What is wrong with history?

History is one of the most hated subjects in school but the funny thing is that everyone loves to discuss it. I'm not joking. Everyone forgets that political discussions are closely linked to history. According to Marc Bloch, one of France's greatest historians, the present and the past are complementary. You cannot understand the present without understanding the past and vice versa. 

The very names we use to describe ancient ideas or vanished forms of social organization would be quite meaningless if we had not known living men. - Marc Bloch, The Historian's Craft

The problem is that people seem to understand history, but that is not true. Everyone laughs at history students even I was laughing, but not everyone knows what the power of history is. History is not just learning dates, names and events by heart. In studying, I understood how some historical processes work, such as the creation of nationalisms or what leads to war. I have learned to discuss and check every fact. I do not trust anything that is not confirmed by reliable sources. I may not have as much knowledge as the true passionates of history, but you know what? For me, history is not something distant, not affecting my life. I look at everything from a different perspective. A professor once told me: "A historian is only supposed to know two dates. The date of his birth and the date of today. Information about other dates, the historian must know where to find.". I completely agree with what he said.

Today, a huge number of people consider themselves to be experts on history. Even, which is terrible, they write books on the subject without proper education! What is the difference between a professional historian and a passionate historian? A professional historian is objective and does not judge historical events, especially from the perspective of the present. History affects our reality, but we cannot judge it from our own perspective. That is why you think what kind of history books you are reading. Shocking or controversial titles usually have nothing to do with real history. Check whether the author is a person educated in this field. Not always such professional history books are interesting, but it changes slowly. Historians try to write books that everyone will understand. 

My favorite period is the 19th century, so if you are interested in this period and you read in Polish, I recommend you two fantastic books: R. Dobek "Paryż 1871" about Paris Commune and K. Marchlewicz "U szczytu potęgi. Wielka Brytania w latach 1815-1914" about the United Kingdom in 19th century. An amazing look at the fate of the UK. The author touches upon ecological issues, spending free time by people at that time, entertainment, etc. A book worthy of attention!

I hear that you like my posts about history, so tell me what kind of historical subjects you want me to write on!