I sucked at History but then all our teacher ever taught us about was the war and trench foot FOR FOUR YEARS!!!! when we were told to do a history project I did one on Jack the Ripper (i was fascinated by morbid stuff loooong before then) and I even got an A+ but that was the only thing I did. I am interested in history and love watching the history and discovery channel but would never be able to hold my own in a discussion. NOT!

hmmm history.... well I'm not a fan of history really, as I find it pretty dry... unless its marketed in some glamorous way (as in Billy Joel's We Didn't Start the Fire.

If Greek mythology counts as a historical period, then as you can tell by my name that I do like reading about the Greeks and Romans, and how they came up with stories that explained occurrences that happened here on earth (as in Zeus with his lightning bolt, Poseidon ruling the seas, and Demeter controlling the seasons).

A second historical period that I like would be the old south. Southern America during the civil war and the struggle that both sides went through was interesting (albeit difficult times). One of my favorite movies is Gone With The Wind and wow! talk about glamorous! oh fiddle dee dee! I have a record (anyone remember what a record is LOL ) with songs like "Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen" and "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" that depicts the passion of the times.

English political history in the early 1800s - before politics was spoiled by all the oiks and the scruffs getting the vote ;o)

Also Roman Britain - been on several archaeological digs investigating this period. One day we may even return to the level of civilization we had in Britain in those days...

(Edited by Random 24/11/2002 09:21)

I've always been fascinated by history and I always try to find out the history of places I go to. And I love visting castles and stately homes and battlefields.

Periods of particular interest to me:

1) Roman Britain (well, the Roman Empire in general, and the subsequent Byzantine Empire, and all the issues of the fall of the empire and descent into the Dark Ages in Western Europe). I've been fascinated by this period ever since I read The Eagle of the Ninth, when I was probably about 8. I especially like reading about Roman Britain, and how the Romans brought civilisation and unity to the province. I love going to visit Roman remains as well...it's stunning that so much survives after nearly 2000 years...

2) The French Revolution - this is fascinating because of the personalities involved - Danton, Robespierre, Marat - and the way the popular uprising was directed by them, and the ultimate descent of this enlightened, egalitarian revolution into the Reign of Terror that ended up consuming all the major players...

3) The First World War - because I went on a school trip to the battlefields when I was in 6th form, and it was pretty overwhelming, and I've always loved the work of the war poets, particularly Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon - and also because of the incredible impact that the war had on society and the way people saw the world.

But while those are the areas I'm most interested in, there are so many more periods I'd love to know more about!

American History in general.. just fascinates me.

British History from the Battle of Hastings onwards, and especially the history of the Royal Family from then on in. I have books and books on the subject, it's endlessly fascinating for me.

I wanted to take history to O Level when i was at school, but my dad made me take computer studies (fat lot of good that did me ). I wish i'd stuck to my guns But i make up for it by reading up on the subject in my (rare) free time

duh i forgot, i've read some intering books interesting on the histrory old scotland and edinburh.

(Edited by EvilWillow 24/11/2002 11:13)

Not sure I have one particular period of history that fascinates me. Nineteenth European History I find fascinating for the melting pot of philosophical, scientific and political ideas all battling for dominance. France and Britain, the emergence of the German and Italian states, the complete reworking of the power hierarchy in Europe, all great stuff.

Then there's ancient history. Alexander, Julius, the Ptolomy Dynasty. Gordian Knots. Mesopotamia. Babylon. Egypt. Phoenicians. Sparta. Athens. Crete. Sumaria. The list goes on.

Then there's the renaissance period of Europe. Or the Mogul Empire in Asia. The Chin dynasty. All of Modern History - The economic rise and fall of the far east, the spread of communism, the cold war, the end of the old imperial order and the birth of the single super power. The rise of socialism and the welfare state. The impact of Fascism.

How do you choose a favourite?

History is gone...

The end.

It's a Mini adventure

I don't remember a huge chunk of my history classes - not sure why, I was more of a maths person really

The first year secondary held quite a bit of interest as we did a longterm project on World War I documenting all the boats, subs or whatever were used.

Later on I did like the Tudor period - but for no real reason.

Quite amusingly I do remember for a break, our history teacher letting us have a lesson of games where I excelled at being the fatest at wordsearches, but bombed completely in front of the rest of the class at the "yes, no" game - where the first question was "is your name .." to which I said "yes" straight away

I liked the study of ancient civilizations most of all. It started in secondary school in 'Classics' lessons, and I've been hooked ever since!

I personaly like the Wild West era at the time of the Homesteaders. I also like Scotlands history.

I am intereted in the aftermath of WorldWar two especially regarding ethnic clensing and the Yalta accord, and the allies (Russia mainly commiting war crimes (as defined at Nuremberg, whilst carrying out those same war crimes). That I have widended out to periods before and taken all the way through to Bosnia and Kosova.

Ethnic Cleansing and extermination of the Arminians from Turkey 1908 -1921

Ethnic Cleansing and elimation of Pontiacs (Black sea Greek Speakers not speaking standard modern Greek Greek but a seperatly evolved Modern Greek language from the Ancient routes (dilect divergence due to isolation particulary after the end of Byzantium).

Ethnic cleansing of the Greeks from Western Turkey and Eastern Thrace (Turkey) 1921

Ethnic Cleansing of German speakers East of Oder-Neisse (including Stettin) Breslau, Prussia, Danzig, Sudatenland, Northern Yugoslavia (both from Croatia and Slovenia 16 Million people 1945-1954

Eastern Poles (Including Lwow (now Lviv (Ukraine) usually called Lvov in the west) and those from Lithuania. 1945-1949

Karellian Finns (Finish Population that were close to St Petersburg (Leningrad). 1940 and 1944+

Crimean Tartars (1945) the Soviet Union declaring the forced removial of the Tartars from the Crimea as Illigal 1956 and their failure to compensate and return the population to its homeland.

Also I am Interested in the archetecture and post war plans of Germany (ie Speer)

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Having done a GCSE in Greek Civilisation, an A Level in Classical Civiliastion as well as History and Russian studies and a degree in Archaeology I have an interest in a wider range of periods.

6th to 11th century North West Europe (especially Anglo-Saxon, Viking and Frankish-Merovingian. Oh and Burgundian but that is just due to the references in the Neiblungend.

Periods of greatest interest to me:

Post-WW2 conflicts eg Malayan Emergency, the Confrontation, Indochina/Vietnam

Chinese history in general, all the way back to where it all gets a bit tangled up with mythology (fascinating but very depressing to an ethnic Chinese...), delving into the Taiping Rebellion which is apparently the second most costly conflict in terms of lives lost next to the Second World War but which few people have heard of because it was pretty much confined to China. It was also pretty much sparked off by a guy who wigged out when he failed his Civil Service entrance exams for the third time and had this vision that he was the younger brother of Jesus...

Malaysian history, mostly WW2 and later (well, I am Malaysian and all that)

Vague interests in medieval Europe and the 1920s/30s which are hangovers from playing/running too much Dungeons and Dragons and Call of Cthulhu.

Not sure if it counts as a history period but I was fascinated by all the NATO/Warsaw Pact/WW3 stuff around a while back - wargames, Hackett's book etc.

dunno about favorite, but I have a least favourite. Can't stand anything related to the first and second world wars. absolutely bores me ridgid. Even covering crop rotation was more interesting!!!

Oh, another one: The Russo-Finnish Winter War is another period I have a strong interest in. Can anyone top that (or the Taiping Rebellion) for obscurity?

20th century Russia.
The Edwardian Era-'the Gilded Age'
The 2nd World War

Always been fascinated by the two World Wars for some reason. I think I am more of a moderist than anything. I never really liked the Tudor or the Stuarts (although this is hte period that I am doing this term at uni )

Give me any more modern history or medieval stuff, and I'm perfectly happy

For me would have to be medieval England - all the knights and chivalry.

Also the Roman Empire and ancient Greece. Really enjoyed the Greek tales at school, and studied Latin, so learned all about Pompeii form the original language

Also the wild west, as did a huge project for history in school about that too.

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by Dangermouse
For me would have to be medieval England - all the knights and chivalry.

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Would have to add that to my list as well