Exploring the World of the Celts

Beautifully written and illustrated history. Kept me compelled to read on in this beautiful text.

I have read a lot of books on the Celts, as they happen to be a passion of mine. So when a friend of mine asked me to read this book and tell him how acurrate it is, of course I jumped at the chance. First off this book is great for both beginners in the field and for people who are not, but want to update their information. It has beautiful pictures accompanied with lots of information and trivia. It talks about all the new ideas that have been discovered lately and corrects a lot of others that have been going around for years. I bought my own copy after reading my friends and now I use it as a reference for my students ( I teach Celtic History of the Internet). I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to REALLY learn about the Celts and where they came from, and their beautiful culture.

The Celts were a proud and fiercely independent peoples who covered most of Europe including England from Turkey to Portugal for over 1000 years. Although tribal with no written language other than religious runes, the Celts were great metal workers, horsemen, warrriors, and artisans whose spiritual and cultural force was guarded by druids: shamans who worshipped a pantheon of mostly nature deities and sometimes performed mass human sacrifices to appease them. This illustrative text by Simon James is a great introduction to Celtic history and culture that is approachable by all readers 10 or older. A great book for the casual reader and ideal for high school or general education classes. Before exploring the evolution of Celtic culture and history from its earliest origins c. 1000 B.C., the book begins by clarifying their present legacy and by dispelling some popular misconceptions. For example, the book explains that the Scottish kilt was a romantic revival mainly introduced in the late 18th century and not a common Celtic attire: Celts wore pants and this brings into perspective Hollywood distortions in films such as 'Braveheart.' Actually, we are indebted to the Celts for giving us pants and leather shoes to wear as, otherwise, we would probably still be dressed in Roman fashion with tunics, togas, and hobnailed sandals. We are also indebted to the Celts for their thirst for beer instead of wine. The Spanish word 'cerveza' for beer is actually the Celtic word 'cervisium' as much as 'dineiro' is derived from the Latin 'dinarius' or 'silver piece.' The book continues in exploring the Celtic culture in a categorical as opposed to exclusively chronological order. The book makes sure to cover the continuation of Celtic culture in Ireland, Wales, and Brittany in France. The book's subjects are accompanied by numerous photographs, diagrams, and time tables to aid the reader. Again, Simon James presents a great introduction to Celtic history and culture suitable for readers of all ages 10 and up with good subject overviews accompanied by plenty of illustrations. A great book for the casual reader and ideal for high school or general education classes. I strongly recommend it as an introductory text.

James' book is the best starting point for an overall study of the world of the Celts, with plenty of photographs and illustrations that further enhance his writing. Each section opens up new horizons of study, with an appendix of further reading divided into categories of interest to guide the reader on his or her way.