A few things I've learned by studying history, the victors always write it, and often you learn more about the biographer and how they use an historical figure as their medium, than the figure him/her self.

That said, there are such wonderful stories in history, it's always been a source of interest to me, not the dry dusty details.

And, I think the idea that the human race is moving forward can be very wrong, there are achievements in ancient times we have yet to surpass, and periods of enlightenment and social justice (gay marriage in Korea a thousand years ago, for one thing) that we still aspire to.