The changing to a program of study can have rich rewards for a gamer interested in History. About two years ago aseveral persons on Daisy decided to indulge in a concentrated reading program on "1848" as they felt that they did rather a fast though in their college years and that a deeper knowledge was desired. We unearthed swveral new and many old books on the period and "had at it."
As we went through it many admitted that the period opened a much greater interest, but was more importantly able to let people understand the coming of World War One and the modern world. Several have continued this practice on their own, setting up a bibliography and delving into the works Many of these were works we had in grad or undergraduate schools and many found that they got a lot more out of them now that they had time to read them closely.
Significantly many have made big revisions in their periods of interest once they have delved more generally into the period and come to some startling revision in their ideas about the game.
What has for me become important is that I find those who can provide a more reasoned and accurate picture of the past are the authors of a century ago or so. Ernle Bradford, Emil Ludwig, Otto Friedrich, Hendrik Van Loon, and a host of others who were able to weave the various threads of culture and arts and society in with the hard facts of war and politics. Along with these are those like Barbara Tuchman Keegan, Victor Davis Hanson, and others.
But primarily the key is setting up a program of reading and making sure to include many "sides of the debate."