900 Days - The Siege of Leningrad was what inspired me to become a Modern-Era Historian. Though it is old, if you can find a copy it is truly fascinating.

Also the 'Age of...' books by Eric Hobsbawm are great overviews of their respective periods that are very readable. They cover the French Revolution through until the end of the Cold War.

Also, history is a great choice... There are few subject that teach you to understand people and the world we live in better.

Brand new history major here. So long as these types of posts are allowed on the subreddit, I'll throw in my 2 cents!

I've always loved history, there's something about imagining every day people and great leaders of our past not as history books quotes, but living breathing humans just like us. We tend to be so caught up in the now, we forget that this earth has been traversed by countless millions of others.

I find myself wrapped up in war movies, history books on the romans or (lately my obsession JFK) and thought it was only natural I follow what I've been passionate about :)

In terms of books to read, that's a hard call seeing as there's millions of books depending on what you're looking for. In general, I can recommend the AskHistorians book list!

Good luck at University!

Also what books would you recommend to broaden my knowledge?

Are there any certain topics you would like to know more about?