Lot of knowledge is obviously required. If your aim is 21st century technology, I doubt anyone can learn enough stuff. If your goal is 19 century technology, and a rough draft of the road to follow too 21 century it is easier. I’m sure I could do that, with the exception of chemistry where I certainly lack a lot of basic knowledge (and chemistry include metallurgy so this is huge).
2. I think on the contrary that the longer you go back in time, the easier it gets (up to a point, established metallurgy is I think a necessary starting point). The reason is that the skill and knowledge gap between you and the rest of the world is smaller in more recent period. If you went back to 1700, chances are Louis XIV or someone like him would hear about you and find a way to copy some of your “inventions”.
3. This has a second consequence : you want a period that is stable enough that you get a bit of slack at the beginning—you need time to get rich somehow—and already has a functioning society. You don’t want to risk getting stabbed two weeks after your arrival. You also want a geographical area that has the right natural resources—iron and coal are a must, good agricultural land and ocean access too.
Your early strategy should be to become friend with the local king. In fact, I doubt you can succeed without political power at your side. Fortunately you also have in mind a few way you can help a king to stabilize his power so you only need a strong centralised kingdom or empire to start in, with a good monarch that can help you get started. Good choices include August, Charlemagne, probably a handful of Abbasid caliphs, Ottoman sultans and Chinese emperors. I’d go with Charlemagne because 1) inheritance rule is way better than during the Roman empire (you’d just need to stop him from dividing the empire between his sons), 2) France has enough coal and iron to get you started, good agriculture and good harbours and 3) being at the Western end of Europe is a huge advantage when you will want to “discover” America. Actually screw that, the best places to start are 14th century Venice and 17th century Japan.
Becoming friend with a great leader has two big advantages : 1) you get a kick start in money, military power and infrastructure and 2) you get a charismatic guy to do the dirty political job that you are unable to do due to being a nerdy geek, so you can concentrate on what you do best (being a nerdy geek).
Lot of knowledge is obviously required. If your aim is 21st century technology, I doubt anyone can learn enough stuff. If your goal is 19 century technology, and a rough draft of the road to follow too 21 century it is easier.
I’m sure I could do that, with the exception of chemistry where I certainly lack a lot of basic knowledge (and chemistry include metallurgy so this is huge).
2. I think on the contrary that the longer you go back in time, the easier it gets (up to a point, established metallurgy is I think a necessary starting point). The reason is that the skill and knowledge gap between you and the rest of the world is smaller in more recent period. If you went back to 1700, chances are Louis XIV or someone like him would hear about you and find a way to copy some of your “inventions”.
3. This has a second consequence : you want a period that is stable enough that you get a bit of slack at the beginning—you need time to get rich somehow—and already has a functioning society. You don’t want to risk getting stabbed two weeks after your arrival.
You also want a geographical area that has the right natural resources—iron and coal are a must, good agricultural land and ocean access too.
Your early strategy should be to become friend with the local king. In fact, I doubt you can succeed without political power at your side. Fortunately you also have in mind a few way you can help a king to stabilize his power so you only need a strong centralised kingdom or empire to start in, with a good monarch that can help you get started.
Good choices include August, Charlemagne, probably a handful of Abbasid caliphs, Ottoman sultans and Chinese emperors.
I’d go with Charlemagne because 1) inheritance rule is way better than during the Roman empire (you’d just need to stop him from dividing the empire between his sons), 2) France has enough coal and iron to get you started, good agriculture and good harbours and 3) being at the Western end of Europe is a huge advantage when you will want to “discover” America.
Actually screw that, the best places to start are 14th century Venice and 17th century Japan.
Becoming friend with a great leader has two big advantages : 1) you get a kick start in money, military power and infrastructure and 2) you get a charismatic guy to do the dirty political job that you are unable to do due to being a nerdy geek, so you can concentrate on what you do best (being a nerdy geek).