"Childhood Interest in History?" Topic

A big yes to this. It started with one of my older brotherīs history books, and then when we got those wonderful American Heritage books I was hooked!

I am taking this as school history which I hated. A concentration on Kings names and dates of reign, Names and dates without any real context a complete turn off.

Later I had good access to real history still possible a child but through finding things in fathers workshop (a smithy in use from the late 1600s) and researching them in the library and museum.

My vote is from the school history.

x42

Yes, I loved history as a child but I'm not sure it led me directly to wargaming. Historically in wargaming I was very drawn to WWII – and this would be down to comics, TV programmes, films. It helped that of course I already had lots of tanks and airfix figures that could grow-up from just toys to be proper wargaming models.

However, in reading history I was more drawn to the middle ages – I got there after a while in wargames, but it wasn't the first gaming period to attract me.

@x42brown – completely agree that facts without context are useless – real shame that this seems to be the way the UK curriculum is going to be heading.

I loved History and Anthroplogy both as a kid,
but it was Science Fiction that got me rolling dice.

Loved history as a kid. Historical movies, history books, even the boring crap in school.
A big Hellz ya!

Did an interest in history as a child eventually lead you, directly or indirectly, into historical wargaming

Yes, and it lead me directly into a bachekor's degree with majors in history and classics and ancient studies.

Rick

Definitely. It was while browsing through the history shelves at my local library that I found Donald Featherstone's "Battles with Toy Soldiers".

I might have got into it eventually anyway as I was already into model making so was exposed to occasional bits in Military Modeling.

No, probably had more to do with a fascination with tanks and building things.

I always loved history.
I was in the 9th Grade when a friend brought out Avalon Hill's Gettysburg, and things went downhill from there.

Loved history as a kid, and it lead to tons of plastic models, but not dice rolling. It was AD&D that first brought me to the table. That lead to other RPG's, which eventually got me to Space 1889 and Soldier's Companion.

Then all hell broke loose!

My progression was love of history to toy soldiers & military model kits (Marx playsets, Airfix & Revell) to Avalon Hill games (I think Africa Korps was my 1st) to the discovery of miniature gaming ("Frappe" & "Napoleonique"); the usual descent into ever deeper levels of addiction.

The results of this poll are not surprising.

I would say it was my fascination with Custer's last stand the Alamo and Roarke's drift /Zulu that did me in. Why all the finality of these events struck a chord with me I don't know. But at least one was a victory and not a defeat.

I loved army men but I am not certain that equates to the love of history,

I loved history in general, and military history in particular as a kid, and it finally led me to wargaming (fifty years later).

I loved it so much I checked out books from the library on certain subjects, long before we covered those subjects in school. I put a lot of people through social studies classes.

I was introduced to wargaming as a kid of 12, and that led me to a lifelong interest in history in general, and military history in particular. That was 44 years ago.

So thanks, Dad, and thanks, Avalon Hill and SPI.

I was given a copy of Avalon Hill's "Gettysburg" in (I think) 1958 but I wasn't really interested in history until after I got out of the Army in the mid '70s and was introduced to miniatures gaming with actual rules. This led to my second attempt at college in the '80s and finally to a bachelor's degree in history (concentration in military history) with a minor in sociology (I have no idea why). This, along with my honorable discharge and Purple Heart, will get me a cup of coffee at MacDonald's, as long as I have $1.25 USD plus tax. Except that my VA shrink won't let me drink coffee, so I spend my cash heightening the lead mountain instead.

LT

A love of history, and Sgt Rock comics that led to Airfix toy soldiers (1/72nd or was it 1/76th scale) then Heritage figs and gaming.

Taken to see Zulu when it came out; taken to see Gone with the Wind (the famous 'Atlanta depot in flames' sequence must be my earliest cinematic memory); loved playing with my toy soldiers … and then a friend of mine discovered Charge! in our local library – so we started to play wargames … (all by the age of 10)

So it is hard to say which came first … the love of history, the joy of toy soldiers, the way military figures and games can bring the past to life – these have all been part of my life since as far back as I can remember.

How lucky I have been …

(voted the 'childhood interest in history' way because that probably best summarises it)

Phil

A ten year older cousin who bought me a book on Greek Mythology, and of course my father who always made time for me and my toy soldiers and my model airplanes.

This was sort of tough to answer.

I loved history as a kid (and I still do), but my first wargaming was Battletech and then 40k. When I realized 40k was, er, less than ideal, I moved to historicals.

Me too. Battletech then 40K for a while and then read 300 which lead me to historicals, along with WAB being published around the same time.

It was a conspiracy I tell you!

I liked history as a kid but got really turned off of it by my 9th grade history teacher.

I was led to it by my Uncle and his friends stories of wearing rear Nappy helmets and using swords to direct their troops. My Uncle got to tour Europe in the early 50's. Tons of stuff for sale…

That, and the AWI was part of being from Philly!

I chose "Other", as I was somewhat interested in history when I was a kid. Most of that concerned the history of Fort Worth, but as I got older, my horizons expanded. I can say, though, that although I was "somewhat interested", it indirectly led me into my interest in wargaming.

I've always been interested in history, but my wargames are science fiction.