Here at the State Historical Institute, we place great stock in history. Of particular interest to the author:

The Wars of the Roses (1450ish - 1485)
One of England's most turbulent dynastic struggles, often overlooked by the National Curriculum. History, they say, is often written by the victors, and in the case of this period of history nothing is more common. Indeed, Richard III is often portrayed as a child-murdering* hunchback... a little piece of 17th century Tudor Propaganda still widely believed despite good efforts by The Richard III Society, and the Richard III Foundation.

The period of the Wars of the Roses is portrayed with great attention to detail by The Company Ecorcheur medieval society.

The Golden Age of Piracy (1780 - 1830ish)
The word "pirates" conjures up many fantastical images and tales from the Hollywood archives. However, the reality of the "golden age" is as fascinating as the fiction.

The actual date range of the so-called "golden age" varies according to individual writers, but is generally accepted as somewhere around the closing two decades of the C17th, and the opening three of the C18th.

Bracketed by the English Civil War and The Industrial Revolution (or the American Revolution), this period of maritime audacity and excitement, of scientific discovery and exploration, is also largely ignored in the National Curriculum.

And the uniforms are jolly nice, too.

The Duke of Marlborough (1650 - 1722)
John Churchill, First Duke of Marlborough was one of our most successful and brilliant generals. He never lost a battle. One of his most famous engagements was The Battle of Blenheim (after which he got himself a rather nice house).

The battle, and the rest of the campaign around The War Of Spanish Succession, is largely responsible for the borders and politics of modern Europe.

Here's some useful links for the historically inclined (particularly those of a re-enactment nature):

Living History forum, information resource and meeting place for UK re-enactors.
The Costumer's Manifesto has superb links for costumes & accessories through the ages.
The Company Ecorcheur is the medieval society to which I belong. Further historical links can be found here.
The Period Fencer's Guild, of which I am also a member, cover some 600 years of authentic military combat.