I doubt History has any core modules apart from Historical Argument and Practice (HAP). You would probably be expected to pick papers of a certain type, for instance one political and constitutional, one social and economic, and one european history, although I'm not exactly sure how it works for affiliated students rather than normal undergrads.
For History, the reading lists cover all the possible topics within a paper, but students taking the paper only study 7-8 of those topics. You also wouldn't have to read everything on a particular topic, but would be guided as to the most important reading by your supervisor.