Lords of Battle: The World of the Celtic Warrior

This is a good introduction to Celtic civilization. It is well illustrated with numerous color photos that blend well with the text. The bibliography, although brief is current. It would have benefited if the quotes from ancient authors were noted as to the relevant chapter or book. The book is a bit thin when it comes to the actual history of this wide-spread Celtic peoples and has two glaring errors. The author seems to think that a potlatch is a celtic term (even listing it is his glossary. The sutor also gives an incorrect date for the battle of Zama it was 202 BC, not 146 BC.

Lords of Battle was a really, really good read. Many books on the Celts are more like references, with many nice pictures, discrete sections etc., books that you tend to dip into, but not read through. With Lords of Battle however, I read it cover to cover, and enjoyed it greatly. The text is great, the images beautiful, and its well turned out. As the title suggests, it is focused on Celtic Warrior, but not exclusively so, there is a lot of accompanying information. If you want to read only one book on the Celts (giving a broader view, linguistics, insular Celts etc), then it should be "The Celtic Empire" by Peter Ellis, but this book makes a good accompaniment, and there were a number of interesting perhaps "new" nuggets of information, that I have not found in other books on the Celts. For example the early retrograde movements of the Danubian Celts into Britain and what is now Belgium, some interesting things on the Celtiberians etc. Its an excellent addition to anyones library on the Celts.

LORDS OF BATTLE: WORLD OF THE CELTIC WARRIOR covers the period from the first mention of the Celts by ancient Greek writers to the Roman conquest of Britain, blending lovely color illustration throughout with a survey rich in Celtic history. Chapters focus on the military might and sentiment of these early Celts, covering everything from appearance and dress to arms and rebellions. While its narrowed scope will appeal primarily to specialty holdings and libraries strong in early Celtic history, these collections will find the military focus unique and worthy of acquisition. Diane C. Donovan California Bookwatch