Possibly. I enjoy historical fiction not because I think it can tell me much about the problems of today but more because it can put them in perspective. Reading about Europe in the Middle Ages is great for making me appreciate the quality of life I enjoy today.

I agree. After reading a few Tom Holland books (not really historical fiction) like Dominion, under the shadow of the sword, millennium, Rubicon you start to realise how awful ancient civilizations were. Slavery was just a just an accepted norm. Likelyhood of disease or famine killing you was way higher. Worst of all was probably lack of proper plumbing. Until fairly recently, human existence for the majority, was a picture of hell.

This can also swing the other way, shining a light on ways of living (certainly including societies much less violent than the Roman Empire, a civilization neurotically focused on domination) & experiences that have since been lost and are more or less impossible to achieve now.

I think you've perfectly characterized why I love listening to Dan Carlin. He's masterful at personalizing history (even ancient history) and challenging you to ponder how you would act under the same circumstances.

I think this form of thinking, when approached with an open mind and a little imagination, is a wonderful antidote to the knee-jerk group-think that dominates today's discourse.

Shame he is bad at history though. He is an entertainer, not someone to learn about the past from like you would from a historian.

In what ways is he bad at history? Do you have examples?