What is a History Buff?
There are a lot of people that consider themselves History Buffs, but are they really? Does it depend on how much you like or enjoy historical subjects? There is no way for someone to know everything about a historic subject, so what is the scale? How much do you need to know to be considered a buff?
It seems the phrase History Buff is thrown around a lot. There are so many people on Twitter, who consider themselves to be History Buffs, as they mention history in their profile. The History Channel page on Facebook has over 45 million Likes! How can you become a History Buff?
How to become a History Buff:
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Choose a time period or subject – figure out what topic gets you excited about. What do you want to know more about? Did you watch a movie that made you want to learn more? Maybe the movie 300 got you thinking about Ancient Greece and the Spartans, or Saving Private Ryan made you think about World War II.
- Go to your local library – find all the non-fiction books you can about your specific subject and start reading. Remember sometimes you might need some background information to give you a better understanding about your subject. If you are reading about the Roman Empire, you should understand the Roman Republic that came before it.
- Check Amazon or Local Bookstore – if you find a book you really like or a new book comes on the market, it might be time to purchase your own copy.
- Check the Television Listings – The History Channel is dedicated to all sorts of historical subjects, check to see if there is a show or documentary about your topic. Channels such as, A&E, TLC, PBS, and others air documentaries all time. Make sure you don't miss one on your topic.
- Take Notes – write down all the facts that you think are important. Highlight and write in the margins in your books. Make sure you keep all the information together for quicker reference.
- Join Online Discussion Groups – search Google for history discussion groups were you can discuss your topic with other people knowledgeable about it.
- Find Historical Societies or Museums – check around for local historical societies or museums that maybe related to the subject you are studying.
- Review and Reread – review what you have learned about your topic and reread some of your favorite books. You might find something that you missed the first time around.
- Expand Your Topic – once you have gone through all the sources on your subject, think about expanding your topic. There is probably an area you read about related to your first subject that comes up over and over again, repeat these steps for the new topic.
