for more American History I can heartily recommend The Washington Post’s Presidential https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/presidential/id1072170823. Each episode looks at a different president starting with Washington and ending with Trump. If you’ve wanted to find out more (or just something!) about a really obscure president then this is the place for you. In fact the episode about Millard Fillmore is called ‘Teaching the obscure presidents’ and is a discussion about what we lose if we don’t teach about them.

Idea 3: Why not read some award-winning history books? Trawl through the Bailie Gifford prize shortlists for non-fiction book of the year searching for any history books that have been nominated. Or look through shortlists from previous years for the Wolfson History Prize (https://www.wolfsonhistoryprize.org.uk/). The 2020 shortlist was announced at the end of April so is about as up-to-date as you could ask for. Books include:

  • The Boundless Sea: A Human History of the Oceans, David Abulafia
  • A Fistful of Shells: West Africa from the Rise of the Slave Trade to the Age of Revolution, Toby Green
  • Cricket Country: An Indian Odyssey in the Age of Empire, Prashant Kidambi
  • The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper, Hallie Rubenhold
  • Building Anglo-Saxon England, John Blair
  • Reckonings: Legacies of Nazi Persecution and the Quest for Justice’, Mary Fulbrook
  • Birds in the Ancient World: Winged Words, Jeremy Mynott
  • Empress: Queen Victoria and India, Miles Taylor
  • Liberty’s Exiles: How the Loss of America Made the British Empire, Maya Jasanoff
  • The Spanish Holocaust, Paul Preston
  • Reprobates: The Cavaliers of the English Civil War, John Stubbs
  • Empires of the Dead: How One Man’s Vision Led to the Creation of WW1’s War Graves, David Crane
  • Common People: The History of an English Family, Alison Light
  • Maoism: A Global History, Julia Lovell
  • East West Street, Philippe Sands
  • Chernobyl: History of a Tragedy, Serhil Plokhy

Idea 4: Why not watch some excellent history documentaries? Here is a link to a great YouTube channel which has lots of documentaries on a range of different periods and topics: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5FsriGn300&list=PL_ZhAiPE9mRS3fJOp6rGG6247GPEfiq2W (use the link or click below to watch the first documentary on the channel). There are also some epic documentary series out there by the likes of Ken Burns (including his mammoth The Vietnam War which is on Netflix) and also some fantastic documentary films such as Leon Gast’s When We Were Kings, arguably one of the greatest sport films ever made, all about the famous 1974 ‘Rumble in the Jungle’, which saw Muhammad Ali battle George Foreman.

Idea 5: Why not watch a lecture? Or attend a webinar? Gresham College (https://www.youtube.com/user/GreshamCollege/videos) has filmed a veritable treasure trove of excellent public lectures that are all freely available. There are loads of history ones like The Cato Street Conspiracy, 1820: A Study in Terrorism and Black Tudors: Three Untold Stories (just two selected at random). During the lockdown Dan Hill (@DanHillHistory), a military historian, has been running a series of History From Home webinars that you can sign up to (https://www.danhillmilitaryhistorian.com/historyfromhome). There are two a week on a Wednesday and Sunday, and each lecture is given by an expert in the field. If you love geeking out on your military history this is a must. There have been quite a few lectures already which can be found in the archive and include Dr Spencer Jones talking about the Boer War, a war that led to a number of important changes in the British Army, and Dr John Greenacre discussing the heroic, but ultimately futile, exploits of Operation Market Garden.

Idea 6: Why not watch a historical film or TV series critically? Definitely one that will bring out your inner pedant! Watch a film or series like The Last Kingdom on Netflix (all about the chaotic and bloody Saxon world) and then watch a lecture or read an article or book that relates directly to it. Consider how accurate they were, what liberties they took with history (and why), and what you would have done differently. BBC History Magazine has put together some recommendations for you here: https://www.historyextra.com/period/modern/best-historical-tv-shows-films-stream-right-now-uk-what-to-watch-netflix-amazon-prime-now-tv-us-america-period-dramas/

Idea 7: Why not get ready for your university course? This might be about making some of the other ideas more meaningful (e.g. by taking some notes on your reading or lectures you watch) or getting ahead with some of your reading for your history (or similar) course. Here are some tips:

  • To improve your broader understanding of history read a ‘proper’ history of the world. Silk Roads: A New History of the World by Peter Frankopan is good for this but you also might like to go for the brilliant (children’s) book, A Short History of the World by E.H. Gombrich. As you read through you should make a note of anything you feel particularly weak on or that interests you further. You will then have a long list of topics to study, acting as a springboard for further research.
  • You could also try to find some reading lists for the course you are doing and make a head start with some of these books. If you can’t find it then get in touch with the university (or lecturers) who will be able to point you in the right direction. In fact, with the lockdown, I am sure that university staff would love to hear from you and to help you out.
  • Read this Historical Association article on what to expect from studying History at university: https://www.history.org.uk/student/categories/492/resource/5700/what-to-expect-when-you-choose-to-study-history-at
  • Ask one of us for some book recommendations or some questions to research. We would love to read what you find – and we can then get you in as an ‘expert’ speaker for Historia in the future!
  • Dan Townsend (@ww1teacher) recommends building a structure and routine to your day as you embark on your historical odyssey. You will find what works for you but his (very ambitious) suggestion is:
    • MONDAY – AM: Aim to read 60 pages of a book or at least one article; PM: Watch a lecture/listen to a podcast and take notes. Order books for next week.
    • TUESDAY – AM: Aim to read 60 pages of a book or at least one article; PM: Watch a documentary and make notes.
    • WEDNESDAY – AM: Watch a historical film or some episodes from a series; PM: Watch at least one lecture/documentary in relation to the film and research online what it got right or wrong, using at least one article and primary source. Make notes.
    • THURSDAY – AM: Aim to read 60 pages of a book or at least one article; PM: Listen to a podcast and make some notes.
    • FRIDAY – AM: Aim to read 60 pages of a book or at least one article; PM: Complete next section of an online history course, making notes as you go. File the work from the week.