The Atlantic Celts: Ancient People Or Modern Invention? [Paperback]

Simon James (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0299166740 | ISBN-13: 978-0299166748 | Publication Date: May 14, 1999 | Edition: 1

The Celtic peoples hold a fundamental place in the British national conscious-ness. In this book Simon James surveys ancient and modern ideas of the Celts and challenges them in the light of revolutionary new thinking on the Iron Age peoples of Britain. Examining how ethnic and national identities are constructed, he presents an alternative history of the British Isles, proposing that the idea of insular Celtic identity is really a product of the rise of nationalism in the eighteenth century. He considers whether the “Celticness” of the British Isles is a romantic, even politically dangerous, falsification of history, with implications for the debate on self-government for the Celtic regions of the United Kingdom.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Simon James is an Iron Age and Roman archologist with the British Museum.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: University of Wisconsin Press; 1 edition (May 14, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0299166740
• ISBN-13: 978-0299166748
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.8 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #874,965 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A well-known approach in academic circles, August 30, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: The Atlantic Celts: Ancient People Or Modern Invention? (Paperback)

Dr James's book is not intended as a "denial of [British] Celtic" ancestry, but as a presentation of a well-known approach to British history in academic circles. Dr James clearly explains that academics' reluctance to talk to the general public about their latest findings has resulted in a serious gap between academic and public views of the past.

The book comes to no firm conclusions about Britain's ancient past, but points out clearly: that the finds for the era are far fewer than on the Continent; that the finds are open to multiple interpretations; that the competing theories of mass invasion, the imposition of an elite group's culture on the populous, or that some aspects of Continental Celtic culture were enthusiastically embraced while the British retained their own identity/ies cannot yet be resolved; that cultural and ethnic identities are complex; that the current concepts of Celtic identity were formed in opposition to English domination of British politics and power.

None of this is new - I was taught precisely the same by the [native Welsh-speaking] faculty of the Department of Welsh History at Aberystwyth over 10 years ago. In fact, Prof Geraint Jenkins gave a marvellous lecture on how Celtic Studies came to be, which closely matched Dr James's explaination. Prof Ronald Hutton explains in 'The Pagan Religions of the Ancient British Isles' (an oldy, but goody) that the modern concepts of Celtic and Saxon national traits are traceable directly to the 18th century, and that we've been unconsciously living up (or down) to them ever since.

None of this is to deny modern Celtic cultural identification, and Dr James is explicit about that; what IS vitally important to us all is to be able to look clearly at the evidence for how our ethnic identities may have been formed, and to accept that some of our dearly-held beliefs may not be as firmly rooted in hard fact as we would like, and that the ancient past is still "an unknown country".

27 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Gutsy Move, October 9, 2005

By 

Bu-Chan (Aotearoa) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Atlantic Celts: Ancient People Or Modern Invention? (Paperback)

With so much emotional attachment to the identity of being "Celtic", it was a gutsy move to publish a book bringing the Celtic identity of Britain into question. However, despite this, it is always good to take a fresh look at evidence from a different angle, whether one agrees with the conclusions or not.

James presents his argument against a unified "Celtic" people in the British Isles, and presents this argument well. He especially calls into question the theory of a mass migration of Celtic peoples from Europe, demonstrating that there is very little archaeological evidence for it, especially when compared to regions where such migrations are known to have happened. In fact, the archaeological record just does not square with the theory.

Unlike some, I did not find James' book overly burdensome with the details of what James was trying to say and how he approached it. Being from a non-archaeological background, I found this information both helpful and interesting. Admittedly, if you are experienced in such matters, you might find it a bit boring.

It seems that James treats the evidence available from the archaeological record reasonably fairly, and presents a reasonably plausible argument for his views. He covers a lot of territory in such a small book, and at times, I would have liked to get more detail on some aspects of it.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed a book that dared rock the boat, and take a new look at the available evidence. In concluding that the identity of the British people as "Celtic" is an 18th century response due to political and social conditions of the time was a gutsy move, but one that needed to be made. James has hit a nerve, and some of the threats he has received are testament to that. A brave man, indeed!

One note of caution: if you have absolutely no knowledge about Celts and theories of the Celtic identity of British people, I would suggest that you read a broader introduction. This book is not really an introduction to Celtic history in itself.

31 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally, February 8, 2004

By 

V. Phin - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Atlantic Celts: Ancient People Or Modern Invention? (Paperback)

Finally, a popularly-published book available in the same stores that sell the pro-Celtic master race neopagan drivel that many believe at present. What defines a Celt has been and still is widely debated in academic circles, from the famed mummies of Urumchi to some of the Sea Peoples recorded by Egyptians and Hebrews. Although not the best book of academic inquiry I've read, I'm happy to give it five stars for the courageous publication.