Customer Reviews

The Celts: Prehistory to Present Day

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This is simply the best book (in english at least) available on the broad sweep of Celtic history. John Davies asks questions that few, if any, other historians ask. An example is his attempt to determine when continental Gaulish celtic stopped being spoken. Most historians seem to assume that once the Romans took over Gaul, that was the end of Gaulish celtic being spoken. But Davies always asks more of the historical record than most authors do. He is also very evenhanded and, although he is Welsh and proud of it, he does not try to make the contributions of celtic speaking peoples to european and world history more than what they are. He writes very well and this book is aimed at a more general public than his book on the history of wales (which is also excellent). I absolutely recommend this book for anyone interested learning about the history of the celtic speaking peoples.

Beautiful photos. The text serves as a very good and well-written intro to Celtic history and culture in general, stretching from ancient times to the modern world. Good for someone who enjoys the subject but knows little about it.

nope,just some neo-celtics doing some bonding.This picture book packs a wallop and shows the divisions of Celtic groups in Europe and the Islands.I had read previously that Stonehenge may very well not be a Celtic site seeing as it was built thousands of years before the Celts even inhabited the Isles,so the Celts may well have kidnapped the site and claimed it for their own.This picture book has excellent interpretations of European sites including the La Tene and the Halstatt.According to Davies these groups were separated by hundreds of years and may have been as different from each other as night and day,so one would want to be careful when discussing the Celtic World.Remember Caesar was able to play these people against each other very well.The book also tells the history of the Celts right to the present day including the Neo-Celtic movement,and the histories of the numerous Celtic dialects.If Celtism hasn't been watered down enough,then the "New AGERs",might take it another step removed.There are some subtle "digs" between the lines in this book.I asked myself after reading this book,"Is this new Celtic movement an unconsciuos attempt to remove the psychological yoke placed on the Celtic peoples by the Romans and William the Conqueror?When true Celtic speakers see these druidic ceremonies do they wince in pain at the further kidnapping of their culture.Well remember the Celts may have borrowed Stonehenge using the same methods.Grave goods in the high status burials of supposed Celts include a sword and cauldrons,so to be a new age druid you need-a sword,a cauldron,and a farmer's almanac?This books makes alot of questions,but the critical reader will welcome it. Excellent job.