[Quiet Man Cometh]

I find it's the broader context of history that will catch my interest. For instance, knowing the history of X and Y is not as interesting as realizing that parts of X and Y where happening at the same time.

One eye-opener for me came up in on of my English courses where we were talking about European literature and the casual mention of Britain having problems with an "upstart colony." Yes, to us the American Revolution was a big thing, but to the larger world, it was a spat that was Britain's concern and it was the French Revolution that was a far bigger deal.

It's also eye-opening (and annoying) how complicated and convoluted things can get when you start looking at things closely. Native American land claims, for example. Sounds simple on the surface but it's a doozy when you start digging. That is a subject in which history and modern day clash big time. In which context do you analyze it? How much of history do you return to?