Things to know about me: I love history. It is one of my greatest passions. We cannot understand the world we live, or who we are,  in if we do not understand how our world and lives came to be. And that requires looking far and deep into the past.

For if old men are considered wise because they have seen more than others, how much more wisdom can history lend us – if it be written correctly.  For it contains the seeds of many ages and their reasons. So that one may easily find what to imitate and what to avoid, and be spurred on to great deeds by emulation of outstanding men. 

Leonardo Bruni, 1415