Switch Theme:

Your favorite historical period  [RSS] Share on facebook Share on Twitter Submit to Reddit
»
Author Message
Advert


Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you:
  • No adverts like this in the forums anymore.
  • Times and dates in your local timezone.
  • Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance.
  • Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely.
  • Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net.
If you are already a member then feel free to login now.




Made in nl
Pragmatic Primus Commanding Cult Forces






Hiya!
I love history and I am sure many of you do too. So let's talk about our favorite historical settings!

My favorite historical setting is the Migration Period and early European Middle Ages (roughly 400-1000 AD), the time period which is sometimes referred to as "the Dark Ages". This is a really broad period that covers exciting stuff like the gradual collapse of the Western Roman Empire, the great migrations and the establishment of various Germanic and Slavic kingdoms that form the foundation of many modern European nations, the rise and fall of the Carolingians, the Christianization of Europe, the Rise of Islam, the Viking raids, the foundation of the feudal system etc. It is a very transformative period that sees the transition of the Europe of Classical Antiquity into the more familiar Europe of the later Middle Ages and Early Modern Period. Yet at the same time it is also a period about which relatively little is known due to a scarcity of written records. This gives the period a sense of mystery. It isn't surprising then that a lot of legends (such as those of King Arthur or Beowulf) have their roots in this time period. I like this period for its dynamism, its sweeping narratives of rising and falling nations and its shroud of mystery. And I am a big sucker for ancient legends, so that means I am naturally attracted to the Dark Ages.

But of all the exciting events that took place in the Dark Ages, my favorite has got to be the Battle of the Catalaunian Fields in 451. This was a massive battle involving many different peoples from all over Europe in a titanic clash between a coalition led by the Roman Empire and a coalition led by the Huns, who by then ruled roughly half of Europe. The Romans and their allies seem to have won a narrow victory and succeeded in fending off the Hunnish invasion, but their losses were so great that the Romans (and many of their allies, such as the Visigoths) never really recovered from the blow to their military capacities which facilitated their eventual collapse. This battle really presents a crossroads for European history. If the Huns had won, or if the Romans had won a decisive victory, it is likely that Western civilization would have developed quite differently. It is also the first documented conflict in European history that really involved nations from all over the continent, something which would not be seen again until the 30 Years War over a thousand years later.

So, what about you? What is your favorite historical period/setting, why do you like it and what is it about that period that attracts you? And what is your favorite event or person from that time period? Anything history-related you want to share?

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2021/07/05 22:14:03


Error 404: Interesting signature not found

 
   
Made in us
Longtime Dakkanaut





Hard call, definately a fan of the battle of Catalaunian fields. The golden age of piracy is a big one too though for me.
   
Made in us
Fixture of Dakka





Favorite period to study, or period I'd most want to live in? The two are quite different.

CHAOS! PANIC! DISORDER!
My job here is done. 
   
Made in us
Secret Force Behind the Rise of the Tau




USA

I for some reason beyond reason, find Imperial Japan fascinating. It's like someone went back in time and created that 'hyper-competent' military super state so many fantasy and sci-fi series dream of and then the whole thing burns to the ground cause any society that completely revolves around its military is the opposite of competency but no one is listening so the whole thing is just a massive succession of disasters and bad decisions that seem sensible at the time and eventually end in the only thing a militaristic society can do (a war with lots of dead people).

More seriously, the history of Imperial Japan is like studying explicitly what causes societies to rise and fall. In less than a century, Imperial Japan rose to the status of world power, hit a high water mark that left it with territorial holdings on par with any empire in history, and then collapsed in spectacular fashion. The story is a bizarrely amazing and heart breakingly tragic display of human virtue and failings as various figures with very different perspectives on what constitutes good governance. They spend a half century butting heads only to rapidly end up in a situation that none of them can really control, that feeds on itself in a self-destructive cycle, and finally burns the entire house down.

The drama of Imperial Japan is just fascinating, though I doubt anyone alive at the time felt that way by any margin. That stuff needs to be an HBO series. You wouldn't even remotely need to embellish.

This message was edited 3 times. Last update was at 2021/07/06 01:54:17


   
Made in gb
Stalwart Dark Angels Space Marine





East Midlands UK

For wargames I find the Macedonian and Hellenistic period to be interesting and fun. You have traditional hoplite armies, innovative like armies, elephants everywhere, what's not to like?

For historical interest I like the period from 1640-1720 where there was a revolution in warfare and politics, certainly in the British Isles and the Baltics.

For literature I would go for early imperial Rome and Martial, Ovid, Tacitus and Pliny. Enough there with scathing social satire, mythology, history and sheer eccentricity. Throw in some mucky poems by Catullus and you're set.
   
Made in gb
Whiteshield Conscript Trooper




For me it's the war of the roses, it's just so intriguing. Lots of backstabbing and rebellion, ultimately inspiring game of thrones.
   
Made in fi
Locked in the Tower of Amareo





800-1200 years of japan

2024 painted/bought: 109/109 
   
Made in it
Waaagh! Ork Warboss




Italy

I'm a roman so anything related to the ancient roman empire. I also love ancient Greece.

 
   
Made in gb
Lord of the Fleet






London

It's probably a bit cliche but I'm a fan of the Cold War period, the various military technologies, events and strategies that developed.
   
Made in gb
Ridin' on a Snotling Pump Wagon






I don’t have a favourite as such. But I am off to Orkney on Friday, and will be visiting Skara Brae on Sunday.

My Dad’s side of the family is from Orkney, so far as records exist. And his DNA profile thing, assuming those are truly reliable shows no Viking DNA in his side of the family.

So it’s quite possible I’m a massively remote relation to the original inhabitants of Skara Brae.

I’ll never be able to prove it, but equally there’s no solid evidence against it.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Though I do want to learn more about China. It’s not a subject that was ever touched on whilst I was at School, yet it covers millennia.

The desire isn’t so much “gosh I admire China” type stuff, just that it’s a massive gap in my knowledge I’d like to fill.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2021/07/06 12:36:18


   
Made in nl
Pragmatic Primus Commanding Cult Forces






 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
I don’t have a favourite as such. But I am off to Orkney on Friday, and will be visiting Skara Brae on Sunday.

My Dad’s side of the family is from Orkney, so far as records exist. And his DNA profile thing, assuming those are truly reliable shows no Viking DNA in his side of the family.

So it’s quite possible I’m a massively remote relation to the original inhabitants of Skara Brae.

I’ll never be able to prove it, but equally there’s no solid evidence against it.

Given the amount of time that has passed and the degree of population mixture that has occurred, if your family has lived on Orkney for a significant amount of time then you pretty much certainly are descended from both the original inhabitants of Orkney as well as the Norse settlers. That a DNA test doesn't detect any "Viking DNA" is not that strange. You only inherit DNA from a fraction of your countless ancestors, most of them don't contribute to your DNA, and the farther back they are the less their contribution is. It is pretty random. Those DNA tests can't really show you your entire ancestry, and they also aren't really reliable afaik when it comes to differentiating people with very similar genetic profiles (such as people from Scandinavia and the British Isles).

And Skara Brae dates all the way back to the Neolithic, so pretty much everyone with European ancestry is almost certainly descended from that population (assuming they did not die out somewhere along the way). You only need to go back 1000 years before all Europeans are related to each other (meaning that every person with European ancestry alive today is descended from all Europeans who lived 1000 years ago and had children). What I am trying to say is that it is incredibly likely that you are directly related both to the Neolithic inhabitants of Skara Brae as well as the Vikings. The evidence for that relation is a lot stronger than the evidence against it.

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
Automatically Appended Next Post:[/size]
Though I do want to learn more about China. It’s not a subject that was ever touched on whilst I was at School, yet it covers millennia.

The desire isn’t so much “gosh I admire China” type stuff, just that it’s a massive gap in my knowledge I’d like to fill.

Oh, Chinese history is massively fascinating! It is huge, and because the Chinese have always been a highly literate culture, it is also relatively well-recorded even going thousands of years back.
I used to play the Dynasty Warriors games as a kid (and more recently Total War: Three Kingdoms), so I am a big fan of the Three Kingdoms period especially. All of the intrigue, betrayal and massive battles puts even fantasy series like A Song of Ice and Fire to shame.

You might be interested in the 2010 Three Kingdoms TV series. It is pretty good (at least if you can get used to the differences between Western and Chinese acting) and you can find most if not all of the episodes on YouTube and other video hosts. The best version (in HD and with accurate English subtitles) was made by Jiang Hu.They get removed and re-uploaded a lot though, so it can be difficult to find a version that is complete, in the correct order and in HD. But with a bit of Googling you should be able to find them.

Also check out this video if you are interested in a brief summary of the history of the period:


This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 2021/07/06 15:03:00


Error 404: Interesting signature not found

 
   
Made in us
Battlefield Tourist




MN (Currently in WY)

I really enjoy the Diadochi period to wargame, and learn more about. I also am drawn to Classical Greece, early conquest of Italy Romans, and the Bronze Age Collapse.

However, I am by no means knowledgeable or an expert on any of these areas.

Support Blood and Spectacles Publishing:
https://www.patreon.com/Bloodandspectaclespublishing 
   
Made in ca
Pustulating Plague Priest






Depends on the country, but usually very specific periods or events.

I’ve taken quite an interest in the history of Iran, especially the transition from the (at the time) Persian Qajar to Pahlavi Dynasty and the subsequent transition from this dynasty to where it is today. I’ve been trying to work backwards, but books on Qajar history are difficult to find.

With regards to China, I’m quite fascinated by the 1700-1900s. Not that it was a particularly pleasant time, but it was certainly eventful. On a lighter note, I have found the Tang period quite interesting as well.

To a lesser extent, Rome during the republic period and Greece during the Pelponnesian Wars.

Faithful... Enlightened... Ambitious... Brethren... WE NEED A NEW DRIVER! THIS ONE IS DEAD!  
   
Made in se
Stubborn Hammerer




Sweden

All of ancient history from earliest Sumer up to and including emperor Trajanus. Great artwork, great monuments, great kinds of warfare, gutsy ways of thinking and colourful cultures and personalities.

Great Northern War (1700-1721). A conflict that may be described as an ancient tragedy of epic quality. Truly something out of the ordinary.

Otherwise I am interested in all history between heaven and earth, from all continents, regardless of era. Special mention to all of Chinese history (not least because of the sheer scale and numbers, which by the way is excellent inspiration for 40k), the Viking age and the mess-up of the First World War. As a Roman fan I often find that the most enjoyable yet also bittersweet way to experience the Middle Ages is through the eyes of Constantinople.

And obviously the Mesozoic if we were to include natural history. Dinosaurs forever.

This message was edited 8 times. Last update was at 2021/07/06 16:23:43


   
Made in gb
Ridin' on a Snotling Pump Wagon






I guess I’m mostly interested in any non or pre-Christian history.

Not for any snobbishness about religion and persons of faith, just that the history I was taught at school was Christianity heavy. I know more about those countries and empires than I do their contemporaries, such as the Moors and Ottoman Empire (which might be the same thing, behold my ignorance!)

So to break out of that, and look into things such as pre-Colonial Asia and Africa I think would be well worth it.

   
Made in gr
Rough Rider with Boomstick




Welcome back Iron Captain! I enjoy reading about all facets of history, there is always something more to find out. Like layers it gets more deliciously complicated the deeper you get. I have lately dived into the Eastern Roman Empire after 1025 and all the things that happened in the eastern Mediterranean at the time. I GM a game set in the period and was frankly amazed at the depth you need to go in order to portray a culture 1000 years old.
Now however i am binging a podcast about the Congress of Europe 1815- 1914. Bismark, Wellington, Disraeli. Fascinating stuff!

You shouldn't be worried about the one bullet with your name on it, Boldric. You should be worried about the ones labelled "to whom it may concern"-from Blackadder goes Forth!
 
   
Made in ca
Pustulating Plague Priest






konst80hummel wrote:
Welcome back Iron Captain! I enjoy reading about all facets of history, there is always something more to find out. Like layers it gets more deliciously complicated the deeper you get. I have lately dived into the Eastern Roman Empire after 1025 and all the things that happened in the eastern Mediterranean at the time. I GM a game set in the period and was frankly amazed at the depth you need to go in order to portray a culture 1000 years old.
Now however i am binging a podcast about the Congress of Europe 1815- 1914. Bismark, Wellington, Disraeli. Fascinating stuff!


Having a bit of trouble finding this podcast you mentioned, though it does sound fascinating. Is it available on a specific platform or website?

Faithful... Enlightened... Ambitious... Brethren... WE NEED A NEW DRIVER! THIS ONE IS DEAD!  
   
Made in gr
Rough Rider with Boomstick




It was an offshoot of the "when diplomacy fails podcast". It had a series called Britain goes to war in referring to the 1st world war, and in the background section are the episodes with Disraeli. Yeah crazy detail. I found it on Spotify.
Also if you are interested in the 19th century Europe, Mike Duncan, of History of Rome fame, has a series called Revolutions and in the segment about 1848 revolutions talks a fair bit about the concert .

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2021/07/08 18:12:21


You shouldn't be worried about the one bullet with your name on it, Boldric. You should be worried about the ones labelled "to whom it may concern"-from Blackadder goes Forth!
 
   
Made in ca
Pustulating Plague Priest






konst80hummel wrote:
It was an offshoot of the "when diplomacy fails podcast". It had a series called Britain goes to war in referring to the 1st world war, and in the background section are the episodes with Disraeli. Yeah crazy detail. I found it on Spotify.
Also if you are interested in the 19th century Europe, Mike Duncan, of History of Rome fame, has a series called Revolutions and in the segment about 1848 revolutions talks a fair bit about the concert .


Ask for one, get three in return. Thanks!

Faithful... Enlightened... Ambitious... Brethren... WE NEED A NEW DRIVER! THIS ONE IS DEAD!  
   
Made in us
Rogue Daemonhunter fueled by Chaos






Toledo, OH

hmm, not sure how to interpret "favorite." The time periods I know the most about are ACW and WWII, with a generally American centric, western POV survey of the rest.

The ACW is probably easy to figure out: it's the first huge war with photography and mass literacy, so there are reams of primary sources available, and many of the battlefields are preserved. WWIII also makes sense, as my granparents fought in it, and I was teen during the 50th anniversary. It's also a neat bookend to the civil war: the logical endpoint to industrial warfare.

This is the history version of saying your favorite author is Tom Clancy or favorite singer is Taylor swift: not indefensible, but it is super basic.
   
Made in ca
Excellent Exalted Champion of Chaos






Grim Forgotten Nihilist Forest.

That's really hard, but for sake of my old persona on Dakka. I'm going to say the Dark/Viking age.

However...The Classical World has always intrigued me.

I've sold so many armies. :(
Aeldari 3kpts
Slaves to Darkness.3k
Word Bearers 2500k
Daemons of Chaos

 
   
Made in us
Battlefield Tourist




MN (Currently in WY)

Pre- WWI Diplomacy I (used to) know a lot about, BUT I do not game it at all. I am not into Colonials that much, and gaming WWI has never really grabbed me. So, from a book knowledge that is one of my favorites, the Struggle for Mastery of Europe; but not for gaming purposes.

That is ancients, with a lean towards the Diadochi.

Support Blood and Spectacles Publishing:
https://www.patreon.com/Bloodandspectaclespublishing 
   
Made in ru
Lone Wolf Sentinel Pilot





Room

Primitive hunter-gatherers were pretty suitable for me.

Mordant 92nd 'Acid Dogs'
The Lost and Damned
Inquisition
 
   
Made in gb
Highlord with a Blackstone Fortress






Adrift within the vortex of my imagination.

With regards to historical study my favourite period is the century long fall of the Roman Republic, from the Gracchi and the rise of Marius through to the reign of Augustus.

For historical gaming in general it is a choice of WW2, Sengoku Jidai or American Civil War.

For paper study gaming/Kriegspiel my favourite hands down is the 1982 Falklands War, as it is very balanced, well researched, recent and has wide appear for combined arms.

n'oublie jamais - It appears I now have to highlight this again.

It is by tea alone I set my mind in motion. By the juice of the brew my thoughts aquire speed, my mind becomes strained, the strain becomes a warning. It is by tea alone I set my mind in motion. 
   
Made in us
Revving Ravenwing Biker




New York City

 Iron_Captain wrote:
Hiya!
I love history and I am sure many of you do too. So let's talk about our favorite historical settings!

My favorite historical setting is the Migration Period and early European Middle Ages (roughly 400-1000 AD), the time period which is sometimes referred to as "the Dark Ages".


I like to Fast Castle into Knights.

Edit: Apologies in advance. I laughed hard at that thought. I had to say it.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2021/07/09 23:44:32


I will forever remain humble because I know I could have less.
I will always be grateful because I remember I've had less. 
   
Made in gb
[DCM]
Lone Wolf Sentinel Pilot





Leicester, UK

The Age Of Strife is pretty cool...
but seriously, you've convinced me about the Dark Ages, is that the period Robin Hood is from? Or was that Medieval?

My painting and modeling blog:

PaddyMick's Chopshop: Converted 40K Vehicles

 
   
Made in gr
Rough Rider with Boomstick




Robin Hoods was concurrent with the 3rd Crusade circa 1189-92. So rather highish Middle Ages. As far as literary heroes go Beowulf is full on Dark Ages.

You shouldn't be worried about the one bullet with your name on it, Boldric. You should be worried about the ones labelled "to whom it may concern"-from Blackadder goes Forth!
 
   
Made in gb
Mad Gyrocopter Pilot





Northumberland

I'm an archaeologist so my job kind of revolves around knowing a broad aspect of most history, particularly prehistoric material.

I love the Iron Age of Europe, its fascinating and its weird and theres a wonderful air of mystery to it that we get beautiful insights into on a particular site.

Basically anywhere from anywhere up until about the 16th century is interesting. After that is all boring.

One and a half feet in the hobby


My Painting Log of various minis:
# Olthannon's Oscillating Orchard of Opportunity #

 
   
Made in nl
Pragmatic Primus Commanding Cult Forces






 LumenPraebeo wrote:
 Iron_Captain wrote:
Hiya!
I love history and I am sure many of you do too. So let's talk about our favorite historical settings!

My favorite historical setting is the Migration Period and early European Middle Ages (roughly 400-1000 AD), the time period which is sometimes referred to as "the Dark Ages".


I like to Fast Castle into Knights.

Edit: Apologies in advance. I laughed hard at that thought. I had to say it.

Heh, I like RTS games but for some reason never got the hang of that game. I usually just turtle up and then get stomped by my friends who are an age ahead of me. Doesn't help that my friends play a lot more than I do.

 PaddyMick wrote:
The Age Of Strife is pretty cool...
but seriously, you've convinced me about the Dark Ages, is that the period Robin Hood is from? Or was that Medieval?

The story of Robin Hood is set in the later Middle Ages, around the 12th-13th centuries (most commonly, the story is set during the reign of Richard I, but a lot of historical references point to the reign of Edward Longshanks instead).

Also, if you like the story of Robin Hood, you might enjoy the story of Willikin of the Weald, who was an actual historical person who may have in part inspired the legend of Robin Hood: https://thefreelancehistorywriter.com/2016/08/12/willikin-of-the-weald-a-forgotten-hero-of-england-a-guest-post-by-michael-long/

konst80hummel wrote:
Welcome back Iron Captain!

Thanks! I have been getting back into the hobby again a bit (I had to pretty much put it on hold during my study) so I thought I might as well check in here again too.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2021/07/10 16:07:55


Error 404: Interesting signature not found

 
   
Made in gb
Ridin' on a Snotling Pump Wagon






I’ve arrived on Orkney, and will be visiting Skara Brae in a few hours.

If I can remember my photobucket account thing, I’ll share my photos on here for the delectation of the ladies and gentlemen here present.

   
 
Forum Index » Off-Topic Forum
Go to: