Britain Before the Conquest: Celtic Britain by Lloyd Laing.

DESCRIPTION: Hardback with Dust Jacket: 190 pages. Publisher: Routledge & Kegan Paul; (1990). ISBN: 0710001312. Of all the ancient people of Europe, the Celts stand out as one of the most intriguing. In “Celtic Britain” Laing traces the history of the Celts and Celtic culture from the arrival of the first scattered groups of settlers in Britain in the 7th century B.C. to the development of the kingdoms of medieval Scotland and Wales. Although a Celtic culture continued to flourish independently throughout the Roman and Saxon periods, influences from outside, particularly those of Christianity, began to permeate Celtic society.

Dr. Laing, who work on the later Celts has won wide critical acclaim, introduces new material on the growth of a specifically Celtic Christianity, especially in Ireland and Scotland. He concludes by examining the “myth” of the Celts in modern times. Contents/Chapter Headings include: 1) Introduction – The Celts in Europe. 2) Iron Age Britain. 3) The Roman Interlude. 4) The Dark Ages. 5) Epilogue – Celtic Twilight. 6) The Best of Celtic Britain.

CONDITION: New, never read.

PLEASE SEE IMAGES BELOW FOR SAMPLE PAGES FROM INSIDE OF BOOK.

PLEASE SEE PUBLISHER, PROFESSIONAL, AND READER REVIEWS BELOW.

PUBLISHER REVIEW:

REVIEW: Lloyd Laing is Senior Lecturer in Medieval Archaeology at Liverpool University. Author of “The Archaeology of Late Celtic Britain and Ireland: 400-1200 A.D.”, as well as other books on archaeology, he has directed excavations in various parts of Britain, and has contributed many papers to archaeological journals.

This is the second in the five volume series, “Britain Before the Conquest: An Archaeological History of the British Isles 1500 B.C. – 1066 A.D.” The early history of British society presents a recurring theme of conquest and subsequent cultural fusion, a subtle and complex pattern which can only be revealed by using many sources, both historical and archaeological. There is no comprehensive study of these foundations of British culture and society written by experts for a non-specialist audience. This series of books was designed to meet that need.

There are five volumes in the series, covering the period to the even of the Norman Conquest. In each volume the author has sought to bring the often obscure findings of scholarship to a wider interested audience through the medium of non-technical presentation and carefully selected photographs, maps, and plans. Although each volume is complete in itself, the series as a whole forms a complete history of early Britain. The other four volumes in the series are: “The Origins of Britain”, “The Coming of Rome”, “Later Roman Britain”, and “Anglo-Saxon Britain”.

PROFESSIONAL REVIEW:

REVIEW: Of all the ancient people of Europe, the Celts stand out as one of the most intriguing. In Celtic Britain Laing traces the history of the Celts and Celtic culture from the arrival of the first scattered groups of settlers in Britain in the 7th century B.C. to the development of the kingdoms of medieval Scotland and Wales. Profusely illustrated with duotone photography of great artifacts, archaeological sites, with maps; informative notes and highlights on the maps are printed in red ink.

READER REVIEWS:

REVIEW: In this beautifully illustrated book, the author presents all aspects of Celtic art and society, a multifaceted and emotive subject. What emerges from this book is a picture of society in a continual state of flux, reflecting the effects of Roman and Viking invasions and their influence on the indigenous population.

REVIEW: The author traces the history of the Celts and Celtic culture from the arrival of the first settlers in Britain in the 7th Century B.C., to the development of the kingdoms of medieval Scotland and Wales, and presents much new material on the growth of Celtic Christianity. He concludes by examining the “myth” of the Celts in modern times.

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