It's all in the Past...

You know what they say about History? That it repeats itself. You know what they say about History? Oh, wait.. Reading History helps us to understand where we come from and how our society has developed over time. We can enrich our current culture by learning about those that came before us. We can learn about the beauty of renaissance art, marvel at the invention of aquaducts, or appreciate the fashion of our Victorian counterparts. On top of that, we can read about the real life heroes of History. Join infamous pirate Grainne Mhaol on the high seas, or trek across Antarctica with Kerryman Tom Crean. History is scattered with incredible feats and inspirational people. It can reflect the best of humanity, and remind us of our power. 
It is said, too, that those who do not know the mistakes of History are doomed to repeat them. Readers of History cannot ignore the darkness that lurks there. Slavery, Colonialism, Apartheid... there is no shortage of human cruelty in History. In theory, learning the early warning signs of dangerous regimes - like Fascism - can help us to prevent them happening again. (The US Election of 2016 might suggest otherwise.. ) When we study the darker side of History, we also see how it is overcome. We can see how our ancestors adapted to their situations or fought to create a better world. 
History is as vast and various as its subjects. And it is not complete. It is often missing the stories of women, of people of colour, of those deemed by that society as 'other'. It is a genre that is constantly changing and being updated. In showing us who we were, History tells us the story of who we are. 

By Rebekah Wade