Britain Begins Reprint Edition

by Barry Cunliffe (Author)

37 customer reviews

ISBN-13: 978-0199679454

ISBN-10: 0199679452

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The last Ice Age, which came to an end about 12,000 years ago, swept the bands of hunter gatherers from the face of the land that was to become Britain and Ireland, but as the ice sheets retreated and the climate improved so human groups spread slowly northwards, re-colonizing the land that had been laid waste. From that time onwards Britain and Ireland have been continuously inhabited and the resident population has increased from a few hundreds to more than 60 million.

Britain Begins is nothing less than the story of the origins of the British and the Irish peoples, from around 10,000BC to the eve of the Norman Conquest. Using the most up to date archaeological evidence together with new work on DNA and other scientific techniques which help us to trace the origins and movements of these early settlers, Barry Cunliffe offers a rich narrative account of the first islanders - who they were, where they came from, and how they interacted one with another. Underlying this narrative throughout is the story of the sea, which allowed the islanders and their continental neighbours to be in constant contact.

The story told by the archaeological evidence, in later periods augmented by historical texts, satisfies our need to know who we are and where we come from. But before the development of the discipline of archaeology, people used what scraps there were, gleaned from Biblical and classical texts, to create a largely mythological origin for the British. Britain Begins also explores the development of these early myths, which show our ancestors attempting to understand their origins. And, as Cunliffe shows, today's archaeologists are driven by the same desire to understand the past - the only real difference is that we have vastly more evidence to work with.

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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Cunliffe steers a masterful course thorugh more than 11 millennia of human development ... This beautifully produced and informative work of synthesis and interpretation will provide an ideal starting point for those interested in the British past and a useful point of re-engagement for those who feel that they are already over-familiar with the basic narrative." --BBC History Magazine

"Barry Cunliffe's account is handsomely produced and impeccable in its scholarship, the nearest thing we have to a definitive account of Britain's story from the end of the ice Age to the Norman Conquest." --The Scotsman

"Sweeping from the end of the last Ice Age to the eve of the Norman Conquest, this book contains a vast amount of information, accessibly presented. It is an enjoyable journey, and one that never loses sight of the wider picture." --Current Archaeology

About the Author

Barry Cunliffe taught archaeology in the Universities of Bristol and Southampton and was Professor of European Archaeology at the University of Oxford from 1972 to 2008, thereafter becoming Emeritus Professor. He has excavated widely in Britain (Fishbourne, Bath, Danebury, Hengistbury Head, Brading) and in the Channel Islands, Brittany, and Spain, and has been President of the Council for British Archaeology and of the Society of Antiquaries, Governor of the Museum of London, and a Trustee of the British Museum. He is currently a Commissioner of English Heritage. His many publications include The Ancient Celts, Facing the Ocean, and The Druids: A Very Short Introduction. He received a knighthood in 2006.

Product details

Paperback: 568 pages
Publisher: Oxford University Press; Reprint edition (January 1, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0199679452
ISBN-13: 978-0199679454
Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 1.1 x 7.4 inches
Shipping Weight: 2.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 37 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #153,459 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #55 in Books > Textbooks > Social Sciences > Archaeology
- #94 in Books > History > Historical Study & Educational Resources > Historical Geography
- #191 in Books > Textbooks > Humanities > History > Ancient

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Priscilla Manwaring

New Celtic Information

March 12, 2013

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

Cunliffe is a noted archaeologist whose books are always a pleasure to read and highly informative. What I especially liked here was his examination of the possible origin of the Celtic language along the European Atlantic coastal region. It is possible that instead of the traditional view, which sees the Celtic language originating in Central Europe from Poland through Gaul and to Italy and Celtiberian Spain, that the Celtic language instead moved from the Atlantic coast, the peoples who eventually came to speak it, having come from the Anatolian region through Italy and along the Mediterranean to what is now
Spain and then to the Atlantic coast; then the developed Celtic language moved to Central Europe. Cunliffe was greatly affected by the DNA analysis of Stephen Oppenheimer in reaching this view, but Cunliffe has long been an expert on the Atlantic coastal regions. Since neither Cunliffe nor Oppenheimer are professional linquists, it will be interesting to see how the linquists react to this view. Cunliffe also follows Oppenheimer in positing that the inhabitants of what is now England may have been speaking a Germanic dialect from as early as 6000 BCE or have developed one from their known frequent interactions with the mainland European Germanic dialect speakers. This would explain why Celtic has left so relatively little trace on present day English and why the Anglo-Saxon dialects became so readily accepted.. Cunliffe is less sure than Oppenheimer that we can differentiate the early Neolithic Germanic influences from the later DNA supplied by by Angles, Saxons, Frisians, and Jutes of the 5th century CE and the still later Viking influence from CE 800 on. Readers should note that these speculations take up but one chapter in a many chaptered book on early Britain.

46 people found this helpful

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Fascinating Matter, Engaging Manner

December 7, 2013

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Another wonderful book from historian Barry Cunliffe, who can meld archaelogy and history into a fascinating tale better than any other writer I know. This book traces the history of the British Isles from the earliest human habitation up to the Norman Conquest. Most of the book, therefore, is based on archaelogical records rather than on written ones; it presents these so clearly that one can envision them, and shows how they suggest a pattern of history. There are a lot of unknowns, Cunliffe makes very clear, but there are also strong probabilities. Absolutely fascinating, and an engaging read as well

15 people found this helpful

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Excellent summary from a leading expert in the field

February 7, 2013

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Barry Cunliffe is one of the leading lights in the study of European prehistory. This is a wonderful (and highly readable) overview of the latest thinking about the prehistory of Britain and its environment. Thorough without being boring and overly detailed, scholarly without being inaccessible, "Britain Begins" is one of the best books on prehistory and archaeology I've read in a long time. Cunliffe brings together archaeology, climatology, geology, genetics and linguistics to set out a comprehensive view of the settlement of Britain in the late Ice Age and the societies that subsequently arose there.

A particularly nice touch is that all the many maps and graphics come out very well even in the Kindle edition.

If I have one criticism, it is that I thought he was a bit uncritical of Sykes' and Oppenheimer's interpretations of the genetics. I'm no expert in the field but I know there is a bit more controversy about this area than Cunliffe's exposition suggests.

25 people found this helpful

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Sometimes the effort to include all possible evidence impedes the progress of the tale but a reader will gain an appreciation of

September 13, 2015

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

This is a carefully and broadly inclusive review of data related to the population of the British isles as it developed over the centuries. The perspective of time and the evidence of which population derived from whatever source is dealt with in an even manner. The mysteries of an individuals specific heritage may or may not have an answer in DNA analysis.At least the reader will gain a perspective on the mix of ethnic groups which has occurred over the centuries. Sometimes the effort to include all possible evidence impedes the progress of the tale but a reader will gain an appreciation of the effort expended in presenting this excellent work.

One person found this helpful

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Getting Closer to the Truth

April 25, 2016

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

Cunliffe brings the past to life, and mingles Oppenheimer's genetic narrative into the fabric of the story. I love his books. (I have to set asside the obvious bias against religion, but I genuinely love the way he puts it together for the layman to understand.)

One person found this helpful

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Excellent Overview

March 3, 2016

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

Dr. Cunliffe is one of the outstanding scholars of the United Kingdom and this book does not disappoint. It is an excellent overview of Britain from prehistory to the Vikings. It is very readable and an excellent reference to have in your library.

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Excellent Compilation and Anaylsis the Latest Thinking

March 1, 2014

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

I can't imagine a better overview of recent work. Makes clear the importance of very early travel & trade by boat with continental Europe. It includes many very high quality photos and maps.

Note: Cunliffe attempts to include minimal information on what DNA studies indicate about population movement but this field is changing so fast that much of what is said is often obsolete before it hits the bookshelf.

3 people found this helpful

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Lots of Interesting Facts

November 1, 2017

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

I am still in the process of reading this book. I like it so far. Lots of interesting facts from ancient times

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