Many authors and artists aren't appreciated till after their death. I know Shakespeare was popular, but was he viewed in the same way we view a good movie director, or was he appreciated for what he did for the English language?

The United States of America was formed out of British colonies that rebelled. We know that some colonies rebelled later (like Vermont), but others to the north didn't get independence and remained part of Britain. Why did this happen? Did the British hold onto that land better, or were there more loyalists there, or is there another explanation?

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If so, why did they leave the Song of Solomon?

(Not sure if prurient is the correct word. They thought they were too smutty?)

While doing some genealogy research, I learned that my great-great-great grandfather died of wounds received in that battle. He was just a lowly private and so unlikely a significant participant, and I don't know if he was drafted or volunteered.

I do wonder, though, what the 116th did while there, what kind of fighting it saw, and how it affected the battle, for better or for worse.

I'm watching the 1980s series "Jewel in the Crown" dealing with the WWII and pre independence period largely from the white British viewpoint and involves many white officers in service with Indian army Regiments going back generations with large established residences, messes, and personal history.

I presume at independence their services were no longer wanted or required. I therefore ask how the regular British Army and society reintegrated these officers without jobs and dependents.

You see these Hollywood epics with for example Keira Knightly shooting a bow (king arthur) and I can't help but think "would'nt women in that time period have armpit hair?" Does anyone have insight into where this practise started and how it spread to be almost a norm? Thank you!

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I've read that it was denied by those who knew him, but what evidence brought about the claim and is it reliable?

I mean all they did was fight, fight, fight. The amount of armour and weaponry produced for their raids must have been huge. How then is it that we have only found one complete Viking helmet? I find it so hard to believe as there must've been hundreds of thousands if not over a million produced. Why then are archaeological finds from other cultures from that period (the Byzantines, Francians) yet so little from the Vikings?

I'm an anthropologist, but I'm curious as to if culture from say 1354 Germany is somewhat present in 2017 Germany.

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What would have happened if we captured by the Western allies? The Soviets?

Did he want to write THE prequel to Figaro? Was Il barbiere marketed as such? Was Figaro even performed in Italy at the time?

And what about Paisiello's Barbiere?

I already asked this question once, but I figure since it's music week I'll give it another try.

I'm wondering if people like George Washington and Thomas Jefferson had British accents.

With the vast amount of books written on every historic event conceivable by a reader, whether it be the Truman presidency or the reign of Augustus, how can an interested layman (who doesn't have the requisite undergraduate or graduate coursework to help them identify what a "good" list of readings might be) find which books/authors would provide them with accurate information? For example, Jared Diamond's "Guns, Germs, and Steel" has wide criticisms while also being the recipient of a Pulitzer Prize, so how does someone unfamiliar with historic literature approach this work with a healthy skepticism? Do they avoid it altogether or would that be unwise considering that there is no "true" theory explaining Eurasian hegemony?

To give more context which could hopefully provide some insight into why I'm asking this question, I have an interest in Ancient Roman history and am currently reading "Rubicon" by Tom Holland. I'm enjoying the book and would like to read more about that period, but if I want an accurate telling of that history am I relegated to the ~12 suggested books listed on the sidebar for Ancient Rome? That's surely not the only good list of books for that period, but how would I find others and make sure they live up to the same standard? I feel that reading something like Amazon reviews tells less about the historical accuracy of a book and more it's readability/enjoyability: "Augustus" by Anthony Everitt has overall good reviews but is seen by some as taking liberties with events for embellishment purposes.

Thoughts?

I'm interested in doing some thorough reading about the presidents, specifically both Roosevelts, Wilson, Kennedy, LBJ, and Nixon. What are the quintessential historical biographies of the presidents?