What is Your Favorite Period of History and Why?

[heydaralon]

What time period of history do you most enjoy reading about? What about it interests you? You can have more than one. Favorite book on this period?

[Speaker to Animals]

Not so much a period of history per se, but I most enjoy reading about the paleolithic because no other period can teach more about who we really are as a species. A good book is After the Ice. Another good one that touches upon it is Before the Dawn.

[TheReal_ND]

Unironically the Second Age of Arda. I find the history of Middle Earth far more entertaining than anything else. Then again, the Warhammer40k universe is giving me a run for my money.

[Speaker to Animals]

Other than that, the history of the Mesoamericans and Andean peoples fascinate me. In some ways, just the history of the archeology of those places is fascinating. Check out a book titled Lord of Sipan. A somewhat famous archaeologist excavated a Moche temple complex called the Huaca Rajada that was hidden beneath a later Chimu complex, escaping detection for centuries. It was packed with treasure. He was literally fighting off hordes of tomb raiders (called huaqueros) and bandits while he did this.

Really, there are some amazing stories about the uncovering of Andean and Mesoamerican civilizations from the 19th and 20th centuries. Real Indiana Jones shit went down. There are two lecture series on Modern Scholar by a Mayan archaeologists that cover both civilizational groups. He described discovering Mayan cities in the rainforest where nobody had set foot there for centuries. There apparently are a lot of them out there.

Another good one is Lost City of Z about the lost expedition of Fawcett.

[heydaralon]

Unironically the Second Age of Arda. I find the history of Middle Earth far more entertaining than anything else. Then again, the Warhammer40k universe is giving me a run for my money.

I keep hearing about this Warhammer stuff. You are only a few years older than me, but there is a generational divide over this. I've never heard anyone my age who likes Warhammer, but I know a couple of diehard fans who are in their 40s. They buy the figures, paint them, and spend serious cash. I'm not really sure what Warhammer is. Is it a series of books? A board game? I honestly don't know.

[heydaralon]

Other than that, the history of the Mesoamericans and Andean peoples fascinate me. In some ways, just the history of the archeology of those places is fascinating. Check out a book titled Lord of Sipan. A somewhat famous archaeologist excavated a Moche temple complex called the Huaca Rajada that was hidden beneath a later Chimu complex, escaping detection for centuries. It was packed with treasure. He was literally fighting off hordes of tomb raiders (called huaqueros) and bandits while he did this.

Really, there are some amazing stories about the uncovering of Andean and Mesoamerican civilizations from the 19th and 20th centuries. Real Indiana Jones shit went down.

Another good one is Lost City of Z about the lost expedition of Fawcett.

Thanks for the recommendations! My mom was reading the Lost City of Z. They made a movie about that recently, which is probably where she learned about the book. Haven't seen it.

[TheReal_ND]

Unironically the Second Age of Arda. I find the history of Middle Earth far more entertaining than anything else. Then again, the Warhammer40k universe is giving me a run for my money.

I keep hearing about this Warhammer stuff. You are only a few years older than me, but there is a generational divide over this. I've never heard anyone my age who likes Warhammer, but I know a couple of diehard fans who are in their 40s. They buy the figures, paint them, and spend serious cash. I'm not really sure what Warhammer is. Is it a series of books? A board game? I honestly don't know.

An incredibly expensive hobby. But a very rich universe that is appealing on many levels. Kind of like how star ship troopers was supposed to be an ironic fascist pun that's how warhammer40k started but people just love space marines and the God emperor so countless books, lore and fluff have been created around the game. It drew a lot from the judge dred comics as well early on.

Some of the books are great. I used to listen to a lot of the audiobooks on youtube until they started getting deleted. It is hard for me to recommend a good way to dip your toes in to it because if you dont have a decent knowledge of warhammer40k it is hard to get into any one of their books I imagine. I listened to a podcast called political science theatre 40k done by some alt-right guys for a long time before I started listening to the books. I've yet to play it but a friend did give me a space marine. Perhaps one day I will play it but the lore by itself is really good tbh.

[GloryofGreece]

I fluctuate between Classical Antiquity, Medieval Europe, Age of Discovery, and Age of Reason/Enlightenment. I'm always drawn back to the Hellenistic Age.

[Montegriffo]

Castles.
King Edward subduing the Northern rabble etc...

[SuburbanFarmer]

Medieval European to 1914.

The rise and fall of “honorable” warfare. The end of face-to-face massed combat. The birth of the nation-state. The codes of status and nobility.

Basically, the “middle age” of civilization.