The Celts by Alice Roberts

The Celts Reviews

• 
  NAT.orious reads ☾

  5 ★★★★★
  

  This book is for you if… you consider yourself a Celtic Mythology/Civilizations enthusiast. You will be confronted with realistic interpretations of research and a critical look at the field of Celtic Studies and its work up to now.

  
  ⇝Overall.
  This is an absolutely incredible book that accomplishes exactly what the author aims it at: to give the reader a good idea about the concept of Celticity. It is very critical towards the research that has been published so far and manages to keep a balance between fascinating facts and interpretations and a realistic and down-to-earth approach towards findings. Alice clearly builds up to the fact that the Celts are not an exclusive, frozen-in-time people with a clearly distinguishable language, specific cultural traditions and the like. She author thoroughly explains all the caveats the scholars concerned with this topic have to deal with and illustrates why the view, ever so prominent in especially Germany, that the Celts spread in a eurocentric manner is totally unjustified. Even though structured in a very scientific way with a very good conclusion, it was so much fun discovering individual cases together with Alice. The book is the perfect balance between evidence-based facts and fun.
  
  I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone. Intuitively, I would say this book is suitable for beginners just as for those of you who've already had some experience with the topic of the book. (I must mention at this point that I am not a scholar of Archeology or the Celts themselves even. I guess I would describe myself as an enthusiast who has had the pleasure to sit with a group of Irish students for a semester at UCD, Dublin where I acquired some decent knowledge prior to reading this book.)
  
  The book is structured as follows.
  Celtic Timeline
  Foreword
  
  INTRODUCTION
  WHAT'S IN A NAME?
  IRON, SALT AND WINE
  WARRIORS, SWORDS AND TORCS
  CLASHING WITH EMPIRE
  MYTHS FROM THE MISTS OF TIME
  IDENTITY AND LEGACY
  
  Epilogue
  Further Reading
  Acknowledgements
  Maps
  Plate Sections 1 & 2
• 
  Helen

  Having thoroughly enjoyed the BBC programme of the same name, I was keen to get stuck into the book for some real nitty-gritty depth on the topic of the Celts. I was not disappointed. This is a well-researched, concise work that challenges many of the things we think we 'know' about the amorphous peoples that were The Celts. It was illuminating just to consider what we assume 'Celtic' to be, Alice puts it:
  ''There are linguistic Celts, archaeological Celts, artistic Celts, ancient historical Celts, ethnic and biological Celts. But the problem is they don't coincide. There is not a single, coherent Celtic package.''
  In the end though, it seems that the one connecting thread must be language (though the origins might surprise some readers), as Alice points out, despite the Romans dumping their civilization all over the Celts, ''isn't it a triumph that no-one speaks Latin any more? But the Celts are still out there, to be heard''.
  The book covers aspects of war, geopolitics and religion; my favourite chapter probably being 'Myths from the Mists of Time', as well as looking at some of the more famous archaeological finds of the graves of the Celtic elite and a couple of the famous 'bog bodies', which never fail to fascinate. Highly recommended for anyone with an interest in Celtic history.
• 
  Nicky

  This book was written to accompany a BBC series that I haven’t seen, but that doesn’t seem to detract from it any. I seem to be seeing a lot of people lately considering the issues of Celtic identity: how do we pin it down? Is it based on language, material culture, genetics? Is it really a thing? I’ve been to the temporary Celtic exhibit in the British Museum, as well as read this and — for contrast — Graham Robb’s The Ancient Paths, which views Celtic identity as very contiguous across Europe. (It is reassuring that most of the facts here chimed with Robb’s claims, if you’d like to believe in his theories!)
  
  This book surveys evidence from all over Europe, eventually coming to the conclusion that Celticness might have originated in the West and spread east, rather than the other way round. It also pours cold water on the idea of human sacrifices (though it doesn’t mention some of the archaeological evidence about Boudicca’s revolt and the claims of human sacrifice and barbaric practices around that), with what I think seems like justified scepticism. Roberts points out that we’ve got a fundamental problem where the literature is interpreted in ways which prop up the interpretation of archaeological finds, at the same time as those archaeological finds are held up as truth in interpreting the literature.
  
  Overall, Roberts is relatively unconclusive, if conclusions are what you’re looking for. Celtic identity is a bit of a morass, and its modern importance to Welsh, Scottish, Irish and Cornish people may well be a very recent construct. That makes it no less powerful, and there’s something understandable and powerful in modern people looking back to our ancestors and trying to understand them, claiming to be a part of them. After all, we must be.
  
  
  Originally posted here.
• 
  Juan Nalerio

  Tuve una doble intención con este ejemplar.
  
  Practicar un poco de lectura en inglés, lo cual logré.
  Pero el segundo propósito, profundizar en el mundo Celta, no lo conseguí.
  La autora ahonda en varias puntas; lo arqueológico, lo mítico, lo histórico que se sabe a través de los romanos y lo genético. Se forma una especie de collage que no sale airoso para mi gusto.
  
  Si bien aprendí un par de cosas no me colmó en absoluto.
• 
  Judyta Szacillo

  I have slightly mixed feelings about this book. It certainly presents the material in an engaging and accessible way (perhaps even too much so for my personal taste), and it explains in no uncertain terms the doubts and questions about the so-called Celtic identity and culture. It will leave the reader with no doubt that there isn't and never was such a uniform identity or culture, and that what we call ‘Celtic’ is just a label, a little outdated perhaps, but still needed for the purposes of organising our knowledge in the same way as we use labels like ‘the Yamnaya culture’ or ‘the Middle Ages’.
  
  However, Roberts still expresses very strong cultural sentiment towards our ‘Celtic’ ancestors and that results in her focus on just one of a number of existing valid interpretations of how Celtic languages came to be.
  
  An enjoyable read nevertheless, and definitely recommended to those who haven’t studied the subject matter before. More advanced students may be discouraged by the dearth of references and too few caveats when discussing some theories. To them I would instead recommend Blood of the Celts by Jean Manco.
• 
  Paul

  The Celts and a mysterious people. You either think of a woad daubed, near naked warrior, screaming at the top of his voice, or see them as a hugely artistic people who produced the most exquisite gold jewellery. These images have been elicited from Roman literature and from burial sites and finds in fields. Unlike the Romans and Normans who left vast swathes of solid architectural evidence and literature for us to understand them, the Celts touched the earth lightly leaving traces only of their existence. The artefacts that we do find though are quite beautiful; the tales that history whispers are strange; so who are these people?
  
  But the evidence is there; provided you know where to look. In this companion book to the BBC series, Roberts takes us from Northern Europe and right down to the Mediterranean to speak to those who are investigating these people, to see the latest evidence and touch the few possessions that have survived across the ages. It is an interesting journey as the people are so elusive, partly as they left precious little traces of their homes and lifestyle. There are some interesting theories as to the roots of Celts, how they influenced European language and culture and how the echoes of their legacy still reverberate even today. Good stuff, now to watch the TV series.
• 
  Matthew Lloyd

  A Disclaimer: I have a PhD in (Greek) Archaeology and thus, while I am generally unfamiliar with many of the specifics, I approach this book with a background in the subject matter. While I cannot detach this background from my review I can speculate on what I want to see in popular history/archaeology (and, spoiler alert, The Celts is largely it); ultimately, however, I have to admit that this book is not really for me, although I did enjoy reading it. Also, I read a paperback edition that does not appear to be on Goodreads, not the hardback edition to which this review is attached.
  
  In The Celts: Search for a Civilization Alice Roberts sets out to explore the archaeological, historical, and linguistic evidence for "the Celts" and to understand what it is that we mean by that designation of an ancient (and modern) people. She is very clear about the difficulties of building historical narratives from archaeological evidence and the historical writings of completely different civilizations, difficulties that are well-known among archaeologists and historians but that don't seem to get as much respect as they deserve in popular historical discussions. She never quite says "this is not the case", but rather "while this could be the case, it is a bit of a leap (based on the evidence) to say so". While this might sound like Roberts never come to any conclusions, she is actually very willing to nail her colours to the mast regarding which hypotheses about Celtic origins she believes. I am not certain that I agree with her, but she certainly presents the evidence in such a way that it is both possible to see where she is coming from and possible to disagree. As the evidence for 'Celiticity' presented in this book shows, it would be dubious to discuss the Celts in any other way. They are something of an enigma, and Roberts does not shy away from saying so.
  
  It is really only the style of the writing that I find off-putting. At times, it is what I can only describe as bombastic, as if aiming to give a sense of drama somewhat undermined by Roberts' professional approach to the evidence. It feels like it was inadequately adapted from the television series, where one might back such statements with swelling music and stunning visuals, to the book, where one does not. Similarly, Roberts describes certain meetings with archaeologists and discussions about their research in a way which might have narrated the video of her doing so in the show. Personally, I found this style a little off-putting to read, and would have preferred it to be more adapted to non-fiction book (i.e. not presented in dialogue). But I recognize that this preference is a personal one, and it might be much more welcoming to others than pages of text with references.
  
  From an academic perspective, I have a few problems with Roberts' methodology, in that she never quite establishes how one identifies ethnicity archaeologically, particularly when it comes to ethnicity as a personal identity. That is to say that, while the book discusses at length markers that we might use, problematizes the evidence available, and ultimately settles on language as the central aspect of Celtic identity, Roberts does not delve very deeply into the question of how to understand 'Celticity' as a feature one attributes to oneself, as an identity that brings Gauls, Britons, and Galatians together (indeed, she even suggests that it does not), as opposed to something ascribed by others (whether contemporary or modern historians) or described by others (e.g. Caesar writes that the Gauls called themselves Celts, but does not establish how far the Gauls use this identity to link themselves to other groups). It is also, I would argue, a little dismissive of Tacitus to describe his work as 'propaganda' for the Roman elite, as fair a description as that may be of Caesar's works. Roberts' approach to the Mediterranean 'empires' is perhaps the weakest part of the evidence in the book, as she persistently refers to the 'Greek empire', which is not an historical entity. The 'Greeks' - almost as contentious a term as 'the Celts', if we are honest - were politically disparate for much of the period under discussion, and their regional and civic identities might actually provide a good parallel for the disparate, changing location and identity of the Celts.
  
  But it is not the Greeks but the Celts who are under discussion, and Roberts goes into great detail about major evidence spanning centuries and a whole continent. Given that the book is quite short, she does so admirably and interestingly. I will certainly be delving into the further reading at some point. Furthermore, Roberts' openness about certain aspects of her methodology - and archaeological methodology in general - is exactly what popular archaeology (and history) requires. She admits where she moves from solid to speculative evidence, is unconvinced by certain evidence, and allows for others to disagree with her. She anticipates many (fair) criticisms of her work, aptly displaying how archaeology and history should work: debate, discussion, disagreement - but amicably. It is largely only those who hold too strongly to their ideas and will not be challenged that are the problem in historical studies.
  
  In The Celts Roberts offers an interesting perspective on Celtic identity through antiquity to today. While I may not completely agree with her findings, I understand and respect her position on the evidence. I am also impressed that, in her "further reading", she anticipates the areas in which i disagree with her and provides a reference for an alternative viewpoint. It is good-natured scholarship that is very much what I would like the public to read about our discipline.
• 
  P K Morris

  A very interesting and informative book once I got over the fact that it wasn't what I expected going in. My view of the Celts going into this book was extremely narrow, UK centric and is seems mostly wrong.
• 
  Lian

  It's not often that I devour nonfiction as fast as I do fiction: I thoroughly enjoyed the writing and the exploration of archeological evidence. But I do feel conflicted, as Alice Roberts remains cautious and careful about all theories and conclusions (rightly so), till the end, when she falls for the 'Celtic from the West' theory.
  This new hypothesis about the origins of the Celts sounds exciting - but is highly controversial and is based on just as many flawed arguments as the original Celtic-homeland-in-central-Europe theory. Her statement at the end, that the Celts have the last word because Celtic is still spoken and Latin isn't, was almost painful because that's just not how language works. For example, French is just as much a further-developed version of Latin as much as Irish Gaelic is a futher-developed version of Proto-Celtic. So.. the statement just plain wrong.
  For a book that focuses on archaeology in the first 90%, it's a shame that it ends on the acceptance of a theory that is based on linguistic arguments (and in my opinion and a lot of Celticists' opinions - weak arguments).
• 
  Kelly

  Epic. I loved all the maps. I need to look up where the Pontes are.
  I enjoyed finding out about the people's of the ancient world. They are mysterious. Roberts writing about Greeks and Romans who wrote about the Celts, was intriguing, with a few new names.
  The Chapter about Celtic Myths held Cu Culainne but also a prince who had not come into all of the tales I've read, and a lot of Welsh myths. Flame Tree Studios has King Arthur myths.
  I will be able to reread this book, attempting to pronounce all of the names in italics.
  I loved learning about Beaker people, Hallstatt, Urnfield culture and Gallic. I also learnt about La Tene and three periods of Celtic, the Marneian was detailed.
  This is my first ancient culture history book 😀❤️
• 
  Kristin

  Interesring look at the evidence, but these 'celts' and the 'druids' didn't exist. The only accounts we have of them are by outsiders who didn't understand them. They are not terms used in modem archaeology, it is better to study these people without labels and prejudice.
• 
  Snicketts

  An excellent overview of current Celtic theory that accompanies but outshines the BBC series. Roberts's style is readable and intelligent without being over-simplified. She is politely sceptic in some areas and slightly over-enthusiastic in others but her conclusions on the concept of what 'Celtic' really is are well thought out and persuasive.
• 
  i v a n a

  While it gave a large amount of interesting information, it didn't clearly draw the links between premises or give a definitive conclusion to each point. TL;DR: A lot of info dumping with minimal tying together. DNF at p120 - I might revisit it later when I have the patience for its roundabout nature,
• 
  Kacey

  Interesting discussion of some of the many archaeological approaches to the concept of the 'Celts'.
• 
  G. Lawrence

  Excellent book, well written, informative, great pace and style. Highly recommended.
• 
  Per Granath

  They are such a slippery bunch of have-beens those Celts, which make it so hard so hard to get anywhere with a book like this. Roberts obvious love of what she is doing helps a lot, when we are as always fed with the old Greek and Roman stories and dig through some old grave mounds. Nothing really amazing in the way of news, so far, but finally towards the end the new theories are allowed in. Celtic origin in the west. Interesting. And with modern science to back it up, it does look like the real story.
• 
  Veronika

  Interesting, engaging look at bronze to iron age celts. I felt It was not bias, and open to new ideas. I enjoyed the book, and found the author to be skilled narrator.
• 
  Elentarri

  This book is about Alice Robert's search for the Celts - who they were, their history, their culture, their art and technology. The author also takes a look at how much the current understanding of the Celtic World has changed in the past decade. For us to understand why our views of the Celts have changed so drastically, Roberts explores the archaeological discoveries, the ancient histories and new linguistic evidence.
  
  Roberts traces the movement of Celtic tribes in central Europe, Asia Minor, and the western Atlantic fringe of Europe, Britain, Ireland, France and Iberia. The author starts her search for the Celts in central Europe with the discovery of the "Hochdorf Prince' in south-west Germany. The grave goods of this discovery are examined in light of the local and Mediterranean trade networks and an examination of the relevant ancient texts. The author then moves on to the archaeological discoveries of the Halstatt salt mines near Saltzbug, Austria and then onto the Celtic city of Heuneburg and the discovery of the "Bettelbuhl Princess" in southern Germany. (Who knew the Celts had large cities!!) These finds suggests that large, complex societies with a need for international resources were flourishing in central Europe during the Bronze and Iron Age. This is in contradiction to the usual assessment of impoverished barbarians eecking out a living beyond the Roman borders. The evidence of large population movements of people (or lack thereof) and ideas in Iron Age Europe is assessed. The book includes a brief history of the clashes that occur between the Celts and the Romans. The Urnfield, Halstatt and La Tene cultures are examined in light of new archaeological and linguistic evidence that has been discovered on the Iberian Peninsula. A relatively new hypothesis suggests that the Celtic language might have developed from a branch of Indo-European in the western Mediterranean, flowed north into the Atlantic zone (western sea board and the British Isles) and later spreading back east into central Europe (via traders, metal-smiths and other craftspeople). While this hypothesis is still disputed, it does make for interesting reading and an update to the previous books I've read on the subject.
  
  Alice Roberts takes a brief look at the myths and religious practices of the Celts as illustrated by archaeological findings (e.g. bog bodies, possible human sacrifices, druids), but this is not covered in any depth. The author made much of the fancy jewelry found in archaeological sites, but I was rather disappointed that the author didn't mention anything about Celtic technology, except a few comments about metal-smithing. There was no mention of such things as:
  their farming methods, especially their harvesting machine (
  http://www.gnrtr.com/Generator.html?p... or
  their road building (
  http://www.ancestraljourneys.org/earl... or
  the Celtic Coligny calendar (
  http://www.ancient-origins.net/artifa...).
  
  The author provides books and articles for further reading, but there is no extensive reference list/bibliography which is unusual and rather annoying in a non-fiction book. This lack of proper referencing and tying the text to a reference seems to be a bad habit that has appeared in the latest batch of popular non-fiction. I sincerely hope this erratic referencing fad has a short life.
  
  The book is a well written, current and interesting examination of who the Celts were, how they lived, and their interaction with the rest of the world. The book includes maps were relevant and two sections of colour photographs. Alice Roberts differentiates between fact and speculation, and also keeps all personal anecdotes to a minimum. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the Celts. This book would also work very well as an introductory text to the subject, as it is neither complicated or boring, and has something of the flavour of a detective novel.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• 
  Per Granath

  They are such a slippery bunch of have-beens those Celts, which make it so hard so hard to get anywhere with a book like this. Roberts obvious love of what she is doing helps a lot, when we are as always fed with the old Greek and Roman stories and dig through some old grave mounds. Nothing really amazing in the way of news, so far, but finally towards the end the new theories are allowed in. Celtic origin in the west. Interesting. And with modern science to back it up, it does look like the real story.
• 
  Damaskcat

  This is an interesting and well written introduction to the Celts. Thought the author puts forward some of her own ideas this is not original research and more about pulling together all the current thinking and archaeological discoveries connected with the Celts. In my ignorance I had thought the Celts were confined to Britain but as I soon realised from reading this book they actually came from Europe and possibly from Portugal and Spain originally.
  
  The author describes what we know about the way the Celts lived and how they fought in times of war. She describes their jewellery and their chariots. The fine workmanship on gold jewellery which has been discovered both in Britain and Europe shows that they had a high level of craftsmanship and were not the barbarians that Roman writers generally depict.
  
  The problem with trying to establish an accurate picture of the Celts and the way they lived is that much of the information about them comes from Roman writers and they had a vested interest in portraying them as savages living in mud huts and painting themselves with woad. Good fighters but not much more. But there was more to the Celts than this and it seems that they may have been around for a lot longer than was originally thought.
  
  This book brought the Celts to life for me. It contains some suggestions for further reading if your interest has been awakened and you want to know more about these fascinating people.
• 
  Pete daPixie

  Possessing Celtic DNA originating from SW France I was attracted to read 'The Celts'. Unfortunately the heritage is shrouded through the mists and we are left largely with myth and legend. Alice Roberts, with yet another BBC series, has attempted to add some flesh to the ancient bones, however this seems to have been a leap too far into what is termed our prehistory to reveal much that is tangible. Although I enjoyed the journey through the Iron Age back into the Bronze, the narrative is inevitably filled with perhaps, possibly, if, impossible to know and suchlike.
  However Roberts' text does frequently refer to Barry Cunliffe's 'The Ancient Celts' & 'Britain Begins' which could be further reading to look out for.
• 
  Rhiannon Grant

  A really clear, well-written and easy to read book outlining past and current understandings of 'the Celts'. 'Celtic' is one of those words which is easy to understand (evidence: people know they want to buy books about it, or this would be titled 'The People of Iron Age Europe'), but really difficult to define (evidence: Alice Roberts spends a whole book exploring different definitions, and she's not the only one to have done so). I was already familiar with the broad sweeps of this debate (roughly: what makes something Celtic? Language, location, art style?) but she explains in an entertaining way and includes new research (especially the Tartessian-start theory) which made it interesting.
• 
  Paul Taylor

  Professor Roberts (if you've seen her documentaries on television) is a great presenter, she rolls out facts and eduction on historical subjects and makes them interesting. She's gently engaging. This book on the subject of Celts is written in the same demeanour, a comfy discussion down the pub, in the snug bar with friends. This is exactly the opposite of many historical authors who hit you with facts THEN try and make them approachable without looking like a thesis. 
  Whether you like this or not is down to personal taste, I liked it.
  There are a few problems here, some of which is caused by the simple fact that Celts pretty much had their history described hundreds of years later, yup, by those victor enemies who insert a little promotion and propaganda (history is often written by the victors), and the Celt ruling class of Druids had a word of mouth communication for all their important 'laws'. So right from the off we're involved in conjecture. Roberts repeats, in fact she belabours the warnings that we cant assume this that or the other, but then does herself no favours by repeatedly referring to just a few contemporary sources for current theory. Yet at the end of the book we're provided a pretty good 'more reading' list? Why didn't she dip into it more?
  Professor Roberts is scrupulous in being cautious but does succeed in letting us know who and what the Celts probably, not definitely, were without getting caught up in stereotypes (I think the on-trend Vikings probably suffer the same modern interpretations). 
  Some chapters and facts get a little repetitive and the editors could have done a better job here, the cautiousness could still have been better combined with a more punchy delivery and that would have been a better read - but, that was never going to happen, remember we're with Alice and friends down at the snug bar discussing Celts. We end up being wiser for it and not lecture-room battered, so that's ok, thanks Alice.
  Enjoyable. 
• 
  David

  Professor Alice Roberts is one of our finest popular science broadcasters and this book is the companion to the series on the Celts she made with historian Neil Oliver for the BBC. The book manages to go into more depth on the subjects covered in that series and Roberts does a fine job of marshalling the evidence and voicing her own doubts about accepted conclusions.
  
  Taking a fresh look at where the “Celts” came from, their influence and culture, this eminently readable book takes us on a journey back to the Bronze Age and tries to deduce exactly who the Celts were and how their culture spread across Europe. The accepted model, since the 19th Century anyways, proposes that Celtic culture sprang up in middle Europe and spread both East and West through mass migrations, finding its furthest extent in Ireland, Wales and Scotland. But Roberts and the sources she draws upon contend that the archeological evidence does not back this up.
  
  Indeed it is far more logical to look at the way language and technologies spread. The advent of Bronze weapons, metal working, ore extraction - all these required skilled people spreading their knowledge. That required language to be taught. It does not necessarily mean invasion and displacement. Indeed there is little evidence for that.
  
  These elusive, mysterious Celts, who left no written record of themselves, only the wealth of art found in high status burials sites, and the second-hand, biased histories of the Greeks and Romans who encountered them, are hard to pin down.
  
  Roberts skilfully explores the Celtic world through the existing archeology, visiting sites in Germany, France, Portugal and Ireland along the way, and steers a path through to a new understanding of how Celtic culture might have spread across Europe.
  
  This book is never heavy going, it is written in a clear and easy style that is the hallmark of the best popular science and history. A very good introduction to current thinking on the Celtic history.
• 
  Joanna

  This is a very good introduction to the history of the Celts and I learned a lot through reading it. It explains how definitions of the Celts have been created and changed over time and explains how those interpretations have been influenced by various factors. I enjoyed reading about the evolution of the study of the Celts almost as much as I enjoyed finding out more about the Celts themselves.
  However, there were several things that I found challenging about reading this book. The first thing I came up against was the expectations on the part of the author that the reader would already have a good grounding in ancient geography. I do not! And so I often found myself feeling a little lost as she referenced various towns, cities and regions of which I knew nothing. I think if I'd had a basic knowledge of the layout of the ancient world it would have been a more enjoyable read for me.
  My second issue with the book was that she introduced a theory that the major - and perhaps only - link between the various tribes grouped together as Celts was a shared language. Fair enough, very interesting and compelling. What was faintly irritating was that she repeated this claim over and over and over again. And I don't mean she simply referenced the theory in passing, I mean she gave a thorough breakdown of the theory in every single chapter, repeating the same evidence time and again. This meant that by the time I was reaching the end of the book I was skipping pages at a time when I saw what was coming.
  Despite its flaws, I ended the book by wanting to read more about the Celts and I will definitely be looking into some of the recommended reading that she lists at the end. If a history book finishes with the reader wanting to learn more then I guess that can only be a good thing!
• 
  Mark Yates

  A decent summary of the current views and controversies surrounding the study of Bronze-age and Iron-age Celts, their origins, and how they spread across Europe.
  
  It loses a star for its clear bias for a theory that remains controversial. And it loses a star for the depth of the reporting. Instead of in-depth discussion we get paragraphs of questions and dismissals without argument ("I'm not convinced."). The worst comes at the end. The epilogue [SPOILER ALERT] includes a quote that Celtic is still spoken but Latin is not, which (her friend) declares "a triumph of sorts". This is an absurd statement given French, Italian, Spanish, Romania, and Portuguese are all descended from Latin in the same way Welsh, Irish, and Gaelic are descended from 4th Century Celtic languages. It should not have been included at all.
  
  Still, the descriptions of the Ancient sites made me want to google images and plan visits. The (admittedly superficial) discussion on how scholarship on the Celts (and on any topic) is filtered through dominant social systems and the political motivations of the scholars was decent. The overview of the primary view on Celtic origins and the alternative theory is intriguing and sparks all sorts of interesting possibilities. In particular, I'm looking forward to reading more on how practicality may influence the uptake of language.
  
  If you are new to Celtic scholarship or would like a refresher, this is a fast read. And as a writer, I found Roberts a pleasant enough narrator.
• 
  Nerd_Pilgrim

  Well that was a tough read. Not because it was particularly bad - but mainly due to the topic being so dry. History is my passion and I'd always wondered about the Celts so when I saw this book I just had to buy it. Unfortunately there's really not much to be said. A lot of Celt history seems to be either wrong or mish-mashed together with other non celt culture which is not really satisfying.
  
  But the truth cares not for how entertaining it is. I learned much about The Celts in this book (or as much as could be learned about the elusive group) and certainly am glad that I pushed myself time and time again to return to the book. For I knew that if I ever stopped, I would not be inclined to return. Solid research but little cause to write a book about due to lack of historical information. Too often was a chapter drawn out by what I perceived as author bias. The parts of "Imagining what Boudica said" and "How I imagine the Celt King lived his last day" were unnecessary at best and tainted my view of the overall book to the point that I felt the need to record it.
  
  However, I applaud Alice for daring to challenge the Celts emerging from central Europe theory. That's a brave thing to do and I applaud the amount of evidence that backs her claims and even concede that she has changed my mind on the subject. But unfortunately, a difficult read that will challenge your focus with a few too many imagined sequences for my taste.