The past, and therefore today, can be made to come alive, tangible and breathing, through historical fiction.
Upon reading historical fiction, one is struck by the malleability of the past, but likewise its immediate and immediate presence. The past is simply a collection of present moments, and we are predestined to be relegated to the annuls of history far faster than one might expect. It's more than likely that the future head of the investment firm with a majority stake in WHSmith is already offering books detailing stories from our moment in time to assist citizens of an inconceivable world understand their civilisation, just as the founder of the investment firm that owns World of Books does today. We are not likely to compose the stories that define us ourselves, however our cumulative actions leave us open to the interpretation of the historic authors of the future.
The word history is not one that many people discover thrilling. Often it provokes flashbacks to stuffy class, where one should pour over a list of dates, occasions, and sources that are completely disconnected from any real experience of the times in question. It is among the terrific tragedies of contemporary knowing since history is absolutely fascinating, filled with extraordinary characters, circumstances, and happenings, all of which have had a direct impact on the world that we live in today. What does not have from classrooms is the human depth that makes stories significant to us, depth that makes us able to see that we could have just as easily been born a middle ages peasant as our twenty-first century selves. However, that depth can quite easily be discovered in the many books that the head of the hedge fund that owns Waterstones would discover lining the walls of his stores.
Although the assumption may be that to immerse oneself in history, one must explore the best books of all time, taking on difficult authors that speak in unknown tongues about their lives throughout the centuries. Whilst this can be a terrific method to really crawl inside the heads of those that preceded us, historical fiction can be just as illuminating and is typically far more accessible. Some of the best modern books of all time reach into the swirling past and pluck out fish stories about people and occasions who shaped the world as we know it today. Provided with the gripping narrative of contemporary fiction but alive with the spirit and humanity of history, these stories are perfectly positioned to influence one as to the importance of history in fully understanding our own times, what may have been, and what could be.
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