Customer Reviews

Life and Death of a Druid Prince

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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.

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.

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.

A friend of mine gave me this one a number of years ago, and I placed it with my stack of "books to read" and, well, to make a long story short, it got lost in the shuffle...Anyway, I recently ran across it again, and this time I actually read it. My goodness, I wish read this one years ago. It is a very well written and well researched story. I was absolutely amazed at what could be learned from a body found after it had spent several centuries in a peat bog. The author wove a fascinating tale of a people long departed, yet, culturally are still with us to this day. Any of those interested in Celtic history or just the history of Western Man, needs to find and read this one. It is certainly well worth adding to your collection.

Lovernios is believed to be an ancient Druid prince found ritually sacrificed in a bog. Who was this man? How did he come to be there? Discover for yourself in this fascinating historical story of Lindow man.

I really enjoyed the story of Lindow man. The authors discuss and bring forth theories on the life of Lovernios, the climate and time, and the ritual thinking which (may) have led to him paying the ultimate sacrifice to the Gods' of the bog- his life.

Great for those interested in reading about the life and times of the ancient Celts, as well as those interested in understanding elements of ancient Celtic traditions.

I bought this book in a bargain basement when it was firstpublished. Since then I have read it several times, and it stillremains fascinating. The story unfolds after finding a brutally murdered 'corpse' in a bog and evolves into an enlightening glimpse of society in pre Roman Britain. Even though this is an archaeological story, this book covers so many fields of interest, I would recommend it to virtually anyone. A must read! END

When a body was found preserved by the tannin in an ancient bog as someone was digging, archeologists and anthropologists and most importantly, a paleobiologist were called. The stomach contained the remains of the 30-year old man's last meal which consisted of a burnt bit of barley bread. The corpse was found to have been sacrificed in at least four different ways. Reconstruction of the circumstances surrounding this pagan ritual makes for fascinating reading.

I have been fascinated with bog bodies for as long as I can remember, and I find this book to be an excellent read. The author's combination of biological and historical evidence greatly influence the reader and give a better perspective of "how?" and "why?".

However, with the limited documentation and history of the exact sacrifice of Lovernius, the exact events can only be speculated upon. I think the authors portrayed the events in a very educated and convincing way regardless of how many theories may exist.

How could some one possible start with a peice of burned pancake and go to a full blown recreation of a person's life and last moments of death? Read the book and you will find out.

It is one of the best books out there that combine archeology and good old fashioned sleuthing to give you a great ride, one I will guarrentee you will never forget.

If you are intrested in the Druids and the Celts and want an accurate look at them, then this is your book.