George Santayana wrote, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” Winston Churchill may have paraphrased the quote when he said something similar. I really hated history when I was in high school, partly because it was taught as a bunch of dates and facts. Now I see that history is really stories about people, and I find a lot more value in that. Stories about our past help us learn from it, help us choose the future we want to reach for.
One of my favorite authors is Jeff Shaara because he writes accurate but really engaging historical fiction. His novels usually include a section for the summary of his exhaustive research on the events and people covered. Then he takes the historical data and creates vivid, complex characters and plots. I feel like I learn a lot of history, but the fiction is still much more fun to read than history books!
ghunterhanks 
My husband is a huge history buff! He even has a lot of old military rifles and other relics because he likes the stories behind them.
I’ve never read Shaara’s books, but I definitely have to check them out! Is there any particular one you’d recommend?
Have a good day! Date: Sun, 30 Aug 2015 18:25:43 +0000 To: sha_angelico@hotmail.com
Hi, how are you? My favorite Jeff Shaara book so far is _To the Last Man_. It’s WWI fighter pilots, including the Red Baron. Also it’s about John Pershing and how he shaped the U.S. military. I’ve only read a few of many; your husband like others even better.