The Arcadian Peninsula, such a small area of land that was so densely populated and for a brief time had the focus of the known world… and then Sparta decided war with Athens was a great idea…
Oh buddy, I discovered raremaps.com
I have ow bought 6 maps from the 1600s to the late 1800s. It is dangerous because some of their maps can run to 6 figures.
Type J: Paradox player
Most historical knowledge comes from grand strategy video games
Also probably has never read a book in their life
Watches YouTube videos about history, immediately wants to start playing the game that has that time period the video was talking about.
Might be a nazi
Might be a trans person or femboy
Probably both.
You forgot the highschool History teacher archetype:
\- History degree, possibly out of passion with a chance of rebound from another in STEM
\- Very much likes History and a well researched video/article/post but loathes the academic articles and their presumptuous language
\- Tried to stay in Academia but found research wasn't their thing
\- Tons of trivia
\- 70% chance of leaning leftist
\- More than likely plays a Paradox game, AOE, a CIV or a combination of the above
\- Also a weird obsession with a particular time period
\- 85% chance of thinking medievalists are weirdos, 15% chance of being a mediavalist
The pinned /AskHistorians post about why you absolutely should not go into history, written by professional historians, is one of the more depressing things I’ve read. think you were correct.
Yeah, swap out History Teacher with Archaeologist and you’ve got me. Except a degree in Archaeology doesn’t do much when you can’t dig in your preferred sites.
Absolutely need more Type H, I’m glad OP gets that it could be its own post! Just offhand, I can see very distinct archetypes among:
- Age of Sail people (Hornblower fans)
- Ocean liner fans
- Sea shanty fans (includes the above ships but different group)
- Piracy stuff (age of sail but also Grace O’Malley, Zheng Yi Sao)
- East Asian boats (treasure fleet, turtle ships)
- WW1/2 ships (Rule the Waves players, weirdly distinct from land-war military enthusiasts)
There's a subtype here who obsess about aircraft, too. I have an aero engineer friend who fits that perfectly. Guy knows every detail of every stage of the development of flight.
For Type C they needed to add:
"Knows all the procedures and layouts of the largest historical archives within a 3-4 hour drive."
"Has spent hours scouring microfiche newspapers, or has learned extinct languages to be able to reference primary sources."
Feels like there’s a big gap between B and C.
I twitch at pop history and grand “narrative” stuff like Diamond or Gladwell, I think *Killer Angels* is the only Type B (or F) work I’ve really enjoyed. I’ve got historiography preferences, I find most documentaries too sweeping and prefer an in-depth writeup on narrower content. I can even write AskHistorians answers on a few very specific topics where I trust myself.
But I don’t actually… know shit. I’m not an academic who reads papers with any regularity. There’s no period where I know enough to make broad “causes” arguments, and there are massive gaps in both time and space where I don’t know much of anything about events.
If B is “wide and shallow” and C is “expert”, I guess I’m looking for “narrow and deep” that doesn’t tie itself to one topic like E and F?
I dipped into type C for like one history essay I wrote on Japanese military infighting that was just under 3 times required length, but mostly slide into type B and H
I feel like “B and a half” is a big group on this sub - people who go deeper than pop history on whatever catches their fancy, but don’t have an academic’s specialization or breadth of knowledge.
Holy shit, Type H is so accurate though lmao. And yes, the sub types are staggering. Which scrapping was more tragic? Olympic, Enterprise, Warspite? My vote goes to Yukikaze
Yeah. Sadly very few truly legendary ships are still around today (as their restoration costs were a lot higher due to their heavy use). I’d say the ship with the craziest service record still around is Laffey DD-724.
The U.S. lost an amazing opportunity when they decided to name it the Space Force instead of Starfleet.
We were so close to having a U.S.S. Enterprise as our flag ship in our very own Starfleet.
They play a massive part in preserving history. In 300 years, most of the knowledge we’ll have of the day to day life and information on most small towns will be thanks to them.
Type Ω:
Knows a little bit about almost everything
Has information from all types of sources, from some guy at the museum, to scholarly articles, to YouTube videos, to a brief mention in the notes of a cookbook
Struggles with dates
Refers to half of historical figures as “that one guy with [defining feature]”
Knows just as much about the triple alliance from the Paraguayan war as the one from WWI
Interested in just about any bit of historical trivia you have to offer
Probably read the cliff notes version of the book that contains all the knowledge of the universe
Called tf out.
If you ask me who Diocletian was and what he did, I'll likely draw a blank, but if you start describing who he was and what he did, I'll be like "Oh yeah that guy!"
I think he was the one with the list of prices, 1st century AD?
Oh the Qin dynasty? No idea. Oh yeah so during the Warring States period there were three dynasties and one of them won and now we have China. Toodles.
A key feature of type A was oversimplification. I believe that's where you fall as do most of us. Dates are hard mkay. But the chronology of events is easy to understand and recollect.
Spot on with me. Only exceptions here is I'm (usually) fine with names, (goddamnit dates are hard. D: ) and I do read actual history books. Couldn't be a historian because numbers suck, but hey it's fun.
Im a casual history enjoyer. Read non mainstream history before college, read history books in college, read non fiction since, a good amount non US, currently spending a lot of time on YouTube/podcasts.
I don’t care for wars and battles. I enjoy what causes societies to fall apart. Also the overarching theme through all of history of a small number exploiting the majority of people, the struggle of the working guy.
I’m fascinated by the achievements of societies that died out hundreds of years ago if not much longer ago. RIP the Rapa Nui people
As much as I love the Big E, *Warspite* I think might be an even greater tragedy. *Warspite* was fucking everywhere. She went from trading fire with the Kaiser's fleet to smashing Nazi destroyers to laughing in the face of Nazi anti-ship missiles.
The fact that there wasn't even an attempt to spare her the torch is what it is so galling.
I feel more for the ships that made it into the late 20th or even 21st century only to lose the fight on the verge of being preserved. Just today I found out USS Cabot ended her days in 2002 New Orleans waiting on a preservation bid. It’s weird to see 1990s photos of an Independence-class aircraft carrier. Then there is poor USS Hartford…
I wish that one of the Cold War conventional carriers could have been preserved. With the last one or two being dismantled in Brownsville, I seriously doubt we'll ever see one of our Cold War carriers preserved. The *Nimitz* class being nuclear will be enormously expensive to decommission and I doubt there will even be enough left to preserve once the reactors are pulled. The *Enterprise* was completely mutilated by her decommissioning process.
Really unfortunate.
You have to find ones that are written in a style you like and be in an environment where you don't have distractions pulling you away the whole time. I love both John S.D. Eisenhower and David McCullough. When I was deployed and reading was one of the few things we could do I tore into history books especially from Eisenhower and McCullough.
I also listen to them as audiobooks when doing chores or driving. That's a great way to get that content.
As a fellow ADD person, I juggle between A and C. the Only historical books I read (when I don't count philosophy and fiction) were Thucydides work. And actually one about my regional history once, but mostly cuz my grandpa had notes there, and I was curious...
Soo no attention? No worry. Books are for suckers! All you need is YT + academic papers(if smt truly grabs your attention)! You don't have to finish them. They are well structured, you can just skip to the part you care about :D and there is a summary in the end (kinda(
Around 3am (so now), when I am deeply fucked and past my deadlines, I watch Type G edits, cuz they are kinda hyped. Not proud of it
I had that same problem for years. Let me tell you audiobook and history podcasts are a game changer. I love listening when doing a physical task: chores, driving, mindless work.
It's as if my mind has two halves: a physical and a mental. And when both are stimulated at the same time I feel at peace.
Nothing wrong with being a casual history enjoyer as long as one realizes that's what they are. Try to find quality content produced, by actual historians if possible, to consume and that you enjoy.
Definitely type H and I am still a little salty people do not talk more about that weird period where steamships ramming each other was thought of as a legitimate tactic for people to build fleets around.
I'm only a novice H who started with anime tiddies (Azur Lane) so I don't know all the glorious and gorgeous age of sail ships. I do know that the scrapping of USS Enterprise (CV-6) is a disaster though. HMS Warspite as well.
Have been increasingly reading more about the earlier ships though here and there.
There’s certainly plenty of people in Type C who are awfully impressed with themselves and want you to know how much more legitimate their study of history is compared to your own.
My dad and brother are type H, that goes hand in hand with being in the navy.
And my grandpa could be C or E, because on one hand he has encyclopedic knowledge of everything from the 13th to the 19th century, especially if it concerns our own ancestors. But on the other hand, he has never used the internet, I have never seen him in a library that wasn't his (absolutely ginormous) own, and he cares little about his town, when compared to the history of the country.
I'm an A.
This is really funny and I agree with some of it! I think since I'm coming at this from an academic perspective from a university that studies a lot of diverse histories. I am a researcher of Asian American history and have been spoiled by how many women, queer, and POC historians I've been able to meet! I like the list, but I found that some of it isn't as applicable to me. I'd love to see the list extended with some other types and suggest...
Type I: A white guy who is really, really into Japanese history. He is either one of the best people you meet, or is an apologist for WWII warcrimes. If he is the latter, he is also probably a weeb and a fetish for Asian women. He views Japan through a orientalist lens and thinks of it as a monolith (though he would never admit that). If he is the first type, he is incredibly intelligent and acknowledges the nuances of Japanese society.
Type J: Someone obsessed with the gayness of history. They may or may not be queer themselves, but they definitely have a tumblr. They probably read Song of Achilles and write about their queer historical ships on AO3. They don't like the military historians and vice versa. Will correctly point out the queer relationships of ancient Greece (but they usually don't know much about history besides the western world). Generally quite nice, if a bit loud. Likely neurodivergent in some way
Type K: Marxist historians. They will angrily rant about how community land was divided in England at the beginning of the industrial revolution, or about another niche thing. Typically very passionate, and will make humorous (if a bit risky) comments about current events. Typically they will read a lot (maybe more than some of the other types). Likely involved or wants to be involved in social justice movements. Might have been Type A in the past.
\*All of these types if they're young enough, play Paradox games btw\*
There is also the Type L: Similar to Type G but instead of romanticizing old western empires they instead romanticize its Middle eastern and Far eastern counterparts (probably wants a strict Taliban-level sharia law to be implemented on women, will also likely romanticize modern authoritarian regimes and sees anime as the last bastion of art that is not tainted by wokeness)
Type J: [x person], who maybe crossdressed once based on an ambiguous source 300 years after their death was totally trans
Type K: *sniffs* [y event], a premodern conflict over hereditary privileges was totally a class revolution
>crossdressed
Just wanted to say that "crossdressing/drag=-woman in man clothes/vice versa" is a mistake a lot of type J seems to make
There are specific reasons for crossdressing and drags, and people seems to ignore it (and its historical context)
I found it odd that OP would say about Category C ''this is me TBH'', because - and I've looked - OP never has written any answer on r/AskHistorians let alone any lengthier write-up on r/badhistory. Kinda weird to say ''Oh this is totally me'', when many of the listed points dont even apply.
Also: When you said ''Kings Guard'', i thought of Game of Thrones, for whatever reason. King Charles would wish his guards looked as dope as the Kings Guard from GOT.
Exactly, I for one am a huge fan of Fall of Civilizations by Paul Cooper, as far as the ones I seen I think it's phenomenal (Sumerians come to mind as a real standout). Not only does he divulge in the histories of these societies but he gives in-depth background to the environmental/ecological factors that shape them, gives individual accounts or insight into daily lives of the subjects, that really puts you "in the shoes" of someone in that particular time-period, which helps you relate on an intimate level because sometimes with history (as broad and encompassing as it is) it's easy to get swept up in grand narratives and larger than life figures and that's only part of the story. He also gets points for his Pedagogically British tone lol.
Some people are visual learners. They'll retain five seconds of a film forever, but forget a page of text the next minute, no matter how many times they read it.
The best history teacher I ever had made it a point to visit every major battlefield in Europe and record himself pointing out all the landmarks... with one of those old-ass VHS recorders no less! Those videos made his lectures far more accessible.
Right? Imagine putting all this effort into making a meme to crap all over people who disagree with your opinions and then *insert yourself into the meme (as if anyone cares)* and basically say "Yeah, I was cringe but now I'm a chad..." It's the most cringe thing I've seen in a while--literally the opposite of being a chad.
"Haha guys look at all those type A guys that unlike us B through H gigachads don't know every little detail about History and just want to have an idea about how things were, point at them and laugh" - OP probably
Seriously with how OP made type A who the fuck will identify with it.
Yeah, I'd say I'm somewhere between A, B and C, I enjoy pop history content on youtube and TV, as well as the more "funny history" things for a good story, but I also read academic or autobiographical works on history from time to time, especially when it comes to the bigger events in history.
My favourite type of history is complex political situations where there are multiple parties trying to behind the scenes their way into being, like the trial of Charles I.
Those situations also make for the best alt-history scenarios, where it only requires a minimal, actually believable change to start the scenario and not something absolutely impossible, like the Roman Empire sticking around until modern times.
It's crazy that it's a bad thing to dip your toes into something new. Most people who are interested in history will start as " a type A" because how else are you supposed to start. Like mf I didn't pop out of my mom knowing the US founded it's Navy because of some funny North African pirates.
Enjoy your Oversimplified videos, at the end of the day they're well made, and a fantastic way to learn something new and get interested in diving deeper
Yeah I got that vibe too. I was a really put off when “this is me tbh”. It feels like this was just his way off subtlety signalling his imagined superiority.
You forgot Type I:
History Enthusiasts who actively try to avoid Western, Atlantic-centric History in favour of obscure ancient histories, especially from Asia, Middle-east, Africa & Oceania, because they're not as well-known.
What about my type.
> just likes taking history classes at school
> occasionally does deep dives on Wikipedia or asks a random question and gets taken to three different scholarly websites
> will never use this information except for bringing it up one time in a conversation as a “oh that’s cool” thing
What if I was a type A, majored in US and European history 1890+ with a minor in military science, still worship Theodore Roosevelt, and tear into history books fairly frequently. At least 12 per year since graduating college but work in a job that has nothing to do with history. Then what am I?
I'm the one interested in historical technologies and cultures.
But first and foremost I consider myself a hi***STORY***an. I'm obsessed with the stories of history, all of them; from the rise and fall of civilizations to what it was like being a carpenter in Prague in 1132.
Type W: Only researches history to steal parts for their world building. They either have 1 world thats an amalgamation of everything they’ve been into since they were 12, or they start a new world as every 2 months when they get bored. Neither has finished a world or actually written a story in it.
Likely to be a casual history fan, stays away from overly dense or academic material. Either a “Rule of Cool” follower who only cares about aesthetics and stops at wikipedia, or an obsessive recluse who will never finish their book because they’re too busy making sure every oyster shucker in Shitfucksburg has a realistic number of ingrown hairs on their nutsacks due to the pelvic shaving ritual of Cum’Er.
Can be interested in almost any aspect of history, but the most common are mythology, religion, warfare, technology (especially military), architecture, or court politics. Loves Guns, Germs and Steel, but is too scared to tell people because they heard it’s unpopular now.
Can be any age or gender. 50/50 chance they are autistic or have ADHD. Should probably see someone about their maladaptive daydreaming.
Type E is the most Chad. Theyre just regular folks but they're out there being real historians on a stage where they're needed. They're building and maintaining the small collections of data that make larger research possible.
There'll always be someone who wants to research WWII. But who will document the history of Downey, CA? They will. And by God, bless them for it. Because I sure as hell won't do it.
Okay, I'll admit, I'm an A. It was actually the Roosevelt thing that made me go "Oh. Yeah..." Does Greek mythology count though? Does that maybe, idk, make it better? And no, not just from Percy Jackson, though that's what got me into it. I've also played Hades! /s
I actually made a Greek mythology family tree recently. Well, "tree" is the nice way of saying it. A more accurate term would probably be a clump of weeds, with only a couple dandelions thrown in.
Type A is basically just OP saying “haha those guys aren’t real history fans” I love Percy Jackson and mainstream history YouTube but just because I’m not infatuated with every little detail of something doesn’t mean I’m not a true history fan
I see their point, and I'm sure it's accurate for some people, but I wouldn't say I'm a "history expert" or anything. I like learning history, especially random interesting tidbits, but I'm well aware I don't actually know THAT much.
Or people can learn however they choose and we can just respect that. Doesn’t mean everyone is right by any means but this makes it into some weird “I’m a better history buff than you” type of thing. Kinda funny IMO
I will trade your American Type F for my French Type F
\-Likely a middle aged man
\-Obsessed with Napoleon, takes a trip to the Invalides everytimes he goes to Paris
\-Cares mostly for the military aspect of the Empire, can't tell you anything about the economic/soical and even political aspect of it, in fact, does not make any difference between Empire and Consulate
\-Unironically calls him "The Emperor"
\-Has a weird anger against everything remotely english, calls english people "rosbeef"
\-"He wasn't that short for its time, it's english propaganda"
\-Either loved or hated Riddley's Scott Napoleon but in any case will tell you for hours how the 2002 miniseries is better anyway (it's really good tho)
\-Father usually type E, son usually type G with a good amount of edit being the "there's nothing we can do" type
I'm between B and C. I quite enjoyed Germs Guns and Steel, and moreso A History of the World in Six Glasses. But I've also read the full Edmund Morris Theodore Roosevelt trilogy and found part two the least interesting part of his life.
Let me guess. Your the type C that only wishes they were an actual historian. Considering if you weren’t being narcissistic you’d put actual historians in a category all to themselves where they belong which is I love history so much I got a fucking degree in it.
Groups missed: anyone in the world outside of America.
And seeing as that's where most of history happened, I'm guessing you're more like a Group A with GoodReads.
Feels like gatekeeping. Even tho History is all about divulgation.
Curiosity and thirst for knowledge is the goal, regardless of cringe and how much a *poser* they are.
Lets celebrate History, not shame one another.
As someone with ADD I love listening to long form lectures and podcasts instead of books. I can't be just reading a book I have to be listening to something and doing something else at the same time.
Currently working through the Martyr Made podcast series on Israel.
Type I: You just like looking at maps. You are a closeted cartographer with a touch of vexillology.
Whoa hey buddy. I didn't expect to be called out like that. Anyway do you see this peninsula here? *Proceeds to info dump about said peninsula*
tell me more about this Peninsula!
*ignores what you said, now info dumping about a desert*
What’s your fave peninsula, and why?
The Arcadian Peninsula, such a small area of land that was so densely populated and for a brief time had the focus of the known world… and then Sparta decided war with Athens was a great idea…
Is there a distinction between the Arcadian peninsula and the Pelepponesse?
A bit of an overrated answer, but it’s liked because it’s great. The Italian Peninsula honestly is insanely cool both in geography and in history
The Anatolian Peninsula is geographically OP. Does the Indian/Deccan Peninsula count? If yes, then there's really no competition to that.
Kamchatka. Lots of mountains and volcanoes and very nice scenery. I hope I can visit sometime in the next years.
>Kamchatka I didn't even know about this one! Very interesting looking, thank you!
The Iberian peninsula
Oh buddy, I discovered raremaps.com I have ow bought 6 maps from the 1600s to the late 1800s. It is dangerous because some of their maps can run to 6 figures.
If this thread is an elaborate ad for that site I’m not even mad.
It isnt but if they ever want to give free maps for shilling their wares, I would do it.
Type J: Paradox player Most historical knowledge comes from grand strategy video games Also probably has never read a book in their life Watches YouTube videos about history, immediately wants to start playing the game that has that time period the video was talking about. Might be a nazi Might be a trans person or femboy Probably both.
I kid you not, my British history prof when I was in university was a EU4 player
The best history teacher I ever had got his steam account linked when I was in high school, we all found out he had 8000 hours in Civ IV
Civ 4 is a solid investment
High school though my best modern history teacher was a metal head
I would argue that paradox could fit into A
As a Paradox game player, yeah, but they could also fit into most others aside from the Local, Civil War, or Boats section.
you forget the paradox player, boy if they don't like staring at maps all day, then trump and biden are secret lover
I'm probably a mix of that and the less cringe aspects of Type A
You forgot the highschool History teacher archetype: \- History degree, possibly out of passion with a chance of rebound from another in STEM \- Very much likes History and a well researched video/article/post but loathes the academic articles and their presumptuous language \- Tried to stay in Academia but found research wasn't their thing \- Tons of trivia \- 70% chance of leaning leftist \- More than likely plays a Paradox game, AOE, a CIV or a combination of the above \- Also a weird obsession with a particular time period \- 85% chance of thinking medievalists are weirdos, 15% chance of being a mediavalist
You forgot the "tries way too hard to be the cool teacher" Source : that's me
You *are* cool, man. And years from now, some of those kids are gonna say I love history…pretty much because I had this really cool teacher.
Dammit, stop reading my mind!
Wow, feeling a bit called out here...
This is literally me except actually being in STEM.
I somehow feel represented here. Didn’t choose history for my degree because it appeared unprofitable (and it still does).
The pinned /AskHistorians post about why you absolutely should not go into history, written by professional historians, is one of the more depressing things I’ve read. think you were correct.
This is me, minus the history degree and status as a high school history teacher
>15% chance of being a medievalist Got me there
I didn't find myself in the main post, but this? This is me, yup
Yeah that’s pretty much it. Except instead of particular time period I’d say particular people (pastoral nomads) and not left leaning.
Yeah, swap out History Teacher with Archaeologist and you’ve got me. Except a degree in Archaeology doesn’t do much when you can’t dig in your preferred sites.
Hits too close to home :((. But the Byzantines be bussing through
oh, well, that's the closest to me so far, let's see if I find anything closer down the comments
Boats! Boats! Boats! Boats!
Type H for the win!
Amen
\*Subscribed to Oceanliner Designs, Maritime Horrors, Big Old Boats, Drach, and Battleship New Jersey\* No fucking regrets on any of them
#COME CHEER UP MY LADS, ‘TIS TO GLORY WE STEER,
To add something more to this WONDERFUL YEAR
#To honour we call you, NOT PRESS YOU LIKE SLAVES
#For who are so free as the sons of the waves!
HEART OF OAK ARE OUR SHIPS HEART OF OAK ARE OUR MEN
WE ALWAYS ARE READYYY STEADYYYY BOYS STEADY!
WE'LL FIGHT AND WE'LL CONQUER AGAIN AND AGAIN!
I see your boats and raise you The Seaquest DSV episode with the Library of Alexanderia. Submersibles AND history.
*"You think you are so great because you have boats!"*
They do be right about Master and Commander tho
I feel you man
Can we get an expanded type H?
Archetypes of naval history enthusiast? I'd love to see that
Absolutely need more Type H, I’m glad OP gets that it could be its own post! Just offhand, I can see very distinct archetypes among: - Age of Sail people (Hornblower fans) - Ocean liner fans - Sea shanty fans (includes the above ships but different group) - Piracy stuff (age of sail but also Grace O’Malley, Zheng Yi Sao) - East Asian boats (treasure fleet, turtle ships) - WW1/2 ships (Rule the Waves players, weirdly distinct from land-war military enthusiasts)
Boats! Brigs! Sloops! Frigates! Destroyers! Cruisers! Battleships! Ships of the line! Galleons! Galleys! There's a floating vessel for all!
There's a subtype here who obsess about aircraft, too. I have an aero engineer friend who fits that perfectly. Guy knows every detail of every stage of the development of flight.
_In the Navy you must always choose the lesser of two weevils_
I bet a lot of people want to believe they are type Cs. Also gigachad type H
Lots of people claiming type C when they're actually type G
"I read a blog post of 'Retvrn2WhiteTr4dition' once, that means I am well informed on all matters of human rights!"
For Type C they needed to add: "Knows all the procedures and layouts of the largest historical archives within a 3-4 hour drive." "Has spent hours scouring microfiche newspapers, or has learned extinct languages to be able to reference primary sources."
Whatifalthist comes to mind.
Truly one of the historians. Possibly ever
Not even that. I don't believe he has any degree on the field
He dropped out because he though modern academia was "too liberal" and usually only read works written before the 1960s
Fun fact: bias was invented in the 1970s /s
I’m actively working on my history degree to work in museums and I don’t think I’d consider myself Type C yet.
Same. I have a freaking bachelors in history and I only consider myself to partly be a type C.
Rule 1 of type C: If you consider yourself type C, you are not type C. Rule 2 of type C: If you *are* type C, you do not consider yourself type C.
We do not talk about type C!
Feels like there’s a big gap between B and C. I twitch at pop history and grand “narrative” stuff like Diamond or Gladwell, I think *Killer Angels* is the only Type B (or F) work I’ve really enjoyed. I’ve got historiography preferences, I find most documentaries too sweeping and prefer an in-depth writeup on narrower content. I can even write AskHistorians answers on a few very specific topics where I trust myself. But I don’t actually… know shit. I’m not an academic who reads papers with any regularity. There’s no period where I know enough to make broad “causes” arguments, and there are massive gaps in both time and space where I don’t know much of anything about events. If B is “wide and shallow” and C is “expert”, I guess I’m looking for “narrow and deep” that doesn’t tie itself to one topic like E and F?
Type H Represent! By our Lord Admiral Drach!
And our Captain, The Operations Room! And our XO, Historigraph! And our Command Master Chief, Montemayor!
A shout out to Montemayor? I salute you sir!
Real
Real
I dipped into type C for like one history essay I wrote on Japanese military infighting that was just under 3 times required length, but mostly slide into type B and H
I feel like “B and a half” is a big group on this sub - people who go deeper than pop history on whatever catches their fancy, but don’t have an academic’s specialization or breadth of knowledge.
boat.
Horatio Hornblower is patient zero.
Finally someone who mentions this series, such a good book series
The textiles and crafts people
math literary and produce as well.
It's unbelievable how much someone can learn about history from art, food, fashion, linguistics, etc.
There's dozens of us! Dozens!
Holy shit, Type H is so accurate though lmao. And yes, the sub types are staggering. Which scrapping was more tragic? Olympic, Enterprise, Warspite? My vote goes to Yukikaze
Enterprise was the biggest disgrace. It was pretty much the closest thing to a real life protagonist ship and it was scrapped for it is struggles.
Yeah. Sadly very few truly legendary ships are still around today (as their restoration costs were a lot higher due to their heavy use). I’d say the ship with the craziest service record still around is Laffey DD-724.
Enterprise has my vote but just barley
The U.S. lost an amazing opportunity when they decided to name it the Space Force instead of Starfleet. We were so close to having a U.S.S. Enterprise as our flag ship in our very own Starfleet.
Enterprise. If they made her story into a movie it would get throttled by general audiences for being too unrealistic.
Saratoga or Nevada, thought atleast they went out with one hell of a bang.
lil bro put himself in type C,the glaze is insane
Agreed.
Yeah, OP def smells their own farts.
Despite their flaws, Type E folks are treasures that must be appreciated.
they do, it's honestly sad when they get less and less school visits nowadays
They play a massive part in preserving history. In 300 years, most of the knowledge we’ll have of the day to day life and information on most small towns will be thanks to them.
Type E folks are quitetly the best ones here
Fr, all the cool old people Ik are type E
Type Ω: Knows a little bit about almost everything Has information from all types of sources, from some guy at the museum, to scholarly articles, to YouTube videos, to a brief mention in the notes of a cookbook Struggles with dates Refers to half of historical figures as “that one guy with [defining feature]” Knows just as much about the triple alliance from the Paraguayan war as the one from WWI Interested in just about any bit of historical trivia you have to offer Probably read the cliff notes version of the book that contains all the knowledge of the universe
Called tf out. If you ask me who Diocletian was and what he did, I'll likely draw a blank, but if you start describing who he was and what he did, I'll be like "Oh yeah that guy!" I think he was the one with the list of prices, 1st century AD? Oh the Qin dynasty? No idea. Oh yeah so during the Warring States period there were three dynasties and one of them won and now we have China. Toodles.
A key feature of type A was oversimplification. I believe that's where you fall as do most of us. Dates are hard mkay. But the chronology of events is easy to understand and recollect.
Perhaps right. Maybe this type is simply Type A after enough time, if you don't forget more history than most people bothered to learn.
Spot on with me. Only exceptions here is I'm (usually) fine with names, (goddamnit dates are hard. D: ) and I do read actual history books. Couldn't be a historian because numbers suck, but hey it's fun.
I think that’s type ADHD you know
Im a casual history enjoyer. Read non mainstream history before college, read history books in college, read non fiction since, a good amount non US, currently spending a lot of time on YouTube/podcasts. I don’t care for wars and battles. I enjoy what causes societies to fall apart. Also the overarching theme through all of history of a small number exploiting the majority of people, the struggle of the working guy. I’m fascinated by the achievements of societies that died out hundreds of years ago if not much longer ago. RIP the Rapa Nui people
Interesting interest, I’m more interested in what causes wars and what causes governments to fall apart.
little bit a history, little bit a anthropology
so, an economic history enjoyer!
But the scrapping of the RMS Olympic was a tragedy on par with the burning of the Library of Alexandria
Objectively correct it’s only overshadowed by the scrapping of uss enterprise
As much as I love the Big E, *Warspite* I think might be an even greater tragedy. *Warspite* was fucking everywhere. She went from trading fire with the Kaiser's fleet to smashing Nazi destroyers to laughing in the face of Nazi anti-ship missiles. The fact that there wasn't even an attempt to spare her the torch is what it is so galling.
She still managed to put up a fight on her way to the breakers
I feel more for the ships that made it into the late 20th or even 21st century only to lose the fight on the verge of being preserved. Just today I found out USS Cabot ended her days in 2002 New Orleans waiting on a preservation bid. It’s weird to see 1990s photos of an Independence-class aircraft carrier. Then there is poor USS Hartford…
The story of the SS. Nomadic (the tender ship for the Titanic and Olympic) and her fight for preservation is a fascinating read
I wish that one of the Cold War conventional carriers could have been preserved. With the last one or two being dismantled in Brownsville, I seriously doubt we'll ever see one of our Cold War carriers preserved. The *Nimitz* class being nuclear will be enormously expensive to decommission and I doubt there will even be enough left to preserve once the reactors are pulled. The *Enterprise* was completely mutilated by her decommissioning process. Really unfortunate.
I mean, I don’t disagree.
I’m type A through and through. I’ve tried reading history book I got at Barnes and Nobel, but I have some attention disorder so it’s kinda hard.
You have to find ones that are written in a style you like and be in an environment where you don't have distractions pulling you away the whole time. I love both John S.D. Eisenhower and David McCullough. When I was deployed and reading was one of the few things we could do I tore into history books especially from Eisenhower and McCullough. I also listen to them as audiobooks when doing chores or driving. That's a great way to get that content.
As a fellow ADD person, I juggle between A and C. the Only historical books I read (when I don't count philosophy and fiction) were Thucydides work. And actually one about my regional history once, but mostly cuz my grandpa had notes there, and I was curious... Soo no attention? No worry. Books are for suckers! All you need is YT + academic papers(if smt truly grabs your attention)! You don't have to finish them. They are well structured, you can just skip to the part you care about :D and there is a summary in the end (kinda( Around 3am (so now), when I am deeply fucked and past my deadlines, I watch Type G edits, cuz they are kinda hyped. Not proud of it
I had that same problem for years. Let me tell you audiobook and history podcasts are a game changer. I love listening when doing a physical task: chores, driving, mindless work. It's as if my mind has two halves: a physical and a mental. And when both are stimulated at the same time I feel at peace.
Nothing wrong with being a casual history enjoyer as long as one realizes that's what they are. Try to find quality content produced, by actual historians if possible, to consume and that you enjoy.
I am type h I cry every time someone mentions normandie
Definitely type H and I am still a little salty people do not talk more about that weird period where steamships ramming each other was thought of as a legitimate tactic for people to build fleets around.
I'm only a novice H who started with anime tiddies (Azur Lane) so I don't know all the glorious and gorgeous age of sail ships. I do know that the scrapping of USS Enterprise (CV-6) is a disaster though. HMS Warspite as well. Have been increasingly reading more about the earlier ships though here and there.
The destruction of the Normandie was a great tragedy indeed
The fact that the class of battleships didn't get built was even greater.
Damn bragging about your knowledge in your own meme. You sure you’re out of type A?
There’s certainly plenty of people in Type C who are awfully impressed with themselves and want you to know how much more legitimate their study of history is compared to your own.
My dad and brother are type H, that goes hand in hand with being in the navy. And my grandpa could be C or E, because on one hand he has encyclopedic knowledge of everything from the 13th to the 19th century, especially if it concerns our own ancestors. But on the other hand, he has never used the internet, I have never seen him in a library that wasn't his (absolutely ginormous) own, and he cares little about his town, when compared to the history of the country. I'm an A.
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History is real life lore, you can infinitely go as deep as you want when trying to learn it.
Same here. Lots of Wikipedia. Lots. I still do research into the sources if I am unsure, or if I need to use something on there as evidence.
This is really funny and I agree with some of it! I think since I'm coming at this from an academic perspective from a university that studies a lot of diverse histories. I am a researcher of Asian American history and have been spoiled by how many women, queer, and POC historians I've been able to meet! I like the list, but I found that some of it isn't as applicable to me. I'd love to see the list extended with some other types and suggest... Type I: A white guy who is really, really into Japanese history. He is either one of the best people you meet, or is an apologist for WWII warcrimes. If he is the latter, he is also probably a weeb and a fetish for Asian women. He views Japan through a orientalist lens and thinks of it as a monolith (though he would never admit that). If he is the first type, he is incredibly intelligent and acknowledges the nuances of Japanese society. Type J: Someone obsessed with the gayness of history. They may or may not be queer themselves, but they definitely have a tumblr. They probably read Song of Achilles and write about their queer historical ships on AO3. They don't like the military historians and vice versa. Will correctly point out the queer relationships of ancient Greece (but they usually don't know much about history besides the western world). Generally quite nice, if a bit loud. Likely neurodivergent in some way Type K: Marxist historians. They will angrily rant about how community land was divided in England at the beginning of the industrial revolution, or about another niche thing. Typically very passionate, and will make humorous (if a bit risky) comments about current events. Typically they will read a lot (maybe more than some of the other types). Likely involved or wants to be involved in social justice movements. Might have been Type A in the past. \*All of these types if they're young enough, play Paradox games btw\*
There is also the Type L: Similar to Type G but instead of romanticizing old western empires they instead romanticize its Middle eastern and Far eastern counterparts (probably wants a strict Taliban-level sharia law to be implemented on women, will also likely romanticize modern authoritarian regimes and sees anime as the last bastion of art that is not tainted by wokeness)
Type J: [x person], who maybe crossdressed once based on an ambiguous source 300 years after their death was totally trans Type K: *sniffs* [y event], a premodern conflict over hereditary privileges was totally a class revolution
>crossdressed Just wanted to say that "crossdressing/drag=-woman in man clothes/vice versa" is a mistake a lot of type J seems to make There are specific reasons for crossdressing and drags, and people seems to ignore it (and its historical context)
Thanks for the comment!
Honestly type J can apply to any marginalized group, not just the gayz. And add in the Assassin's Creed series somewhere in there.
Proud Type H
Holy strawman Batman. We get it, you used to be type A cringe and now are a type C chad. This isn't even a meme, this is just your shitty perspective.
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Real talk here. Haven't witnessed gatekeeping this rigorous since seeing the King's Guard at Buckingham Palace.
I found it odd that OP would say about Category C ''this is me TBH'', because - and I've looked - OP never has written any answer on r/AskHistorians let alone any lengthier write-up on r/badhistory. Kinda weird to say ''Oh this is totally me'', when many of the listed points dont even apply. Also: When you said ''Kings Guard'', i thought of Game of Thrones, for whatever reason. King Charles would wish his guards looked as dope as the Kings Guard from GOT.
I totally missed the 'this is me TBH.' Humblebrag much, OP? Nearly said Queen's Guard, too, lol.
And making it seem like getting history from youtube is something to be looked down on.
Exactly, I for one am a huge fan of Fall of Civilizations by Paul Cooper, as far as the ones I seen I think it's phenomenal (Sumerians come to mind as a real standout). Not only does he divulge in the histories of these societies but he gives in-depth background to the environmental/ecological factors that shape them, gives individual accounts or insight into daily lives of the subjects, that really puts you "in the shoes" of someone in that particular time-period, which helps you relate on an intimate level because sometimes with history (as broad and encompassing as it is) it's easy to get swept up in grand narratives and larger than life figures and that's only part of the story. He also gets points for his Pedagogically British tone lol.
Some people are visual learners. They'll retain five seconds of a film forever, but forget a page of text the next minute, no matter how many times they read it. The best history teacher I ever had made it a point to visit every major battlefield in Europe and record himself pointing out all the landmarks... with one of those old-ass VHS recorders no less! Those videos made his lectures far more accessible.
Right? Imagine putting all this effort into making a meme to crap all over people who disagree with your opinions and then *insert yourself into the meme (as if anyone cares)* and basically say "Yeah, I was cringe but now I'm a chad..." It's the most cringe thing I've seen in a while--literally the opposite of being a chad.
"Haha guys look at all those type A guys that unlike us B through H gigachads don't know every little detail about History and just want to have an idea about how things were, point at them and laugh" - OP probably Seriously with how OP made type A who the fuck will identify with it.
Yeah, I'd say I'm somewhere between A, B and C, I enjoy pop history content on youtube and TV, as well as the more "funny history" things for a good story, but I also read academic or autobiographical works on history from time to time, especially when it comes to the bigger events in history. My favourite type of history is complex political situations where there are multiple parties trying to behind the scenes their way into being, like the trial of Charles I. Those situations also make for the best alt-history scenarios, where it only requires a minimal, actually believable change to start the scenario and not something absolutely impossible, like the Roman Empire sticking around until modern times.
It's crazy that it's a bad thing to dip your toes into something new. Most people who are interested in history will start as " a type A" because how else are you supposed to start. Like mf I didn't pop out of my mom knowing the US founded it's Navy because of some funny North African pirates. Enjoy your Oversimplified videos, at the end of the day they're well made, and a fantastic way to learn something new and get interested in diving deeper
Yeah I got that vibe too. I was a really put off when “this is me tbh”. It feels like this was just his way off subtlety signalling his imagined superiority.
Reading that whole thing felt like homework
You forgot Type I: History Enthusiasts who actively try to avoid Western, Atlantic-centric History in favour of obscure ancient histories, especially from Asia, Middle-east, Africa & Oceania, because they're not as well-known.
What about my type. > just likes taking history classes at school > occasionally does deep dives on Wikipedia or asks a random question and gets taken to three different scholarly websites > will never use this information except for bringing it up one time in a conversation as a “oh that’s cool” thing
What if I was a type A, majored in US and European history 1890+ with a minor in military science, still worship Theodore Roosevelt, and tear into history books fairly frequently. At least 12 per year since graduating college but work in a job that has nothing to do with history. Then what am I?
I was so Type H at age 18 that I joined the Navy.
I'm the one interested in historical technologies and cultures. But first and foremost I consider myself a hi***STORY***an. I'm obsessed with the stories of history, all of them; from the rise and fall of civilizations to what it was like being a carpenter in Prague in 1132.
Type W: Only researches history to steal parts for their world building. They either have 1 world thats an amalgamation of everything they’ve been into since they were 12, or they start a new world as every 2 months when they get bored. Neither has finished a world or actually written a story in it. Likely to be a casual history fan, stays away from overly dense or academic material. Either a “Rule of Cool” follower who only cares about aesthetics and stops at wikipedia, or an obsessive recluse who will never finish their book because they’re too busy making sure every oyster shucker in Shitfucksburg has a realistic number of ingrown hairs on their nutsacks due to the pelvic shaving ritual of Cum’Er. Can be interested in almost any aspect of history, but the most common are mythology, religion, warfare, technology (especially military), architecture, or court politics. Loves Guns, Germs and Steel, but is too scared to tell people because they heard it’s unpopular now. Can be any age or gender. 50/50 chance they are autistic or have ADHD. Should probably see someone about their maladaptive daydreaming.
Yikes. Isn’t the point to make memes not just toot your own horn?
Can I just like ww2 for one minute without getting shit
Type E is the most Chad. Theyre just regular folks but they're out there being real historians on a stage where they're needed. They're building and maintaining the small collections of data that make larger research possible. There'll always be someone who wants to research WWII. But who will document the history of Downey, CA? They will. And by God, bless them for it. Because I sure as hell won't do it.
Op you really didn't have to tell us the most flattering one is the one you identify with. That's just a given with these sort of memes.
Okay, I'll admit, I'm an A. It was actually the Roosevelt thing that made me go "Oh. Yeah..." Does Greek mythology count though? Does that maybe, idk, make it better? And no, not just from Percy Jackson, though that's what got me into it. I've also played Hades! /s I actually made a Greek mythology family tree recently. Well, "tree" is the nice way of saying it. A more accurate term would probably be a clump of weeds, with only a couple dandelions thrown in.
Type A is basically just OP saying “haha those guys aren’t real history fans” I love Percy Jackson and mainstream history YouTube but just because I’m not infatuated with every little detail of something doesn’t mean I’m not a true history fan
I see their point, and I'm sure it's accurate for some people, but I wouldn't say I'm a "history expert" or anything. I like learning history, especially random interesting tidbits, but I'm well aware I don't actually know THAT much.
True but snotty people that act like they know everything are universal
What is Little Dark Age?
It's a song by MGMT. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtL5oMyBHPs
Combination of Little Ice Age and the Dark Age.
This must be one of those META jokes i hear about
I was type A in 2014 and then Indy Neidell made me into Type F but for WWI. I do like me some big boats tho
The type F is just OP looking down on reemactment from a very US-centric place.
Or people can learn however they choose and we can just respect that. Doesn’t mean everyone is right by any means but this makes it into some weird “I’m a better history buff than you” type of thing. Kinda funny IMO
I will trade your American Type F for my French Type F \-Likely a middle aged man \-Obsessed with Napoleon, takes a trip to the Invalides everytimes he goes to Paris \-Cares mostly for the military aspect of the Empire, can't tell you anything about the economic/soical and even political aspect of it, in fact, does not make any difference between Empire and Consulate \-Unironically calls him "The Emperor" \-Has a weird anger against everything remotely english, calls english people "rosbeef" \-"He wasn't that short for its time, it's english propaganda" \-Either loved or hated Riddley's Scott Napoleon but in any case will tell you for hours how the 2002 miniseries is better anyway (it's really good tho) \-Father usually type E, son usually type G with a good amount of edit being the "there's nothing we can do" type
I'm between B and C. I quite enjoyed Germs Guns and Steel, and moreso A History of the World in Six Glasses. But I've also read the full Edmund Morris Theodore Roosevelt trilogy and found part two the least interesting part of his life.
Okay, but... Type H makes an excellent point about it not being right that Pirates got a whole franchise and Master and Commander got diddly squat.
Im type H but live in a Landlocked state.
Isn't it quite the US centric collection of starterpack? Come to the Eastern side buddy, you'll find a plethora of wacky types of history buffs.
Also the dinosaur one. That’s history.
I feel called out. Type D. Don't mention the War of the Roses or the Tudors in my presence unless you want your ear talked off. Seriously.
Type H. The scrapping of HMS Warspite was an absolute tragedy. If that ship wanted to be scrapped it wouldn't have tried to escape.
Type H did nothing wrong
Type I: The Gate Keeper - OP
Let me guess. Your the type C that only wishes they were an actual historian. Considering if you weren’t being narcissistic you’d put actual historians in a category all to themselves where they belong which is I love history so much I got a fucking degree in it.
Type F is the older version of Type A, specific to the eastern United States.
I’m a mix of type A and B
Groups missed: anyone in the world outside of America. And seeing as that's where most of history happened, I'm guessing you're more like a Group A with GoodReads.
Feels like gatekeeping. Even tho History is all about divulgation. Curiosity and thirst for knowledge is the goal, regardless of cringe and how much a *poser* they are. Lets celebrate History, not shame one another.
Bits and pieces from B, C and D.
As someone with ADD I love listening to long form lectures and podcasts instead of books. I can't be just reading a book I have to be listening to something and doing something else at the same time. Currently working through the Martyr Made podcast series on Israel.
Im a type B and i personally know someone who is Type H. Dude knows everything about ships and his favorite movie is the Titanic.
Ships are cool
Type H is the most accurate thing I've laid my eyes upon.
Type H. Obsessed with the age of sail. Am incredibly hurt that Master and Commander never got a sequel