Hi friends!
Welcome to my blog, “History of Cool.” I hope you have a good time here and find some cool stories that interest you.
WHAT IS THIS?
This blog exists because history is cool! It’s a collection of some of the historical stories that I find interesting, from all around the world, from different times and different places.
HUH?
Well, it’s a bit like this. I’ve been a lover of history since about the first time I picked up a book, and I kept studying it for most of my life. What I love the most about history is the amazing amount of cool stories you find. If you were to compile all the amazing, unbelievable, cool events that have happened in the past 20,000 years of human history, you would come back with some stories that would be too fantastical for a George R.R. Martin or J.R.R. Tolkien book.
This blog is just a sample of some of the cool stories that I find particularly interesting.
I ALWAYS THOUGHT HISTORY WAS KIND OF BORING.
I’m glad you make that point, imaginary rhetorical device! I think there is an issue with how history is taught in many of our schools, in that it mostly requires you to memorize large chunks of names and dates. That’s important, but teaching in that way tends to de-emphasize the stories you find.
Look, it’s true, what other, much more important people than me have said. History is important, history is what our society and our politics are built on, you need to understand our history to understand why this country is the way it is, those who do not understand history are doomed to repeat it.
But beyond all of that, history has some really, really cool stories.
Some examples:
- An empire that worshiped the sun, so rich in gold and silver that they sheathed the walls of their temples with gold so the rising sun would gleam off the walls.
- A ragged band of adventurers led by four brothers, who blindly plunged into an unknown land, aiming to overthrow a brutally efficient, incredibly rich empire of millions – and succeeded. None of the brothers made it though – each perishing by violent means.
SOUNDS LEGIT. WHAT ELSE DO I NEED TO KNOW?
The subjects for my blog posts are chosen basically at random – some of the periods and cultures I will be writing about are subjects that I know a great deal about, while others I chose because I knew very little about them. If you have any questions about a subject, or would like me to explore one further, leave a comment! I’ll happily take suggestions for further research.
In terms of what I promise you, I aim to do the following:
- I’ll make history cool and fun! These short blog posts should be entertaining to read, and should illustrate the story behind whatever is happening.
- I’ll cite my sources properly. It should be easy for you to trace back my claims to a particular source, whether that be a secondary source or a primary source.
- I’ll make mistakes. Look, I wish I was perfect, but I do not have access to a research library, and I am most definitely an amateur when it comes to being a historian. I hope you’ll be patient with me, and please send me any comments or corrections I may have missed!
COOL. WHAT IF I WANT TO LEARN MORE?
At the very bottom of every blog there will be a list of the sources I used, as well as links to buy them on Amazon. So hopefully, if you find something interesting, you’ll be able to keep learning more! Also, here’s a page with some additional links to places on the web I think are cool.
ANYTHING ELSE?
Have fun!
RAD.
History of Cool 