I'm reading about the mid-19th century fashion for vast hoop skirts, and Wikipedia mentions that "The flammability of the crinoline was widely reported." It goes on to mention some newspaper accounts of ladies catching their skirts in hearths, etc, but do we know how common these accidents actually were?

I suspect this was the sort of thing that got a lot of press because it's a good way to express one's anxieties about changes in society, the same way that hardly anyone was actually eating Tide Pods, but a lot of ink was spilled over it anyway, because it said something about the follies of the current generation.

Thanks!

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Clapping is kind of a weird concept to denote approval or enjoyment. How long have humans been doing it? Did it start somewhere specifically?

Was there any way the Romans had to write the number 0 or did they have that concept at all?

I understand it was introduced by the Muslims after the Romans so I’m curious as to how they dealt with it.

During the Meiji era through the end of WWII in Japan, were there any Westerners that were residents/citizens of the Empire? Considering the Nationalist basis of the Empire itself, especially during WWII, what was the process for any Westerners (Europeans) wishing to become citizens of the Empire? Was it even possible?

There are a lot of questions in this sub about Bolshevik Jewishness, but were the majority of Jews Bolshevik or did they prefer SR/CD/Mensheviks (or even Anarchists)? Which mainstream party or movement had the most support from Jewish political organizations?

He had just been awarded a Triumph by the senate, but they decided to award it after the deadline for announcing one's run for consul so Caesar couldn't run that year. In response he renounced his generalship and triump and ran for consul anyways. Why couldn't he just wait a year?

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I know that protectionism and strong industrial practices were characteristic of Japan from after World War II on and that the repeal of tariffs corresponded to the slump in the Japanese economy in the “Lost Decade,” but what exactly marked such a strong shift in the stability of Japan’s economy?

Hey Historians! I have zero educational background in history (am all science and education), but I find myself often gravitating towards history for non-fiction reading or podcast listening. My absolute favorite Podcast was The History of Rome Podcast, and I have loved books like Guns, Germs, and Steel and 1491. I also love Dan Carlin's Hardcore History. Aside from that I have not read much historical non-fiction and I want to start reading more.

But I specifically want interesting, gripping, well-written reads. I am open to any time-period, on any subject, I love things gruesome, I enjoy war, and medicine, and really anything interesting to learn about. It can be dense, broad, or detailed, or anything, I am looking for just the "best of" most interesting historical reads to sink my teeth in to.

Thanks!

One thing I read very often is the claim that Soviet doctrine for when engaging NATO forces revolved around using numbers and mass to overwhelm. But isn't it universal military strategy to have have numerical superiority during an offensive operation, like the 3:1 Rule of Combat?

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Is there any specific source that suggests that Soviet doctrine emphasized quantity over quality?

The UK gained perpetual rights to part of Hong Kong following the opium wars, yet they seemed to give it up without much of a fight in the 1980s.

Were continued association with the UK, or perhaps independence for HK, ever considered realistic options in the 20th century?

What happened to make the return of HK the realistic option?

Did soldiers in the Middle Ages get combat related PTSD or is this a new phenomenon?

Learned in school that the Torah was a result of the exile, but I’m looking for other answers