The Celts of Northern Europe

What this volume in the Cultures of the Past series on "The Celts of Northern Europe" establishes for young readers is the idea that the Celts were the second most important ancient Europeans after the Romans. In this informative volume Kathryn Hinds the contrast between the two is developed well beyond the idea that the Romans were the vanguards of civilization and the Celts were barbarians. Hinds presents the Celts an an aggressive, proud, exuberant, and freedom loving people whose many tribes shared common languages, political and social structures, economic systems, religious ideas, and artistic styles, all of which are developed in this book.Like all of the volumes in this series "The Celts of Northern Europe" is developed thematically in five chapters: (1) Tribes on the Move tells the history of the Celtics, from being the thorn in the side of the Roman Empire to be driven to the farthest reaches of the British isles; (2) The Art of Living covers the cultural history of the Celts, from their distinctive appearance and everyday art to their forts and feast halls; (3) Deities in Their Midst explores the Celtic belief system, from the Chieftain God and the Earth Goddess to the Horse Goddess and the Horned God; (4) The Celtic Ideal in Practice is where young readers will find out about the Druids, as well as the life of the nobles and commoners; and (5) A Living Culture looks at the legacy of the Celts, tracing it from the original oral tradition to its place in world literature and considering the Celtic Renaissance embodied by an independent Ireland. This volume has some gorgeous color photography of various Celtic artifacts, including a minature bronze cart and the Book of Kells, and archeological sites, such a the White Horse of Uffington and the Giant's Causeway. Our living room motif is Celtic/Irish and I got several good ideas of things I would like to incorporate from these photographs. The book also has informative sidebars on specifics topics such as chariot warfare, sacred animals, and the Irish church. The back of the book includes a chrnology of the ancient Celts, a glossary, bibliography, and index. The Cultures of the Past series looks at not only the dominating cultures such as the Ancient Egyptians and China's Tang Dynasty, but also other cultures such as the Kingdom of Benin in West Africa and India's Gupta Dynasty.

If you want an author that researches her sources thoughly, then look no further. Ms. Hinds is a consummate researcher and wonderful storyteller. I would recommend this book for any age.