I majored in 20th century military history in university. Main interests being WW1 and 2. My father was a military collecter with over 250 weapons from US revolution to the 70's. Also collected badges, medals and uniforms. This began my interest in Military history. Used to be a major military board gamer (Avalon Hill where are u now?) but now I love PC wargames. Have many military guns myself now in my collection and I love to tour battlefields and historical sites. Also I am an avid Paintballer.

HastyP

I'm sure most of the History teachers here encountered similar cases of the youthful ignorance I was once so immersed in, thinking History was a waste of time and had nothing to offer the present. Maybe it was that so much emphasis was placed on names, dates, and places rather than any real understanding of what the historical event signified. Regardless, it's something I'm very glad I outgrew.

My interests lie in the state of the world beginning probably in the very late 1800s in Europe and events leading up to the First World War. I am currently re-reading The Guns of August with The Bible and Sword, and The Zimmerman Telegram next up. I am fascinated by the period post WWI leading into the rise of the Nazi Party and the social environment that brought them to power and created a monster that almost destroyed the world. The events that were happening in the Far East at the same time are also of interest to me, and how all this activity sent the world into another big war. I enjoy reading of the battles and tactics in both wars and the weaponry used, but neither of those I commit totally to memory. That's reserved for the societal events that transpired, although sometimes I wish I did not know as much as I do so I wouldn't worry so much about the parallels I see between the rise of Fascism and the way things have been changing around me, especially over the last decade. That, and my head is so full that each new thing I learn pushes something else out! I can discover the meaning of a new word and then can't find my car keys! So I'm big on having lots of reference material.

Still, I enjoy almost anything to do with the history of about anything, anywhere, at any given time. I am not passionate about it all, but I try to take a little something away from every new thing I learn about something "old".

I have been interested in history since my father told me something about the Romans and the Greeks and the Habsburgs and WWI. I went to the same school in Vienna, and also learned classic Latin and classic Greek language - and I also was very interested in history. In my final year I had to speak about WWII, as I was known as a military history buff throughout the school. After graduation from high school, I started two different university studies in Austria, first law, afterwards business administration, but did not finish both of them. There had been interesting parts of history of European and Austrian history of law and economics, so I got stuck there, as that had been the most interesting parts for me. It was then too late to start a history education at the university, as I started working and also a family.

After the first busy years in a young family I have now more time again to read interesting historic books and I also restarted building models. As a boy I had a lot of WWII kits, planes, tanks, trucks from all involved parties, but they got lost over the years.

In 2005 I restarted my model hobby by assembling paper/cardmodels, now I am also back into the plastic kits.

I am currently 2/3 done with my BA in history. This fall I begin my thesis and begin preparations to graduate. My focus right now has been on US history. I have always been in love with military history though. I grew up around Marines and stories my grandfather told me about flying in the Pacific during WW2. At the completion of school I plan to join the Marines and possibly, in a few years, try for a masters degree in criminal justice or history.

-Mike

Just joined, so I thought I would chip in on this topic.

No formal history training, just an interest in history from my schooldays. At that time fascinated by the bad press given to Richard III. I later joined the Richard III Society, of which I am still a member.

I also had a great interest in the Battle of Britain, and over the years I've been fortunate enough to have some books published on the German WW2 aircraft, the Messerschmitt Bf 110 (with one book on a Bf 109 Staffel in the BoB).

Quite a boring background really, sorry, no history qualifications.

I guess I could be considered a "historian" as I just completed my BA in history, with plans for a masters and perhaps a doctorate in the future. My minor is in art history. My personal interest is WWII German subjects, but my education is much broader, with French, British, American and Canadian subjects (bachelor's programs are regrettably vague and all-encompassing).

My sub-interest is gender relations and gender identity. I've studied a fair bit of feminist writing and have a good working knowledge of feminist theories (which is by no means unified). This applies most to my work in art history, but it's handy for keeping that critical outlook on history in general.

I'm still developing my theories and approaches to history. It's a long term process; my girlfriend has a double phd in history and in art history, with a focus on latin America (she's Columbian). She is a helpful guide in navigating the pitfalls of historical theory and critical examination of the works of other historians, and gives a unique outlook due to her art history training. I am developing a similar outlook - art history is very different from "classic" history - and synthesizing the two fields for a unique point of view that applies to both sides.

I used to be a voracious reader of history, mainly WWII German subjects, but after four and half years of university I've been exhausted by historical theory and my mind has become scattered across dozens of varied subjects and periods. It will take me a while to refocus my attention onto the subjects that actually interest me.

JC

My intrest in history started when my family lived in Izmair Turkey when I was 5-10. We use to goto Euphues and troy and it was fun for me parents bought little roman and greek soilders. Then I discovered the library at school in second grade the had a book the american heritages the civil war and it had colored 3d type paintings and I spent that whole year checking out and re checking it out. Later moved to north carolina where we have a civil war battle site less then two miles away learned metal decting and how to research camp and battle sites andthe rest is history

I havea relative that got five medals from the first world war, My dad and Step Dad are both ex-Army. My older brother has been in for two years and I want to join after Easter

My family Has served In nearly every war

Boer
WW1
don't know about ww2
Falklans
Ireland (Not a war) but peace keeping
GUlf war and
Iraq

I became interested in History when I was little, watching old movies with my dad. In my neighborhood there were a lot of Dutch immigrants who had left Europe after the war to start a new life. I remember hearing old mr. Wykstra talk about throwing bricks and other rubble from bombed out buildings into the roadway as the relief trucks would pass, hoping a truck would hit one and the bump would knock a beet or potato out. He would grab it and run home as fast as he could to share it with his family. Mrs. Sorensen would tell me she would have eaten the wall paper if she could have she was so hungry. Mr. Groot was in the Dutch resistance. He didn't talk about it much because the cell he belonged to was betrayed and all were killed. He ran a shop and a woman came in just before he was supposed to meet the group. He had never seen her before and she would not leave. He was afraid she was an informant. She left and he never saw her again, but when he made it to the rendezvous everyone else was dead. Mr. VanEipren was also in the resistance. He was captured and sent to a concentration camp. I remember seeing the tatoo on his arm. He was sent to the gas chambers but they malfunctioned that day. They never had the time to kill him after that because the Jews were arriving and they had first priority.

I also remember the Garnahams. They would talk about growing up in England, and described their Christmas Pudding and how wonderful it was. They also talked about the Blitz and how bad that was. Mr. Matthews was a captain in an infantry regiment on Okinawa and became a teacher at a vocational college. He stressed knowing how to do things with your hands because it was how he survived the depression and the war. Dr. Scandlan was my latin (yes, latin) teacher in high school. In 1940 she was in her kitchen making a cake with sugar she had scrimped from her rations for over a year. She was so determined to make a try at normalcy that when the air raid sirens sounded she didn't want to leave the cake. She was dragged into the bomb shelter by her friends and when she came out house and cake were gone.

My own father spen the war years in high school. He graduated in 1945 about the same time that the fighting on Okinawa ended. He would have ended up in the fighting in Japan but the atomic bomb changed that. He went to Germany with the occupation forces instead. He ended up in a finance unit, not because he liked it but because he was good with the numbers. He travelled all over western Europe handling paymaster duties.

Listening to their stories always left me wondering. I started reading "we were there" books when I was 7 or 8, and continued from there. At first I loved history because it was exciting and dramatic. As I grew older I began to understand the importance of some of the events. I also noticed how often history repeats itself. It seems that about every 80 years there is some major event that reshapes society.

I don't have a degree in history but I continue my studies on my own, and now I try to teach my children how important it is to know what has happened, and to listen to people who experienced the great events tell their stories of the past. We read a lot also, but we check the veracity and integrity of the source. They say history is written by the victors. It is important to know who and what are being represented. That is whey the best sources are the original persons involved.

My wife didn't care too much for my modeling at first, but she does understand, or at least allow, it more now. She reads more history as well. We visit local sites of interest and local musems. We can travel to Hill Air Force Base which has an excellent air museum, and because mine are usually the only kids in the museum when we visit, the "old timers" who volunteer there will often times allow otherwise prohibited up close looks at and sometimes inside the exhibits. Some of them even served on the aircraft on display.

Times are going to be hard, and from my perspective, are going to get worse. The lessons others learned in the past will help us to get by the best, but we may be required to sacrifice just as much as they did.

My degree is in Economics, however, my love is military history. Most of my personnal study, over the past 20 years) has been the American Civil War, with special emphasis on the Battle of Gettysburg. The past couple years, however, I have been focusing more on World War 2, especially the war in Africa and Russia.

I also dabble in Revolutionary War history, and World War 1.

Hello All -

I majored in Sociology and minored in History. Ever since I was young, I've had an interest in history - mostly World Wars I and II, but also the American Civil War. They say that a degree in the human interests won't do you any good. Certainly, I've not become a millionaire; however, having a broad perspective of life as well as a knowledge of the past certainly doesn't hurt! I've been kicking around the idea of going back for my Masters in History the past couple of years -- not for monetary gain, but for my own self-improvment. Time will tell!

Morning Gentleman.
I like many others have no formal training or education,just well read.
I have no particular period of interest I seem to be dictated by the subject I model or perhaps see on the box or read , the peaks my interest, then I go looking for as much information as I can in order to bring that subject alive , particularly with historical figures.
That said if I had to choose I would say the following:the early war years say to mid 1941 and the desert campaigns (as us Kiwis were there and my Grandfather was a driver with the NZEF,) I'm also starting to get interested in the far east battles as my father in law was a pilot at the end of WW2 in the pacific.
When not modelling its the manned space program(YEP we landed on the moon,but don't get me started) with a side interest in astronomy. and of course the Mighty All Blacks

Regards

Chris

Russ -

"As we have inherited the spirit of liberty and the fire of patriotism from our fathers, so let them descend unchanged to our posterity. " ~ Phineas Richards


I love your quote at the bottom of your post! I have to remember that one! Excellent!

Johannes-

The quote came from one of the old pioneers who came out west. Every fourth of July all the old men (60 and up) would march at the end of the parade carrying the American Flag. It was a reminder to everyone that those who have experienced have the obligation to share what they have learned and for those who need experience to seek it direct from the source.

hI ALL,
I've been modelmaking since i was 7.
For the last 15 years or so i've been collecting and doing WW2 Living history.
I have spent these years researching the RAF and RAF Regt, i started my own LHG up 5 years ago and have built my own website for the group.
We do events al;l over the country and are recognised by the real RAF and the various Veteran associations that we have met and done reunion events for.

http://www.soldierblue.homestead.com

I'm currently building vehicles that were used by the RAF / RAF Regt.

Matt

My main interests in History are Warfare and Politics, of course they are related. I started building models in elementary school and 40 years later I'm still at it. Reading the brief informationals on model instructions created my interests in history(primarily WWII, ETO and Africa and American political/war involvement as well as American Revolutionary and Civil Wars). As a professional student, I have advanced degrees in Criminal Justice and Public Administration, but History always fascinates me, I just can't get enough of it. I am also a former US Marine, and I must admit I joined the military for a variety of reasons, but one was to experience the military personally. History is represented in virtually every model that is built, I trust we all share this belief.

Cheers!

Im 17 I come from a military background, my dad, step dad were in the army. My older Brother is in and is doing his second tour but this time in Afganistan!. I am currently studying A level histroy, Art and Product Design.

I Hope to study Arcutecture At uni Or join the Forces as a design draughtsman

No real formal training in history here... but areas of interest - Hungary (1848 on), Yugoslavia (1947-1999) and the GDR (1949-1989); Canada post WW2 especially BC. Japan - from about 1550 through the Tokugawa period to ww2. And lots of other things, but these are my biggest interests.

The only history i did was during my O levels Cambridge papers. But my interest in military history started since i was young when my grandpa use to tell me his exploits hunting down communist insurgence in the jungles of Malaya. He served in 3 uniforms for the 3 different form of government that the my country face.
Singapore had a few preserved battle sites from the WW2. Not much is left today with urbanization. The airport where i work is itself a relic of the great old empire..build by the RAF before the Japanese invasion it has seen Brewster Buffalos, Japanese Kate, Spitfire, Gloster Meteor, Skyhawks, Hawker Hunters taking off from its runway. With the extension of the runway and the rapid development of Seletar (RAF Seletar),. nothing much of the battlesite can be seen now. Thus military history for me, is what i talk about with modelling friends and reserve soldiers whom i served during my national service days..

Hi gang,

New to the forum. No formal history training, (school bored me), but studied WWI & WWII military aviation, Battle of Britain, (I think the Hawker Hurricane was one of, if not the most important combat aircraft in WWII; very often eclipsed by the Spitfire in the B.O.B), Allied bombing offensive against the Axis especially. My father was infantry in WWI, officer in WWII.
Lifelong interest in air combat, later on in ground fighting also, small arms especially.

Best regards,

Mike

I recently retired as a prfessor of Medieval History at Southern Methodist University (SMU) in Dallas. My area of expertice is in medieval warfare, in particular, the Crusades.

My background and interest in History came from an addiction to Military books in the library.
The earliest memory I have is my mum taking me out to see Patton at the drive in, and me getting mad cause the German tanks were modern. Then came a gift from a relative that let the walls break...A Monogram Tiger snap together kit, and a genuine German Helmet. Since that time I have been obsessed with the WWII E.T.O., as well as general Military History. Then came the time spent buying every single book I could get my hands on, as well as collecting WWII German militaria.

When my folks moved to another part of town, I ended up mowing grass for a man who was part of Panzer-Grendaider-Division Grossdeutschland .
Then my first year in my new elementary school I befriended a fellow whose Grandfather was part of the 508th P.I.R. (American Red Devils). I am very lucky in that I have not only collected genuine artifacts of my favorite period of Military History, but also to befriend fellows from many sides of that very conflict. I will go on record saying that as much as I love History books written by professional Historians, it has nothing on hearing that very History in all its bitter sweet glory. As many of you folks can agree, it is a lot of fun to watch the History Channel and find faults with their information, as well as seeing footage that you know you have seen many times over.

As far as formal education in History (military or otherwise) I'm yet to get a degree, but that being said I enjoy every minute of my hobby. I took a long break from building armor and figure kits(thirteen long years). All it took was one trip to the bookstore and spotting a AFV modeling magazine to see just how far our hobby has came, and the bug bit again.

I apologize for the long winded reply to this forum, but it unleashed many a good feeling.

Thanks for such a great topic.

Best regards to all,

Mike Allen

Hi All,

My interests are in the American Revolution, Civil War, and WWII and generally in all ships. I love to read and study about America’s colonial period and just love going to civil War battle sites.

I like modern warfare history, beginning with the U.S. Civil War.

As for subjects, anything goes for me, except for extreme speculation, or "what-if" themes, because they are at the whim of the speculator.

Ed

History Major at UMUC. Hope to some day finish it. My main interest would have to be the past 15 years. So much is unsaid in the public Eye about what some of the guys are doing over there and the only way to find out is by reading books. The Heroes didn't end during Vietnam they are just harder to spot since it is almost immpossible for a guy to get the MOH anymore, I have read about lots of guys who deff. deserved one. Slightly off topic here. But did you know every Marine base on Okinawa is named after a Marine who won the medal of honor on the island In WWII (except futema)...


Herky