# Everything I know about history, I learned from fiction **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 9, 2007, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everything-i-know-about-history-i-learned-from-fiction/395266 "2007-03-09T16:37:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Septima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@Septima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Septima)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2007, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everything-i-know-about-history-i-learned-from-fiction/395266/61 "2007-03-12T17:46:13Z")
Gosh, I never thought I’d have this many responses. You guys are great. I’ll have to double my To Read/Watch/Play pile after this. Just remebered another: _Children of the New Forrest_ by Captain Marryat. Not the most realistic work ever published, but a great read nonetheless, and it made it easier to create a frame of reference when I took a class on the Cromwell period. Pluss, it made my nine-year-old self want to go out and build a farm by hand. Or raise chickens. Or something. ---
**Author:** ![Maastricht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2007, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everything-i-know-about-history-i-learned-from-fiction/395266/62 "2007-03-12T17:56:30Z")
The Earth Childrens series, by author [Jean Auel](http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=sr_nr_i_0/104-0202801-2917517?ie=UTF8&keywords=auel&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Aauel%2Ci%3Astripbooks) with heroine Ayla and hero Jondalar. The series has five books for now: The Clan of the Cave Bear, The Valley of Horses, The Mammoth Hunters, The Plains of Passage, and the last book, The Shelters of Stone. All books are set in the Stone Age. Another one of those easy reads where, unnoticed, a body of research has gone into. ---
**Author:** ![Lust4Life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@Lust4Life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lust4Life)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2007, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everything-i-know-about-history-i-learned-from-fiction/395266/63 "2007-03-12T18:03:43Z")
[QUOTE=foolsguinea] I watched the movie **Braveheart** , liked it, but wondered about its rather ballsy claim that William Wallace sired future kings of England–not to mention the rather bizarre image of a Scot in that era painting his face blue. So I looked it up. Turns out Wallace was dead before Isabella of France even came to Britain, & he was a Lowlander (so no kilt), &… whatever. I would know even less than I do if not for Randall Wallace’s blatantly ahistorical script. [/QUOTE] Plus Braveheart was the name given to Robert the Bruce not William Wallace. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2007, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everything-i-know-about-history-i-learned-from-fiction/395266/64 "2007-03-12T18:08:49Z")
[QUOTE=Atrael] I’m surprised nobody had yet mentioned the [1632](http://www.webscription.net/pc-379-0-1632.aspx) series of books by Eric Flint. They taught me a lot about 17th century Europe. [/QUOTE] Even better than the main novels are the collections of short stories and essays that show up as **The Grantville Gazette**. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2007, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everything-i-know-about-history-i-learned-from-fiction/395266/65 "2007-03-12T19:29:24Z")
[QUOTE=silenus] Even better than the main novels are the collections of short stories and essays that show up as **The Grantville Gazette**. [/QUOTE] My favorite one of those stories was “The Rudolstadt Colloquoy” I lent my copy of that book to my folk’s (Lutheran) pastor, since the guy enjoys sci-fi. ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2007, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everything-i-know-about-history-i-learned-from-fiction/395266/66 "2007-03-12T19:46:46Z")
**The Alienist** by Caleb Carr taught me a lot about New York – it’s neighborhoods, historical sites, development and mores around the turn of the century, Teddy Roosevelt’s background, the development of psychoanalysis and the building of the Brooklyn Bridge. ---
**Author:** ![twopiecesofeight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5e9695/32.png) [@twopiecesofeight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twopiecesofeight)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2007, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everything-i-know-about-history-i-learned-from-fiction/395266/67 "2007-03-12T22:43:57Z")
**sturmhauke** , I learned a lot about the Golden Age of Piracy from two sources: a souvenir book I bought at Disneyland talking about the technology and historical background of the Pirates of the Carribean ride (this was decades ago) and Sid Meier’s **Pirates!** game released by Micropose. The game came with a manual that was needed to answer the copy-protection questions that popped up every so often (those were the days). However, I often read the manual for fun because it had some great information on the various ship statistics: speed, number of cannons, crew capacity, countries of origin, and so forth. Everything I learned about the 1920s in America or Prohibition (and its Repeal) came from watching Brian De Palma’s 1987 film **The Untouchables**. The film reminds me of **The 300** in that historical accuracy is compromised for theatrics. Still, I think reality is reflected in art when the film demonstrates Al Capone’s absolute control of Chicago’s power structure, to the point where it took an outsider–Fed Agent Elliot Ness (played by Kevin Costner)–to challenge mob rule. (It was amusing how Hollywood Ness kept thinking that bringing in Capone for income tax evasion was the Stupidest Idea Ever when that was how Capone was convicted in real life.) On a lighter note, I was impressed by the efforts to recreate turn of the century Chicago (the film was shot on location) with shiny black cars, fancy police uniforms, and elegant clothing (when all men wore ties and hats). Who knew that large amounts of alcohol were smuggled from Canada? Puts a new light on our congenial neighbor. Canada: The Great Northern Enabler (I keed, I keed!) 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![mks57](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9bd4f/32.png) [@mks57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mks57)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2007, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everything-i-know-about-history-i-learned-from-fiction/395266/68 "2007-03-13T00:50:16Z")
[QUOTE=twopiecesofeight] Who knew that large amounts of alcohol were smuggled from Canada? Puts a new light on our congenial neighbor. Canada: The Great Northern Enabler (I keed, I keed!) 🙂 [/QUOTE] I’ve always been curious about the effect of Prohibition on Canada. It must have created a wide range of commercial opportunities. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2007, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everything-i-know-about-history-i-learned-from-fiction/395266/69 "2007-03-26T05:25:07Z")
[QUOTE=bouv] **The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen** (the graphic novel, not the craptacular movie,) taught me all I need to know about Victorian England. [/QUOTE] :eek: So… You know nothing at all, then. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2007, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everything-i-know-about-history-i-learned-from-fiction/395266/70 "2007-03-26T07:59:42Z")
[QUOTE=mks57] I’ve always been curious about the effect of Prohibition on Canada. It must have created a wide range of commercial opportunities. [/QUOTE] My grandfather (born 1910) always preferred to drink Canadian whiskey. I used to wonder where he picked up the habit. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2007, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everything-i-know-about-history-i-learned-from-fiction/395266/71 "2007-03-26T10:58:15Z")
While _LXG_ wouldn’t teach you anything about Victorian England, **bouv** , (but a lot about Victorian fiction), Moore’s _From Hell_ taught me all I know about the Ripper Murders and a Victorian whore’s life. The research notes at the back were extensive. All I know about WWI trench warfare, I learned from the comic _Charley’s War_. _Blackadder Goes Fourth_ was just confirmation. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2007, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everything-i-know-about-history-i-learned-from-fiction/395266/72 "2007-03-26T11:23:56Z")
I’ll second the bombing of Dresden from Slaughterhouse-Five. (Which isn’t surprising if wiki is to be believed, “… When the book was released, the bombing of Dresden was not widely known and was rarely discussed by veterans and historians. The book led to an increased awareness of the bombings and a reevaluation of the justifications given for aerial bombing of cities by the Allies during the war. …”) [Tokugawa Ieyasu](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokugawa_Ieyasu), from Shogun. The [Sand Creek](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sand_Creek_massacre) massacre from [Soldier](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0066390/) [Blue](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soldier_Blue). CMC fnord! ---
**Author:** ![MarcusF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/67e7ee/32.png) [@MarcusF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MarcusF)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2007, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everything-i-know-about-history-i-learned-from-fiction/395266/73 "2007-03-26T15:56:28Z")
Great threat 🙂 I’d go for many of the series/authors already mentioned: Another vote for James Clavell for Far Eastern history - the history is dodgy but it encouraged be to try and find out more. And another for McCullough’s _Masters of Rome_/Graves’ _Claudius_/Davies’ _Falco_ for Roman history. For medieval Scotland - in fact for the whole of 15C and 16C Europe - [Dorothy Dunnett’s](http://www.dorothydunnett.co.uk/) _Nicolo_ and _Lymond_ books are unbeatable. Incredible richness and meticulous research into obscure by-ways of history. \*Aubrey/Maturin \* and _Sharpe_ for the Napoleonic Wars. _Flashman_ is brilliant for most of the 19th century (am I wierd for loving the Endnotes?) Thre are probably lots more but they’re the ones that leap to mind. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2007, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everything-i-know-about-history-i-learned-from-fiction/395266/74 "2007-03-26T16:25:24Z")
_Aztec_ by Gary Jennings is a great huge fun well-researched and thoroughly readable novel about the Aztec Empire in its last days. Highly recommended. Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories actually have quite a bit of interesting stuff on British society during the Victorian and Edwardian ages, mostly focusing on the upper classes, as you might expect. The stage musical and movie _1776_ is a funny, light-hearted but surprisingly accurate overview of the debates over the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. The movie _Titanic_, other than the contrived love story, is a pretty accurate depiction of the 1912 sinking of the great ocean liner. I just saw the movie _Breach_, which is about the Robert Hanssen espionage case. Probably 75% historically accurate, from what I’ve read elsewhere, and a damned good spy movie. _The Killer Angels_ by Michael Shaara, who won the Pulitzer, is an excellent novelized account of the 1863 Battle of Gettysburg. ---
**Author:** ![Septima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@Septima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Septima)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2007, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everything-i-know-about-history-i-learned-from-fiction/395266/75 "2007-03-26T16:51:26Z")
The _Sandman_ series of graphic novels flits in and out of quite a lot of history. ---
**Author:** ![Sunrazor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sunrazor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunrazor)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2007, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everything-i-know-about-history-i-learned-from-fiction/395266/76 "2007-03-26T17:18:07Z")
[QUOTE=Baker] James Michener’s historical novels were good for learning about the periods in which they were set. My favorite was Centennial. [/QUOTE] I took a Colorado History class at the local junior college. Besides the textbook – a slim volume published by the state historical society – we were required to read Centennial. I’d already read it – my family pretty much lived it, and even my grandfather approved (though he was foggy on the concept of “literary license”.) The problem I have with it is that the fun part of history – the “why” of it – is dictated by the real events, and without a factual, almost boring examination of who, what, where, when, you can’t really grasp the fascinating and thoroughly fun “why”. We recently read Mason & Dixon in our Restoration Literature class because Pynchon does a great job of making cultural references to the Restoration Period in his novel. But you can’t study Restoration Lit just by reading Pynchon – you also have to read Defoe and Jonson and Pope. You also cannot learn pre-Revolutionary American History from it (I seriously doubt that George Washington actually smoked pot with the surveyors.) ---
**Author:** ![Bogdan99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Bogdan99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bogdan99)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2007, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everything-i-know-about-history-i-learned-from-fiction/395266/77 "2007-03-26T17:55:34Z")
When I was a kid, I learned everything I needed to know about 17th century France from the books of Alexandre Dumas.I will only mention “The Three Musketeers” and you will know what I am talking about. About Asia from the James Clavell books and now two excellent books about medieval Japna : “Musashi” and “Taiko” by Eiji Yoshikawa . About the fall of the 3rd reich from the excellent film “Der Untergang” , or “The Downfall” as it was translated in English. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everything-i-know-about-history-i-learned-from-fiction/395266.md?page=3)