Life and Death of a Druid Prince (Paperback)

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In 1984, the 2000-year-old upper torso of a Druid victim of ritual sacrifice was found preserved in England's Lindow Moss peat bog. This book blends fact and speculation as it traces "Lindow Man's" beliefs and final days. Illustrated. (July) no PW review
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

The discovery of a 2000-year-old man's body in a peat bog in Lindow Moss, near Manchester, England on August 1, 1984 brought the authors together to study his remains, specifically his last meal. Ross is a Celtic specialist and archaeologist; Robins a chemist specializing in archaeological work. Their collaboration has resulted in this engrossing archaeological study which unfolds like a well-told detective story. With clarity and scientific skill, they reconstruct the ritual sacrifice of this 30-year-old man they deduce to have been a Celtic aristocrat. Probably a Druid priest, the man was sacrificed to the gods in A.D. 60 in the wake of a series of disasters, including the advance of Roman armies bent on crushing the Druids. The appendixes provide an overview of the Druids--their institutions, beliefs, and archaeological remains. An engrossing work for laypersons and specialists alike.
- Joan W. Gartland, Detroit P.L.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Touchstone (July 15, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671741225
• ISBN-13: 978-0671741228
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #85,326 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A brilliant telling of a historical mystery, October 9, 2000

By	Michael J Edelman (Huntington Woods, MI USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Life and Death of a Druid Prince: The Story of Lindow Man an Archaeological Sensation (Hardcover)

This book stands out in my memory as one of the best popular books ever written on an academic topic. The tale of the of Lindow Man- a body found in a peat bog- unfolds like a great mystery tale, and yet every bit of it is firmly rooted in fact. The story begins with the discovery of the body, and progresses through not only the investogation of the body itself, but through the discovery and reconstruction of ancient Celtic legends, the later British legends that derive from them, and finally their relation to the rituals that spelled the death of the man in the bog. The result is a tale far more exciting than anything you'd find in any fantasy or mystery novel.

Towords the end of the book, the authors get a bit speculative, but they're up front about this, and careful to seperate what's known from what is more conjectural. The authors' scientific training shows in the care they take to make the distinction clear.

Why this book went out of print when so many purely speculative books that aren't have as thrilling is certainly a mystery to me. If you have any interest in Celtic or Druid history, or in British legends, or in cultural and phsyical anthropology, get this book. If it doesn't go back into print soon, chase down a used copy. It's that good.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Murder most foul., November 17, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Life and Death of a Druid Prince: The Story of Lindow Man an Archaeological Sensation (Hardcover)

A fascinating read! The fact that a completely in tact body of a Druid, 1000's of years old was unearthed in a peat bog was a find in itself. How he got there is even more fascinating. This book is beautifully crafted in its presentation in that you are drawn into the discovery and summations first by the archeologist findings, then the anthropologists reconstruction, and most interesting, the paleobiologists conclusion. Amazing that they could learns so much! Positive proof of ritual death, the last meal, his clothing, and armor are priceless confirmations of history.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating detective story, February 15, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The Life and Death of a Druid Prince: The Story of Lindow Man an Archaeological Sensation (Hardcover)

It is remarkable how much the authors and forensic anthropologists manage to induce from one partial body found in a bog. I found their speculations generally very persuasive, and the writing is very good.

My only quibble is that, as other reviewers have mentioned, the last 1/3 of the book the authors lose their narrow focus and go off on all sorts of speculation involving the druids in general - that part isn't nearly as interesting.

If you like this book, the closest analaogy I can recommend is to books describing how much information archaelogists have wrung out of Lucy, the Nariokotome (sp?) boy, etc. - this book reminded me of those.