Whether you’re a traveler, a student or just a curious world citizen, learning about history is enriching on both an intellectual and a personal level. One of the easiest and most interesting ways to brush up on your history knowledge is through blogs. There are a lot of untrustworthy sites out there, but if you know where to look, you can discover a treasure trove of sources to help you increase your knowledge and understanding of the world around (and behind) you.
Here are ten of the best history blogs on the internet:
1. The Fairytale Traveler
Infused with an atmosphere of mystical whimsy, The Fairytale Traveler specializes in histories of the unusual, the unknown and the supernatural. Read about New Orleans’ Voodoo history, Medieval kings and castles or the history of moonshine in the Smoky Mountains.
2. Crash Course
Having watched every history video Crash Course has to offer, I can testify that their run-through of major events in US and World History is thorough and flat-out fascinating. Each episode is presented on YouTube in the form of fifteen-minute vlogs, narrated by author John Green and illustrated with informative graphics. Particular highlights are World War II viewed from a food resources perspective, the American Sixties and the French Revolution.
3. Marie Antoinette’s Gossip Guide to the Eighteenth Century
The title may seem tongue-in-cheek, and Marie Antoinette’s Gossip Guide to the Eighteenth Century is certainly a lavishly playful perspective on the luxe of the upper-class world of the 18th century. If you’re interested in historical fashion, this is the blog for you. But it’s also an excellent site for learning about Marie Antoinette’s remarkable life and what it was like to be a lady in the age of Louis XVI.
4. If It Happened Yesterday, It’s History
If It Happened Yesterday, It’s History offers up a range of fascinating articles on historical events ranging from the infamous Christmas truce of 1914 to the practices of Aztec human sacrifice. The focus is largely on warfare and military history, but there’s plenty of other cultural history in there too.
5. Women of History
Women have long been neglected in the writing of history. The blog Women of History seeks to rectify that, focusing on the contributions of a wide range of women to historical events. Read about powerful individuals, historical attitudes towards women and feminine customs through the ages.
6. Ancient Foods
Of particular interest to us Epicurious travelers, Ancient Foods is a history blog focused on the background of food and drink. Learn about the discovery of bones revealing how ancient peoples ate, or about all manner of food preparation, hunting and dining customs revealed through archaeology.
7. Mental Floss
Fascinated by the weird and the wonderful, Mental Floss is one of the most useful – and dangerous – history-related procrastination tools out there. Go down the rabbit hole and spend hours learning about scientific, political and cultural history through articles, listicles and videos. Their pieces on etymology are always brilliant, too.
8. Two Nerdy History Girls
Who better to run a history blog than a historical romance author and a historical novelist? Loretta and Susan of Two Nerdy History Girls combine their love of the literary and the historical in this fascinating blog. They write about snippets of history, precious and found items and visits to historical sites.
9. Stuff You Missed in History Class
If you’re looking for a different format to shake up your history blog consumption, or something to listen to while driving, a podcast may be the perfect solution. And when it comes to history podcasts, there’s nothing like Stuff You Missed in History Class. Episodes include histories of China’s Cultural Revolution, Stonehenge and Spam. Yes, spam. There’s a standard written blog to accompany it, too.
10. Victorian Paris
Lovers of the City of Light, especially in the Victorian era, must head to Victorian Paris, where novelist Iva Polansky shares her in-depth research on 19th-century Paris. Read about the literature, fashion, architecture and social norms of this fascinating historical period.
Well hey there! Thanks for sharing The Fairytale Traveler! You gave me a case of the smiles 😉
Christa: You’re welcome! 🙂
Thanks for sharing this wonderful list! Who says history has to be boring 🙂
I have recently started a blog myself – http://www.thecuriousdesi.com (fyi – Desi is a common term for person from the Indian subcontinent). Cheers
@Curious Desi: Exactly 🙂
I’ve been reading MentalFloss (and watching their youtube videos) for over a year now and i agree that it’s a great site to learn from. Stuff you missed in history class looks interesting and i’m definitely going to keep up with their podcast
@Zeph: We’re huge fans of Mental Floss!
Hi Gemma, Thanks for this wonderful list of reads – really a treasure trove of good reads!
I regularly use Crash Course as enrichment in my 8th grade history class. Students learn so much from the different episodes and it adds another perspective to our class. I enjoyed browsing the “Stuff You Missed In History Class” blog and look forward to implementing it in my class.
I’d like to toss in my blog Through The House Glass. I’m a historian of education who writes about people I’ve met along the way in years of research and writing, along with some personal experiences.
Sorry, that’s http://www.throughthehourglass.com/.
It’s all about evoking American history and culture.
Thank you for the list. Crash Course if awesome for learning history. They inspired me to create my own History blog series. People need an interesting and entertaining way to learn history, and it seems that all of these sites provide just that. Not everyone want to loom over boring textbooks, I know i would have paid much more attention in school if these kind of blogs were around then!
Check out my version : https://davidandanton.com/2016/09/12/4-ancient-egypt/
Hello,
Thank you for sharing this list of history blogs. History is my passion, and I always enjoy learning new things. I’m looking forward to checking out these blogs!!
Gemma – an excellent list that I have only just found (April 2017)
Here’s a curious new blog for Anglophiles, Victorianists and their “ilk” —
http://victorianclericalerrors.blogspot.com
Amazing History Blogs To Add To Your Reading List Today – Epicure
https://nicolemones.com/
Amazing History Blogs To Add To Your Reading List Today – Epicure
https://www.igslovenia.si/tag/slovenia/page/2/