History books

I have been fascinated by reading books from the mid 1700's-mid 1800's. When the world was being first mapped. The thought of being on boats headed towards the unknown is cathartic in an internet world. Darwin's the Beagle, Cooks the Discovery, Bligh's the Bounty, etc... a time before planes looked down, before a satellite was ever orbiting, before Cousteau had shown us what was under the sea... before streetlights, before electricity, when the Amazon was unmapped, the industrial revolution was the future, not the past.... when society was young. When life was hard. When even the clouds were beyond our reach. The moon was beyond the heavens. What a time to be alive.

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Friar Nightshade

Nov 11, 2021 at 6:48pm

Oh, there are many unknowns still...from lost knowledge. You just got to keep reading those old books. This week I learned before hops was used in beer it was henbane (the super toxic very medieval sounding hallucinogen). Why aren't craft breweries experimenting with that now? Obviously at one time brewers had perfected using henbane 1000 years ago or so and that knowledge has disappeared.

11 1Rating: +10

Would love

Nov 11, 2021 at 8:50pm

some book titles

7 1Rating: +6

Churning Butter

Nov 11, 2021 at 10:17pm

Yeah, it must’ve seriously sucked.

8 4Rating: +4

Anonymous

Nov 11, 2021 at 10:40pm

Wicked, colonialism and spreading disease. Cook brought diseases, such as the measles, influenza, introduced colds, viruses, and many other threatening diseases. These diseases killed about 75-80% of the pure Hawaiian population by 1819.

Bo

Nov 12, 2021 at 6:15am

I understand your fascination with history but you seem to be romanticizing it a bit;life was hard,short and miserable for most of the population due to poverty,diseases,lack of education etc.I love learning about history but I'm glad to be alive now.Imagine living in a time where you were lucky to live until 30. And while the industrial revolution altered the world forever,most people who lived in cities had horrible lives and worked under horrendous conditions. When I start romanticizing about life in the past,I quickly remember how lucky I am as I sit in a dentist's chair with pain free,modern technology. Keep up the reading,it's important to know about the past and sad to say,most people know nothing about history.It is fascinating to delve into other time periods though.

16 2Rating: +14

Well....

Nov 12, 2021 at 9:35am

I found there's also a certain comfort in delving back into history. At the start of the pandemic, I started reading about the Celts and discovered Time Team - something soothing about digging wa-a-y back into history and knowing that humans survived all kinds of things - and we will, too.

6 1Rating: +5

@would love

Nov 12, 2021 at 10:54am

honestly, the originals? Darwin's the Voyage of the Beagle, the Remarkable World of Francis Barkley, James Cook the trial of a Cannibal Dog, Caroline Alexander's the true Story of the Mutiny on the Bounty. They are books less about the individual and more about the time. They are vast adventures. The Francis Barkley one is the first I read, the cover in a library was drew me towards it and it's more of a diary... I read the entire thing in maybe 3 sittings. And then from there wanted to read about all the other characters. In that era, everyone is connected.

10 2Rating: +8

Ostrich

Nov 12, 2021 at 11:33am

be one because your are one. That's also why Elon Musk is going after Mars. While at it, Egyptians, Far East Asians were well past apex during age you belive were just beginning

3 2Rating: +1

@ Anonymous

Nov 12, 2021 at 5:15pm

I understand that we are supposed to hate anyone who came here on a boat, but I actually have a serious and sincere question. Did Cook and Vancouver INTEND to bring diseases to North America or were they simply incidental to their explorations. If incidental, I think it is terribly sad that people were decimated by new viruses, but it is also completely understandable that those with the means to explore the new world would eagerly do so.

Never mind. Carry on fuming.

7 3Rating: +4

Anonymous

Nov 12, 2021 at 8:39pm

@@ Anonymous
Nov 12, 2021 at 5:15pm

No, he did not intend to spread disease, but they were seeking wealth like gold, markets, and it led to committing multiple genocides, trading slaves and engaged in constant war. That's how history unfolded, and it was tragic, I just don't think it should be romanticized like it's some great adventure. There's a reason statues are coming down around the world.

9 5Rating: +4

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