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The Ancient Celts (Hardcover)

by Barry Cunliffe (Author) "WITHOUT the descriptions and speculations of Greek and Roman writers, our understanding of the Iron Age communities of central and western Europe-the traditional homeland of..." (more)
Key Phrases: Iron Age, Asia Minor, Late Bronze Age (more...)
4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (14 customer reviews)


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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Each generation, the British scholar Jacquetta Hawkes has observed, chooses the archaeology that best suits its current ideology. For a century beginning in the late 1800s, archaeologists depicted the Celts as an inordinately brave and poetic tribal people who battled their way across the Eurasian world without being unduly aggressive--in the manner, that is, of good colonialists. Today some archaeologists are more inclined to consider the Celts as a people who kept ethnic unity alive across a huge span of territory and time, a view that may offer comfort in a time when, as Oxford University professor Barry Cunliffe writes, "ethnic divisions are becoming a painful and disturbing reality." Cunliffe himself takes the view that the Celts were at once alike and diverse, which led to the formation of many different Celtic cultures from the Black Sea to Ireland. This heavily illustrated, well-written book tells their story well, from the beginnings of Celtic culture in the distant Indo-European past to the height of Celtic power in the third century A.D.

From Library Journal
This survey of the origins of the Celts and their expansion during the Iron Age through their largely successful subjection by the Romans is sure to be of interest to many readers. Cunliffe (European archaeology, Oxford) has written a readable and informatve book with many attractive illustrations, a good index, and a helpful annotated bibliography. The focus is archaeological, but not exclusively, as Cunliffe does explore literary and oral traditions as well. An interesting aspect of the book is the description of 18th- and 19th-century amateur archaeologists and Celtic enthusiasts. The Celtic peoples are a popular topic among many scholars and lay readers, and this title would be a good purchase for larger public and most academic libraries.?Charles V. Cowling, Drake Memorial Lib., Brockport, N.Y.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

  • Hardcover: 360 pages
  • Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (September 25, 1997)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0198150105
  • ISBN-13: 978-0198150107
  • Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 7.3 x 1.1 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 2.7 pounds
  • Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #765,540 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in this category: (What's this?)

    #29 in  Books > History > Ancient > Europe

Inside This Book (learn more)
First Sentence:
WITHOUT the descriptions and speculations of Greek and Roman writers, our understanding of the Iron Age communities of central and western Europe-the traditional homeland of the Celts-would be very different. Read the first page
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Iron Age, Asia Minor, Late Bronze Age, Middle Danube, Black Sea, Great Hungarian Plain, British Museum, Late Hallstatt, Julius Caesar, Pontic Steppe, Lower Danube, Diodorus Siculus, Vegetal Style, Low Countries, British Isles, Gallic War, Iberian Peninsula, Maiden Castle, Old Irish, Second Punic War, Ulster Cycle, Upper Danube, Celtic Europe, Dun Aengus, Early Style
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Customer Reviews

14 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
4.2 out of 5 stars (14 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
40 of 41 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars The treasures of a lost society, April 14, 2003
By Stephen A. Haines (Ottawa, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews
(TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)      
This review is from: The Ancient Celts (Paperback)
An informative and comprehensive overview of the history of Celtic Eurasia. Cunliffe's status as a leading scholar in this field is well deserved. This volume exhibits the result of many years of work. The wealth and breadth, in both time and space, of the material preclude Cunliffe engaging in flowery rhetoric or idle speculations. Using archaeology as the basis for his presentation, he provides both textual and graphic information. The result is a thorough examination of the development and movements of the Celtic peoples. Their impact on the geopolitics of Europe is great, he reminds us. Place names, artistic styles, and numerous practical elements, many of which have been downplayed or ignored during the Christian centuries, remain as a legacy of their presence and influence.

Given the paucity of Celtic written records, Cunliffe begins with a early archaeological efforts and snippets of Greco-Roman observations. What the Celts thought of themselves must remain a mystery. Those observing them found a warrior society, highly sophisticated in that realm from both aggressive and defensive standpoints. Highly mobile, the Celts established societies from Western Asia to the British Isles. In their settlements, which became increasingly organized and administered over the centuries, they laid the foundations of many modern communities. Cunliffe's accounts of these settlements, particularly those in the Iberian peninsula is likely to offer fresh information for many students.

Cunliffe gives us overviews of the "barbarian" migrations and their impact on European society. The most important result of Celtic movements, of course, was the counter expansion of Rome. Celtic domination of the trans-Alpine region drew Rome into Europe proper. Rome's choice of land routes for armies instead of sea routes for trade meant occupation or dominance of Celtic holdings. These counterforces had far-reaching results in all areas of European life. Even religion, which was normally viewed tolerantly by Rome, came under assault when the Celtic Druids became the force organizing resistance to Roman rule. Cunliffe traces these interactions with a scholar's precision, relating it all in a crisp narration.

The author's long career in this field has provided him with a storehouse of resources. Aside from the fine bibliographic essay, he enhances the main text with excellent maps, illustrations and photographs, many in colour. These cultural images impart a graphic sense of how misleading the term "barbarian" is applied to these people. Their rich heritage, eroded by Rome and virtually eliminated by Christianity is revived by Cunliffe's superb recounting of their world. This book is valuable at many levels and well worth the investment. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

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21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Very Detailed and Informative, June 15, 2001
By A Customer
This review is from: The Ancient Celts (Paperback)
Let me start by saying I am nowhere near an expert on this subject. I read this book because I wanted to learn more about the Celts. Although I found this book to be a bit academic for my liking it was obviously scrupulously researched. My biggest complaint was the use of archaic names for ancient geographical locations without providing an approximate modern reference point; the same holds true for the mention of many long extinct cultural groups. The numerous maps which were included did not to my mind provide much clarification, plus they were all clustered together at the end of the book which made it cumbersome to keep flipping back and forth. Perhaps it was the author's intent to target a more scholarly audience which would explain my frustration with the content; hence, the 4 stars.
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17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars A solid introductory work, May 24, 2001
This review is from: The Ancient Celts (Paperback)
I have grown to appreciate this book over the past five years. Although I do not use it myself much anymore, I do assign it to my Archaeology 1 tutorial students. It's an easier read than 'The European Iron Age' (John Collis), and I prefer the layout and illlustrations of 'The Ancient Celts' to 'Exploring the World of the Celts' (Simon James).

I would very much recommend this as a first text for those who are interested in the archaeology of the Celts. It's very well-written, and the illustrations are highly evocative.

However, as with any single-author account covering such a wide geographic area over such a span of time, there are disagreements over some aspects of Cunliffe's interpretations. Because of this, I would suggest that 'The Ancient Celts' is probably best read in conjuntion with either of the two books mentioned above.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars History Buff
This is a great book. After reading many books on Roman history, I am now obtaining an expanded perspective of the world in which the Romans formed their empire. Read more
Published 6 months ago by David A. Storm

2.0 out of 5 stars Mostly an archeological textbook
Although this book has a lot of interesting information and photos, it it so tediously written and so focused on specific archeological finds that it was very disappointing... Read more
Published on February 24, 2007 by Raven

3.0 out of 5 stars Good photos bur disappointing contents
The pictures are beautiful, showing many unusual pieces, but the content is often only school-book level, with little in-depth analysis or contextualizing. Read more
Published on February 23, 2006 by Lupe Andrade

5.0 out of 5 stars Stop Right Here!
If you are wondering what to read about the Celts, with little previous exposure to the subject, then you only need to know one thing: "The Ancient Celts" by Barry Cunliffe. Read more
Published on December 13, 2005 by Bu-chan

5.0 out of 5 stars A Very Interesting Book, Serving to Build a Good Foundational Knowledge of Our Celtic Heritage.
For anyone wanting an understanding of the Celtic people, Cunliffe's "The Ancient Celts" is an excellent introduction, as well as a fine review for those with a foundation in... Read more
Published on November 26, 2005 by Michael Chesbro

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful, and ground-breaking
Wonderful book, Cunliffe is a well-known scholar who's an expert on celtic archeology, and has been in numerous television shows and documentaries. Read more
Published on November 14, 2005 by BottledHammer

4.0 out of 5 stars A fasinating culture that covered Europe before Rome
The Celtic culture has been mythologized and co-opted by many artists, commercial enterprises, and even sports teams. Read more
Published on May 11, 2005 by Craig Matteson

5.0 out of 5 stars The definitive work on the Ancient Celts
Cunliffe is the greatest living author on the history of the Celts. This book is good for the beginner and yet the Celtophile will find themselves returning to it again and again... Read more
Published on April 5, 2005 by Hallstatt Prince

5.0 out of 5 stars Nice
This book is imformative and nice two thums up. Read it if your in 7th or 8th grade so get if your doing National History Day aka NHD
Published on October 13, 2004

2.0 out of 5 stars Old-fashioned and uninteresting
Cunlife's work, though a good introduction to the Celts, is elementary and old-fashioned. He doesn't address the real issues in Celtic archaeology. Read more
Published on May 6, 1999

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