[quote author=nightwalker link=board=2;threadid=145;start=0#msg2050 date=1053634728]
History is boring. Its male politics and war and fame. That doesn't interest me as reading material. Real history would be about normal people.
[/quote]
I agree! I think we should learn about people who sat around all day and didn't even try to be famous. Ambition is wrong.
Actually, there is quite a bit of recent emphasis in learning about famous women.
I would prefer an author have a very detailed idea of the world created, including any history that may be pertinent to the plot or characters. Adding a little snippet of the past here and there can also add to the realism of the world. This is very important to many readers, even if they aren't aware of it. I know if I see a writer "add in" details about the past I have more faith in his/her ability to produce a truly complex world and story.
Besides this a fantasy book often deals with "world" events. If you are reading an epic it only makes sense that the past be taken into account in some way. Epics and fantasy are fairly common, and if the characters are to change the world the reader should (logically) know something about what came before this change.