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[Gabriel]

Which begs the question, just how acurate can any history truely be? All history would be filtered through the experiences of the historan and the society he lived in at the time. Therefore, every scrap of recorded histroy is suspect, especially the further back you go.

Gabriel

[Ruski]

yup. zactly.

example: we all know what rotten bastards the germans were in WWII, their war crimes are well documented, their leader's mental instabilities were the highlight of almost every history class ever taught at american highschools.

but, the american war crimes are oddly quieted... we don't hear about the prison camps where we put our resident german and japanese citizens... no heroic stories have made their way into prime time allong side of 'hogan's heros' about their attempts at life inside the camp, escape attempts, and people who were able to flee persicution by hideing in neighbor's garages and moveing to canada to live alone in the woods like a hermit.

we also hear all the time about how terrible the soviet union is doing. how their country is in shambles, run by gangsters and druglords. we don't hear as much about how the gangsters and druglords here influence our legistation. what political powers have the power of the local H union behind them...

to the victor goes the spoils...

-RuskiFace the Pirate

[Gabriel]

Sad, isn't it???

Gabriel

[Ruski]

*shrug* no real reason to be sad about it. world has been that way sence man has been walking on it...

it would be like feeling sad because the world is round...

-RuskiFace the Pirate

[Retread]

Well, the advent of the internet (the media the gov't has trouble regulating but desperately wants to) has brought about "new history." Of course, this history is also biased so its hard to find credibility. At the same time it's created a weird group of people who only believe what they've read. Like the people who think that Jesus was white or a Christian et al.

[Ruski]

4 out of 5 internet statistics are made up.

including this one.

-RuskiFace teh Pirate

[Poison]

"He is the first nonhuman elected to the office in either U.S., Canadian, or UCAS history."

HAHAHAHHAA... I think that might qualify as WORLD history... unless you count Caligula's horse, who techincally became ruler when he died.

   -KidVid

Someone probably need to explain the concept of election to Kid  

[ROOTless]

Indeed.

And most of you have already pointed out why Gabe's question is miss-informed. You don't read just one book of history. You read several, by different authors. Preferbly authors from several countries.
Then you move on to archeological evidence, if you can get it. Eyewitness accounts (if they exist, some compilations do) can be good, but one should always remember that very few of them are made by trained observers, and
that eyewitnesses are notoriously unreliable.

And then you might be able to get an idea.

[Zone]

History was written by the literate.  Not always the same as the victors.  Greeks were writing during the Roman period.  Cantonese (or was it Haklo?) under the Manchu.  Most reputible modern historians try to be as objective as possible and use as many primary sources as possible.  None are shooting for ratings that I know of.

Thanks for the reccomendation Gabe.  I'll put it on my list...

[Poison]

Not all of the educated were reputable, however.  And in those days, education was hard to come by.  

But getting info from more than one source is always a good idea, if you can manage it.

[kv]

I read three different version of the daily paper, just so I can get facts.

Although the Wall Street Journal does have a severe lead when it comes to facts and not opinion and hype. Of course, they usually fact check everything before they print it, so less newsworthy papers have it first... but it's a trade-off.

Most history, like most news, is just opinion backed up with statistics. (and sometimes they even get scary and use facts) Specifically in our day and age, news panders more and more to specific demographics, so there's a magazine for black college democrats (how that racist Bush is trying to reinstate the Klan), another for gay democrats (how the religious conservative minority is trying to crush us under thier heel), another for republicans over 50 (how the bush administration is trying to return the US to its glory days and save social security) and yet another for young republicans (why the left isn't right. also in this issue: how to find and marry a stay-at-home mom)

And as scary as it may be, I can't see a way to change that.

  -Kid Vid

[Ruski]

*shrug* i have found that world history has limited use in my life.
knowing about the romans may be fun, but seeing as how time travel isn't going to happen to me (probibly, i'm just guessing here) and takeing the time to learn roman, and german, and greek, and chinese, to see what everyone really thought of cesar seems like kinda a waste of time.
the history channel version is just as interesting, and opinionated, and wrong as any other source of information i could find, and it takes a hell of a lot less time to enjoy.

and, to top it off, i feel that because i watch the history chanel about roman times, instead of watching opera talk about how she's helping homeless people deal with their feelings of grief, that i'm an 'information guy who's interested in the facts.'

but in reality, i'm still a boob sittin on the couch, and the information i get, i'm probibly not going to use in this life time.

-RuskiFace the Pirate

[Retread]

My Gripe with the History Channel is that they use the words "was probably" a whole lot. They never say "There's no evidence proving this, so we're just guessing and hope our demographic likes it"


Anyone notice that Discovery Channel is turning into "Chopper Channel?" I mean, motorcycles are cool, but what's the rub?

[Ruski]

Hey, i like Monster Garage!

-RuskiFace the Pirate

[Retread]

Yeah? Well Monster Garage is zany. But that American Chopper show and "Great Biker Build-off"  are those one's that grate on my nerves because how many flash paint-jobs and spinners can you show off before it becomes old hat? I guess I'm just not a motorcycle guy.