I have a new found interest in History and I'd like to discover more with your recommendations.

[u/WithTimeComesStories]

I was never really engaged with history in my youth, I found it quite dry and I didn't retain much information, especially when it came to the who and when. I've recently subscribed to Curiosity Stream and have been checking out their variety of documentaries.

I found Hamburg Port: Giant of the North to be particularly engaging with reenactments, animated b&w photos, and computer generated diagrams. I also found much of the information quite interesting: dock (un)loading procedure; import/export goods; drinking habits; merchants skimming tactics; relations between classes (politics); city/harbor development; civil engineering/infrastructure; etc.

I am hoping to find other engaging documentaries by your recommendations, either on Curiosity Stream or off. I'm not particularly interested in biographies, or at least any individual's personal life. If I were much of a reader I would ask for book recommendations, maybe if I find something particularly interesting and would like to know more I'll come back for book recommendations.

[u/veesacard]

You should check out the YouTube channel absolutehistory, it has a lot of bbc series on it mostly in full, I especially like the ones where historians live on a model farm from a certain period for a year, and upkeep it in a historically accurate way

[u/KenC411]

If you wanted to learn about the Roman republic, on YouTube there is a series called historia civilis, which tells history in almost a soap opera format. The visuals are a bit Spartan, but it is funny seeing Caesar depicted as a red square moving through the Roman forum

[u/PrimalScotsman]

History time on YouTube. Stopped me from going insane during lockdown. Multiple videos cover a lot of history. The guy that dies them is brilliant, he should be given a bigger budget and put on tv.

[u/Strict_Parsley2301 → u/PrimalScotsman]

Idk his vids are a bit long. Not sure if it would be great for someone new to history

[u/sitquiet-donothing]

One of the most charming, off-beat, historical docs I have seen is "Women in Boxes" about the history of magicians stage hands. Its well produced and full of amazing little tidbits about the times when magicians weren't a punchline. Lots of interesting info on the lower tier entertainment circuits. Lots of name dropping too, suddenly comedy records from the 40s and 50s started being a lot more funny for me!

[u/thenerfviking]

It can be a bit dry and academic in tone but BBC Radio 4’s In Our Time is always worth checking out. Basically every episode is absolutely stacked with people who really know what they’re talking about. A lot of history podcasts can be light on the expertise department so it’s always good to check if what you’re listening too is backed by people who are actual experts or good researchers.

[u/VVillyD]

How serious are you trying to get? There is a TON of great pop history content out there which might not live up to the scholarly rigor of a professional historian, but for the average layperson who's just looking for some educational entertainment it's great.

I'd suggest checking out YouTube channels like Extra History, Oversimplified, or Crash Course. There are also tons of free history podcasts. My favorite history podcasters are Mike Duncan (History of Rome and Revolutions) and Dan Carlin (Hardcore History), but there are tons of others, too.

[u/onlyonetruthm8]

I recommend researching ancient giants. And the tales of giants and dragons in every civilization.

[u/Strict_Parsley2301]

Dovahhattys Unbiased History of Rome is pretty good. But extra credits Extra History is probably the best series on youtube. I dont use curiosity stream however. Oversimplified is great as well, historia civilis is fine.

[u/eleanor_konik]

Dan Davis has a bunch of interesting YouTube videos about Bronze Age steppe cultures. He's an author who does a lot of research into history for his books, so his videos usually aren't boring, and the content I've seen so far jives with my understanding of the source material.

[u/Wrong-Photograph1972]

i recommend the youtube channel Overly Sarcastic Productions as well. it is run by two people. one does videos on history, the other does videos on literature, mythology and literary tropes. its done in an animated style and in a comedic way. theres also plenty of historical music on youtube as well, e.g national anthems, patriotic songs and folk songs as well. i recommend a rock band called sabaton. they write music about epic battles and their music is awesome!