When we bought our bookshop (it was a pre-existing shop but not Chapter Two) we inherited a solid Military History section. We realised pretty quickly that this section had regular customers and was quite highly regarded in these circles. What we didn't fully appreciate was who these people were and why they had this particular interest.
As naturally peace-loving folk we have an abhorrence for war and all it represents... but these customers were no war-mongers. They were generally congenial, older men and, surprisingly, a fair number were women. Through talking to them about their interest (this is what booksellers do more than anything else in our job) we learnt that the vast majority of our Military History customers were obsessed with the 'History' rather than the 'Military'. It may have been that they had personally served their country in wartime but largely they were looking for insights into the experiences of a father or uncle or grandfather.
We often see these same customers also peruse our Local (South Australian) History section. You may call them 'amateur genealogists' but I think it goes deeper than that.
As humans we're always looking for our 'place' in the world - something that helps define who we are. The world is a big place and is increasingly complex, but we can hold on to our past and dig into that past within the parameters of our own bloodline - now more than ever. The internet has opened many information doors but there is still something tangible in books (sometimes even a previous owner's signature).
At Chapter Two, we focus largely on Australian experiences in the two world wars and, where possible, especially the South Australian ones (we currently have a good selection of history books written about battalions formed in South Australia).
This Sunday is Remembrance Day - November 11th - and commemorates the armistice to end hostilities in World War I (November 11th, 1918). It is an important day for Australians in our search for national identity (we are, after all, a young nation). We are still peace-loving folk and that is why we respect those customers who search for their place in the world in our Military History section. It is by researching, remembering and acknowledging our past that we can forge a peaceful path.