ALT-4 Gift Ideas for History Buffs
History lovers can be a tough group to buy for, especially if you are not as passionate about history as they are. Their fairly niche interests makes it a challenge for someone who knows little about the subjects they enjoy, but a few categories can usually get them very excited about opening your gift.
History books can be a great gift for the history buff in your life. There are countless books written about almost any topic in history, from World War II to ancient trade. Civil War buffs would love Shelby Foote's massiveThe Civil War: A Narrative, a 3,000 page, three book series that is widely regarded to be a comprehensive history of the war. Find out what subjects within a period in history they like and consider finding a book on that topic.Roger R Reesehas excellent works on the Soviet Army and presents that unique system in a way that shows the Red Army in a social and political context. Be careful about buying books that strongly contradict your history buff's opinions on a subject, as some people have strong views on particular issues in history. Southern Civil War aficionados for instance probably would not particularly enjoy a biography about General Sherman, the man who led a destructive march through Georgia at the end of the war and torched the city of Atlanta. Buying them a Kindle or similar device and loading it with digital copies of the books is a great idea if they do not have one of these devices already.
DVD and Blu-ray movies about history would also be great gifts. They allow your history buff to sit back and enjoy learning about history while they see it unfold before them on their screen. Ken Burns'The Civil WarandThe Waror History Channel'sWorld War II in HD and Vietnam in HDare great options for this. Hollywood films based on historical events are great gifts as well, but attention should be paid to doing a little research about finding out how historically accurate these films are. Some, likeBand of Brothers, were made based on the lives of the men depicted in them with great attention paid to their accounts while others are cheesy films made with little attention to getting historical details right. While some of these movies might sell well in the box office, the most entertainment a hardcore history lover will get from them is trying to pick out each historical inaccuracy.
Models are a great gift for many military historians. Airplanes, tanks, ships, and soldiers that your historian can build, paint, and display can give them hours of fun meticulously recreating history on a smaller scale. Ask questions about it first, since you do not want to give a model to someone who would rather learn about history than display it or may have arthritis or carpal tunnel syndrome that makes putting intricate models together painful if not impossible.
Games related to history are a great gift for the technologically-advanced history buff. There are plenty of great options in first-person shooting games, flight simulators, and strategy simulations. Shooters likeCall of Duty: World at Warbring the Soviet campaign and US Marine campaigns during World War II to life.Rise of Flightis a simulator that lets World War I aviation buffs fly the simple yet difficult to control aircraft of the era while taking on computer and human opponents.Hearts of Iron IIIandVictoria IIare immersive games that allow players to manage a nation of their choice through World War II and the height of European empires in the 19th and early 20th Centuries, putting them in the roles of Queen Victoria, FDR, Churchill, or Hitler (yes, you can be the baddies too). Be careful though, you might not see much of your favorite history buff after they start mobilizing virtual armies for the march on Berlin.
Historical antiques are probably the coolest gifts that a history fanatic can get. There is a huge "oooh and aaah" factor in these gifts, since they actually came from the time period they are interested in. Old military manuals, medals, bayonets, guns, uniform parts, and all sorts of other things have high appeal for military historians. "Trench art", which is art made from military items like spent artillery shells, is a very cool gift and could very well end up being a prominent part of their collection. Old magazines, records, tobacco tins, signs, and almost any other "junk" can be interesting to someone who is devoted to its history. eBay, private websites, gun shows, flea markets, and estate sales are great places to find military treasures for someone you think might enjoy them.
These are some of the best gifts ideas for history lovers in your life. Be creative and make sure it fits their interest and you can have one very excited history geek. Just be prepared for a lecture about their subject!
