I’m already starting to get very interested in English history. I sort of expected this, but one thing that is surprising is how easy it is to come across pieces of it as we travel about. Winchester is very significant to William the Conqueror and William II. Raglan Castle was significant in the civil war between the royalists of Charles I and the parliamentarians of Oliver Cromwell .
All the kings, queens, wars and the such seem to run together in my brain. I’m a tactile learner so I have started a notebook where I can write down the things I come across. I’m a nerd.
Schrockthehouse 
Hmm… Three plus times the history in an area the size of Kansas. No wonder there is history everywhere compared to the US!
OK Who is posting this, Steve or Sarah? We covered the Battle of Hastings about 3 sessions ago in Co-op and are now gearing up for the plague in January :) The Battle of Hastings is a fascinating and pivitol period in English history. Our Jr High kids read an EXCELLENT book called the King’s Shadow that is written from Harold of Wessex’s point of view. William is not shown in a very good light! OK, now I am re-peating 10 times the Thou -Shalt -Not -Covet -Thy -Brother’s -Over -Seas -Assignment- To -England thing :)) I don’t care if you can’t get M&Ms :)
If you’re into reading about London, try The Ghost Map by Steven Johnson. It’s about the cholera epidemic in 1854 and the changes that came about.
I was thinking about Ken Follett’s the Pillars of the Earth which is about cathedral construction, but now it’s an Oprah book club nominee, so I’m not sure I can bring myself to read it right now without feeling like a sheep blindly following.
i was always interested in history….so i signed up for ‘modern european history’ down at illinois….about the second day in class i discovered that i was THE ONLY ONE who was not a history major…..guess who got all the A grades….