"From a hidden Freemason tunnel and secret world of the Sandhogs, to mobster hideaways and gang escape routes, we're uncovering the secret societies that built New York - from the underground up."
Throughout my schooldays I 'coped' with history, but never got into it. Geography was far more fascinating. At grammar school history became lesson after lesson of dictation, until Miss Glisbey turned history from boredom into sense. GCE General Certificate of Education (O level) and History of Britain and Europe1789-1830. Okay so reform of the Poor Laws and things like the Windows tax (yawn) left me cold but...then came Napoleon.
Most of his campaigns (yawn) passed me by...
Towards the end of our studies came the Unification of Italy with lovely sounding names that tripped off the tongue...like Risorgimento, Count Cavour, Mazzini and Garibaldi.
Garibaldi was easy to remember because of?
They even have a page on Facebook!!!
At last there were maps that made sense and names that resonated.
Otto Von Bismarck and the unification of Germany with speeches like hie "blood and iron"
Dates too made sense in an odd mathematical way...
1866 - Venice added to Italy after Prussia defeated Austria in the Seven Weeks' War, Italy sided with Prussia
1870 - Rome becomes capital of Italy
So, my ramble draws to a close...
2 comments:
History as presented in school can be so dry... but we have a wonderful television channel here called the History Channel - and what they do with musty old history is amazing. I'm recording a series right now for my son called "The Story of US" which is American history. I've seen a couple and it's just marvelous!
I hated history in school, but as I grow older, it fascinates me. I love to learn of the world and its origins!
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