Welcome

English: George Bernard Shaw, Irish playwright and critic, in 1909 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Welcome to the Access History blog and to hopefully, an enjoyable and productive year!  

On Wednesday we will be discussing some of the different views of history by examining a number of famous quotations. 

Do you think the study of the past is important to help us understand the present and perhaps shape our future or is it, "more or less bunk" to quote Henry Ford?

Hopefully, the fact that you have decided to enrol on the course means that you have dismissed Ford's view.  However, should we take Ford's quote at face value or is he making a valid point about our expectations of history?  Is there perhaps a grain of truth in what he thinks?  What do you think is implied about history by the quote from Winston Churchill?

By the time you access this post you will have already have considered similar quotes, so in a way this post is a history of sorts!

Here are a number of quotes to set you thinking.  Do you agree or disagree?  Do you have a different opinion?  Do you have your own favourite quote?

Steve

The quotes below can be found at 

http://www.quotationspage.com/subjects/history/

along with many others.

History is the witness that testifies to the passing of time; it illumines reality, vitalises memory, provides guidance in daily life and brings us tidings of antiquity.

Cicero

Hegel was right when he said that we learn from history that man can never learn anything from history.

George Bernard Shaw

Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.

George Santayana 

History will be kind to me for I intend to write it.

Sir Winston Churchill