History was a subject I struggled with in school.
Dates, names, countries… I had such a hard time remembering specifics.
A curiosity has come alive, however, as of late while reading historical fiction that’s changing this internal narrative.
It started with a fascination of Miyamoto Musashi and the historical context that surrounded him during feudal Japan.
And has grown considerably within the past few weeks as I began to read All The Light We Cannot See after having recently finished The Book Thief.
Typically, reading was something I did to understand overarching story lines, general plot, and to absorb key insights. Dates, names, countries… I mostly just skimmed and paid little attention to.
Now I find myself curiously doing deep dives into dates and what was happening in countries at that time and what it might mean for the character context.
And let me tell you… this is an excellent use of AI.
I use Claude and it’s like having a brilliant little history professor at my bedside ready to answer my ignorance with crucial digestible context.
Some questions I’ve recently asked: “What was happening in the world, specifically around France, around August 1944…” and “Can you give me an overview of d-day?” and “What does congenital cataracts… bilateral… mean?” and “The story went back in time. Can you tell me what was happening in Germany in 1936 roughly?” and “What was so humiliating for Germany at the end of ww1?”
I share this for two reasons: (1) “I’m not good at history” is a made up story—one that can be rewritten at any time; (2) Using AI as a comprehension companion is a highly underrated life hack.