History is what happened, right?
Well, no, that can’t actually be because who decides what that is?
It’s a few scholars determining what’s important in the past events they actually know about and what’s not important. Which is to say they determine the worthiness of what they think happened and try to fit it into an acceptable narrative.
For example, Napoleon’s Italian victory at Marengo, in 1800, would alone require many dozens of thick volumes just to get all the discrete events of that one, brief afternoon recorded —- even if it were possible to do so which it isn’t. Nobody knows all that, even the people who were there. Moreover, the farther back you go in time the more it all becomes guesswork.
History writers typically look for things which fit into the broad flow, not the little errant swirls and eddies. Most of what they publish is tiny compared to what is left on the cutting room floor.
Ah, yes! The cutting room floor! That’s the gold mine! Taking the bits and pieces tossed off by the history composers and sharing them with you. Little gems which glitter and sparkle against the often dull dross of official history.
Since September, 2022, “Eat Your History” has published these gems on a weekly basis, bringing to light many ignored or forgotten events of the past which are worthy of knowing in their own right. Some are fascinating.
So far, every issue has been free to everybody
In order to continue providing you with these overlooked little stories from the past, I humbly ask that you become a paid subscriber. The cost is $7 per month (or discount to $70 annually).
Your help is needed to keep these issues coming. Starting on Sunday, May 28, 2023, everybody will continue to get the weekly free publication but it will be split. Only the paying subscribers will have access to last half of each issue.
I am deeply grateful to those paid subscribers who have already contributed to this effort. They have helped to sustain my work. I earnestly hope you will join them and help keep “Eat Your History” going.
Almost all of what actually happens in the world is never known. It can’t be for the obvious reason that there’s no way to see and record even a tiny fraction of events around the world as they are occurring.
So the people who write the history books are forced to limit, condense, summarize and edit just the parts they feel will best reflect the past.
We are left to study such things as the dates of wars and treaties and disasters and a long list of meaningless European kings who had Roman numerals after their names. Yawn!
Speaking of which, I think it’s a lot more fun to find out that the fastidious French monarch, Louis XIV liked to eat his salad with his fingers!
A meaningful part of “Eat Your History” is how the various foods we take for granted played a role in historical events, where they originated and how to make them into wonderful things to eat. Most issues include a related recipe.
So, starting May 28, 2023 …
I will feature the first half of each post free to all subscribers, reserving the second half for those who are paid subscribers. To date there have been 31 of these stories published for free to everybody. I need your help to keep them coming. I look forward to continue giving you the highest quality content and some of the coolest information the web has to offer.
Thank you for your support!
Bob Cotten