Thanks Lucy, super article setting out important truths about 'doing history'. As you know I'm an elderly, retired historian who thrives on your work and the modern approach you and other younger her and historians take to investigate the past.
I've learned lots of information from you and, more importantly, how to modify my old-fashioned approaches to history to reflect the broader and more rigorous approaches of your generation.
Thank you, please lots more of your fascinating and appropriately challenging Herstory: it's also so often 'fun' too which helps bring others to realise what fun her and his story can be.
I do have a history degree and it was useful in my career as a lawyer. After all, what do lawyers do other than research facts, draw conclusions from them, and advocate a particular interpretation of those facts.
I did not study much history when I studied performance of music. Old dusty books were not very interesting at school and had subjective sentences in which you might not agree with. I have watched films on Mozart and Beethoven since. When I went to the Archives 20 years later and looked at family trees to go right back to all these famous people in Europe was very interesting like Charlemagne and Anjou etc. I have never studied Eurpean history and now think I would have had a better interest and understanding of how Europe and it's courts, papacy worked.
I would love to study history but think I would need a better memory.
But over the past year and a half you have inspired me to read many history books and to learn that history is more than kings and queens and battles. You seem to write on so many varied topics including mourning loved ones as in Victoria and Albert and crime. I have just finished reading if walls could talk. I like your conclusion on what we can learn from the past.
Lucky, lucky me! At the ripe old age of 39 I finally had the opportunity to finish up my college education and was an Ancient-Medieval major. I learned human history through a variety of approaches and also learned how to research a topic, find primary sources, etc. I can’t thank my professors enough for making me a better, more aware and questioning individual! A proud 1982 graduate at 41 years old!
Hi, Lucy! I teach American History in the US. I teach a college level course and a regular level course to....17 year olds!!! I have a History degree concentrating in American AND European history. I loved your article and will use some of your material to introduce my courses the next school year. I always tell my student that I want them to understand more about their country, as well as the world around them. And you're right, the skills that we use ARE a part of life and help with other areas of study. My colleagues and I LOVE watching your programs on PBS! We love how you make History come alive! So, Thank You!
I never really enjoyed history enough at school to do more than "just do the lessons" .. however, now, historians such as yourself Lucy, bring history "alive". I read historical books(fiction and non-fiction) on times past that intrigued me. That draw me in. And I'm loving this!
I've always been interested in the past and many years ago started to research mine and my husband's family trees. I've 'met' my husband's relative who was a police officer in Whitechapel at the time of Jack the Ripper, found out that my great aunt made the national press as a nurse injured by a soldier suffering from PTSD during WW1 and learned about copper mining in Cornwall in the 1800s, to name but a few! I love it!
I don't personally have a degree, but I work as an advisor to college students in the US, and love telling them how useful a degree in history can be. I just may have to quote you!
I earned my undergraduate degrees in French literature and history. Studies for my law degree involved the evolution of laws. Then I was mesmerized by Hitler's rise to power in Germany and the evolution of the Nazi party. Unfortunately, it strikes a chord here in Trump's MAGA USA....
I've started studying for a history degree part time in the evenings in the last 2 years and it's been purely for my love of history and reading about the past! Definitely one of the most enjoyable things I've done, and has been inspired by the work of historians like Lucy and Ros. I've used the skills I've learned in every day life now, analysis and research, and trying to make sense of our modern world 🤣
The first thing we learned in Geology was “ the past is the key to the future”. I believe the order in which it comes can change via a catastrophic event or climate intervention. What scares me about human history are the trends we see repeating. I am a nervous American.
I hated History at school. Now, I love researching background details. Nothing beats spotting something others have missed. Bruce Robinson said that Michael Maybrick (Mayor of Ryde) murdered his nephew, the son of James and Florence Maybrick. By searching the archives of our local newspaper, I was able to show that this was not possible.
My degree is in literature, but not history, but I find that they go hand-in-hand a lot. But we were always exposed to history growing up. That was something our mom was and still is big on. Our maternal grandmother had a history degree and and my grandparents had all the National Geographic books that we looked at all the time. Our paternal grandparents made sure we had a set of encyclopedias, which my one sister has and which my one nephew still uses even though they’re super dated. Looking back, I realize that we were really lucky to have people who got us interested in it when we were really young.
I absolutely love history and the way you tell it especially!!. Also in books and documentaries. (Yes l have some of your books!)Of course English history is my favorite not that there isn't history here across the pond just a whole lot more back there!!.
Thanks for the CS Lewis quote. Where is that from?
It's from a sermon, 'Learning in War-Time', that he gave in 1939 - a copy is available to view online and you can find that passage on page 5 :)
Thanks Lucy, super article setting out important truths about 'doing history'. As you know I'm an elderly, retired historian who thrives on your work and the modern approach you and other younger her and historians take to investigate the past.
I've learned lots of information from you and, more importantly, how to modify my old-fashioned approaches to history to reflect the broader and more rigorous approaches of your generation.
Thank you, please lots more of your fascinating and appropriately challenging Herstory: it's also so often 'fun' too which helps bring others to realise what fun her and his story can be.
History is alive. Immerse yourself in the waters and find out why we think the way we do. History is us.
I do have a history degree and it was useful in my career as a lawyer. After all, what do lawyers do other than research facts, draw conclusions from them, and advocate a particular interpretation of those facts.
I did not study much history when I studied performance of music. Old dusty books were not very interesting at school and had subjective sentences in which you might not agree with. I have watched films on Mozart and Beethoven since. When I went to the Archives 20 years later and looked at family trees to go right back to all these famous people in Europe was very interesting like Charlemagne and Anjou etc. I have never studied Eurpean history and now think I would have had a better interest and understanding of how Europe and it's courts, papacy worked.
I would love to study history but think I would need a better memory.
But over the past year and a half you have inspired me to read many history books and to learn that history is more than kings and queens and battles. You seem to write on so many varied topics including mourning loved ones as in Victoria and Albert and crime. I have just finished reading if walls could talk. I like your conclusion on what we can learn from the past.
Keep up the good work Lucy!
Lucky, lucky me! At the ripe old age of 39 I finally had the opportunity to finish up my college education and was an Ancient-Medieval major. I learned human history through a variety of approaches and also learned how to research a topic, find primary sources, etc. I can’t thank my professors enough for making me a better, more aware and questioning individual! A proud 1982 graduate at 41 years old!
Hi, Lucy! I teach American History in the US. I teach a college level course and a regular level course to....17 year olds!!! I have a History degree concentrating in American AND European history. I loved your article and will use some of your material to introduce my courses the next school year. I always tell my student that I want them to understand more about their country, as well as the world around them. And you're right, the skills that we use ARE a part of life and help with other areas of study. My colleagues and I LOVE watching your programs on PBS! We love how you make History come alive! So, Thank You!
I never really enjoyed history enough at school to do more than "just do the lessons" .. however, now, historians such as yourself Lucy, bring history "alive". I read historical books(fiction and non-fiction) on times past that intrigued me. That draw me in. And I'm loving this!
I've always been interested in the past and many years ago started to research mine and my husband's family trees. I've 'met' my husband's relative who was a police officer in Whitechapel at the time of Jack the Ripper, found out that my great aunt made the national press as a nurse injured by a soldier suffering from PTSD during WW1 and learned about copper mining in Cornwall in the 1800s, to name but a few! I love it!
I don't personally have a degree, but I work as an advisor to college students in the US, and love telling them how useful a degree in history can be. I just may have to quote you!
I earned my undergraduate degrees in French literature and history. Studies for my law degree involved the evolution of laws. Then I was mesmerized by Hitler's rise to power in Germany and the evolution of the Nazi party. Unfortunately, it strikes a chord here in Trump's MAGA USA....
I've started studying for a history degree part time in the evenings in the last 2 years and it's been purely for my love of history and reading about the past! Definitely one of the most enjoyable things I've done, and has been inspired by the work of historians like Lucy and Ros. I've used the skills I've learned in every day life now, analysis and research, and trying to make sense of our modern world 🤣
The first thing we learned in Geology was “ the past is the key to the future”. I believe the order in which it comes can change via a catastrophic event or climate intervention. What scares me about human history are the trends we see repeating. I am a nervous American.
I hated History at school. Now, I love researching background details. Nothing beats spotting something others have missed. Bruce Robinson said that Michael Maybrick (Mayor of Ryde) murdered his nephew, the son of James and Florence Maybrick. By searching the archives of our local newspaper, I was able to show that this was not possible.
My degree is in literature, but not history, but I find that they go hand-in-hand a lot. But we were always exposed to history growing up. That was something our mom was and still is big on. Our maternal grandmother had a history degree and and my grandparents had all the National Geographic books that we looked at all the time. Our paternal grandparents made sure we had a set of encyclopedias, which my one sister has and which my one nephew still uses even though they’re super dated. Looking back, I realize that we were really lucky to have people who got us interested in it when we were really young.
I absolutely love history and the way you tell it especially!!. Also in books and documentaries. (Yes l have some of your books!)Of course English history is my favorite not that there isn't history here across the pond just a whole lot more back there!!.