History with James T.

I am a passionate researcher and lover of history. My interest in this area has led me to collect a rather extensive library of books on widely varying subjects. My favorite historical subjects include politics, baseball, music, espionage and military history. I'm fascinated with the human experience of history, so I like to watch documentaries and read first hand accounts of people who actually lived through some of the great events I've studied. I consider different perspectives on history important, so a lot of my books are written by people who come from a different country from me or who look at a historical event from an angle not covered in my history classes. I even took an American history course in Australia to try and understand the way the rest of the world views the US. I have a degree in film from Ithaca College and I consider movies another great passion of mine. My favorite movies vary widely and include Solaris, Godzilla, Seven Samurai and Star Wars. I worked for several years in the film industry but unsurprisingly, my real interest is in the history of cinema and the way history is portrayed in films. While in college I also studied writing, both fiction and nonfiction, and world history. After college I lived and worked in Los Angeles for a few years to be closer to where films are produced before spending some time in Norway to learn about organic farming and Viking history. My family has Norwegian heritage so this was especially personal to me, and continues to be a favorite historical subject of mine. These days I live in Brooklyn and continue expanding my knowledge of history and following my various hobbies and passions. When I'm not reading, watching movies or trying to get people to talk about history with me I like to listen to music, play guitar, draw, paint, cook and make chainmail armor. You could say I'm a nerd.