It is clear from the Shulchan Aruch that one should ideally stay away from certain types of books - not just on Shabbos, but the whole time.

In Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 307:16 it writes the following:

מליצות ומשלים של שיחת חולין ודברי חשק כגון ספר עמנואל וכן ספרי מלחמות אסור לקרות בהם בשבת ואף בחול אסור משום מושב לצים ועובר משום אל תפנו אל האלילים לא תפנו אל מדעתכם ובדברי חשק איכא תו משום מגרה יצר הרע ומי שחיברן ומי שהעתיקן ואין צריך לומר המדפיסן מחטיאים את הרבים: הגה ונראה לדקדק הא דאסור לקרות בשיחות חולין וספורי מלחמות היינו דוקא אם כתובים בלשון לע"ז אבל בלשון הקודש שרי וכן נ"ל מלשון שכתבו התוס' פרק כל כתבי וכן נהגו להקל בזה

One may not read on Shabbos secular books of phrases and parables, books of passion (such as Emanuel) and war books. One may not read them during the week as well because it is a “sitting of scoffers” and because one is “removing Hashem from one’s mind”. Books of passion have an extra prohibition of arousing one’s evil inclination, and therefore the authors, the duplicators and of course the publishers cause the masses to sin. RAMA: It is noteworthy that it is only prohibited to read secular writings and war books when they are written in foreign languages, but when written in Lashon Hakodesh it is permitted. That is what I see from Tosefos in Perek Kol Kisvei (Shabbos 116b), and people are accustomed to being lenient with this. (Sefaria translation)

Indeed the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 90:11 seems to open this is up to cover even more of history, as he includes in the איסור:

וְכֵן סִפְרֵי מִלְחָמוֹת וְסִפְרֵי דִּבְרֵי הַיָּמִים שֶׁל מַלְכֵי אֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם

And similarly, books about wars, and history books dealing with worldly kingdoms [and governments]

1. If I could please focus on 'Sipurei Milchamos' specifically, how exactly do we define this? - Would there be a problem with majoring in the subject of History in University? Or do we say that war is only one facet of history and therefore not enough of a reason to not pursue it.

And,

2. What would be the parameters, there are numerous Universities in the UK (and probably further afield) that offer a 'War Studies' degree. Would taking this degree option be outright contravening this halocho as the whole three years of study centre around the topic of war including the history the politics and strategies?

It is clear from the Shulchan Aruch that one should ideally stay away from certain types of books - not just on Shabbos, but the whole time.

In Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 307:16 it writes the following:

מליצות ומשלים של שיחת חולין ודברי חשק כגון ספר עמנואל וכן ספרי מלחמות אסור לקרות בהם בשבת ואף בחול אסור משום מושב לצים ועובר משום אל תפנו אל האלילים לא תפנו אל מדעתכם ובדברי חשק איכא תו משום מגרה יצר הרע ומי שחיברן ומי שהעתיקן ואין צריך לומר המדפיסן מחטיאים את הרבים: הגה ונראה לדקדק הא דאסור לקרות בשיחות חולין וספורי מלחמות היינו דוקא אם כתובים בלשון לע"ז אבל בלשון הקודש שרי וכן נ"ל מלשון שכתבו התוס' פרק כל כתבי וכן נהגו להקל בזה

One may not read on Shabbos secular books of phrases and parables, books of passion (such as Emanuel) and war books. One may not read them during the week as well because it is a “sitting of scoffers” and because one is “removing Hashem from one’s mind”. Books of passion have an extra prohibition of arousing one’s evil inclination, and therefore the authors, the duplicators and of course the publishers cause the masses to sin. RAMA: It is noteworthy that it is only prohibited to read secular writings and war books when they are written in foreign languages, but when written in Lashon Hakodesh it is permitted. That is what I see from Tosefos in Perek Kol Kisvei (Shabbos 116b), and people are accustomed to being lenient with this. (Sefaria translation)

Indeed the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 90:11 seems to open this is up to cover even more of history, as he includes in the איסור:

וְכֵן סִפְרֵי מִלְחָמוֹת וְסִפְרֵי דִּבְרֵי הַיָּמִים שֶׁל מַלְכֵי אֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם

And similarly, books about wars, and history books dealing with worldly kingdoms [and governments] (Sefaria translation)

1. If I could please focus on 'Sipurei Milchamos' specifically, how exactly do we define this? - Would there be a problem with majoring in the subject of History in University? Or do we say that war is only one facet of history and therefore not enough of a reason to not pursue it.

And,

2. What would be the parameters, there are numerous Universities in the UK (and probably further afield) that offer a 'War Studies' degree. Would taking this degree option be outright contravening this halocho as the whole three years of study centre around the topic of war including the history the politics and strategies?

It is clear from the Shulchan that one should ideally stay away from certain types of books.

In Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 307:16 it writes the following:

מליצות ומשלים של שיחת חולין ודברי חשק כגון ספר עמנואל וכן ספרי מלחמות אסור לקרות בהם בשבת ואף בחול אסור משום מושב לצים ועובר משום אל תפנו אל האלילים לא תפנו אל מדעתכם ובדברי חשק איכא תו משום מגרה יצר הרע ומי שחיברן ומי שהעתיקן ואין צריך לומר המדפיסן מחטיאים את הרבים: הגה ונראה לדקדק הא דאסור לקרות בשיחות חולין וספורי מלחמות היינו דוקא אם כתובים בלשון לע"ז אבל בלשון הקודש שרי וכן נ"ל מלשון שכתבו התוס' פרק כל כתבי וכן נהגו להקל בזה

One may not read on Shabbos secular books of phrases and parables, books of passion (such as Emanuel) and war books. One may not read them during the week as well because it is a “sitting of scoffers” and because one is “removing Hashem from one’s mind”. Books of passion have an extra prohibition of arousing one’s evil inclination, and therefore the authors, the duplicators and of course the publishers cause the masses to sin. RAMA: It is noteworthy that it is only prohibited to read secular writings and war books when they are written in foreign languages, but when written in Lashon Hakodesh it is permitted. That is what I see from Tosefos in Perek Kol Kisvei (Shabbos 116b), and people are accustomed to being lenient with this. (Sefaria translation)

Indeed the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 90:11 seems to open this is up to cover even more of history, as he includes in the איסור:

וְכֵן סִפְרֵי מִלְחָמוֹת וְסִפְרֵי דִּבְרֵי הַיָּמִים שֶׁל מַלְכֵי אֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם

And similarly, books about wars, and history books dealing with worldly kingdoms [and governments]

1. If I could please focus on 'Sipurei Milchamos' specifically, how exactly do we define this? - Would there be a problem with majoring in the subject of History in University? Or do we say that war is only one facet of history and therefore not enough of a reason to not pursue it.

And,

2. What would be the parameters, there are numerous Universities in the UK (and probably further afield) that offer a 'War Studies' degree. Would taking this degree option be outright contravening this halocho as the whole three years of study centre around the topic of war including the history the politics and strategies?

It is clear from the Shulchan Aruch that one should ideally stay away from certain types of books - not just on Shabbos, but the whole time.

In Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 307:16 it writes the following:

מליצות ומשלים של שיחת חולין ודברי חשק כגון ספר עמנואל וכן ספרי מלחמות אסור לקרות בהם בשבת ואף בחול אסור משום מושב לצים ועובר משום אל תפנו אל האלילים לא תפנו אל מדעתכם ובדברי חשק איכא תו משום מגרה יצר הרע ומי שחיברן ומי שהעתיקן ואין צריך לומר המדפיסן מחטיאים את הרבים: הגה ונראה לדקדק הא דאסור לקרות בשיחות חולין וספורי מלחמות היינו דוקא אם כתובים בלשון לע"ז אבל בלשון הקודש שרי וכן נ"ל מלשון שכתבו התוס' פרק כל כתבי וכן נהגו להקל בזה

One may not read on Shabbos secular books of phrases and parables, books of passion (such as Emanuel) and war books. One may not read them during the week as well because it is a “sitting of scoffers” and because one is “removing Hashem from one’s mind”. Books of passion have an extra prohibition of arousing one’s evil inclination, and therefore the authors, the duplicators and of course the publishers cause the masses to sin. RAMA: It is noteworthy that it is only prohibited to read secular writings and war books when they are written in foreign languages, but when written in Lashon Hakodesh it is permitted. That is what I see from Tosefos in Perek Kol Kisvei (Shabbos 116b), and people are accustomed to being lenient with this. (Sefaria translation)

Indeed the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 90:11 seems to open this is up to cover even more of history, as he includes in the איסור:

וְכֵן סִפְרֵי מִלְחָמוֹת וְסִפְרֵי דִּבְרֵי הַיָּמִים שֶׁל מַלְכֵי אֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם

And similarly, books about wars, and history books dealing with worldly kingdoms [and governments]

1. If I could please focus on 'Sipurei Milchamos' specifically, how exactly do we define this? - Would there be a problem with majoring in the subject of History in University? Or do we say that war is only one facet of history and therefore not enough of a reason to not pursue it.

And,

2. What would be the parameters, there are numerous Universities in the UK (and probably further afield) that offer a 'War Studies' degree. Would taking this degree option be outright contravening this halocho as the whole three years of study centre around the topic of war including the history the politics and strategies?