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Britain BC: Life in Britain and Ireland Before the Romans

Author: Francis Pryor
Publisher: HarperPerennial
Category: Book

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Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars

13 reviews
Sales Rank: 8060

Media: Paperback
Edition: New Ed
Pages: 488
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.9
Dimensions (in): 7.7 x 5.1 x 1.5

ISBN: 000712693X
Dewey Decimal Number: 900
EAN: 9780007126934
ASIN: 000712693X

Publication Date: September 6, 2004
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
Condition: Brand new book sourced directly from the publisher. Delivery in 3-5 days. Customer service 7 days per week

Also Available In:

•	Hardcover - Britain BC: Life in Britain and Ireland Before the Romans

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Customer Reviews: Read 8 more reviews...

3 out of 5 stars

informative but................ January 19, 2008
2 out of 3 found this review helpful

enjoyed this book as far as it went BUT in to many chapters it is a celebration of Priors own field of expertise i.e. Flag Fen -whilst I appreciate that one has to write about what one knows best the constant referals to Flag Fen and its surroundings detracted from the overall read

5 out of 5 stars

At last, honest History. November 23, 2007
2 out of 3 found this review helpful

The author gives an unbiased account of what IMO our pre-history is all about. One reviewer said 'this is an attempt to air brush the celts out' not so if if actually took the time to study what he is saying, if anyone is guilty of air brushing it was the Victorians who ignored pre-history altogether and there is the fact he starts off by saying celtic traders from the Basque region in Spain were likely to have been the first people to come to our shores. There is a lot of rubbish about the Celts and Saxons of course which is really questioned and in my view very believable. The term 'Celts' was not used to mean people here untill 400 years or so ago so there are a few myths to be questioned and thrown out.
Coupled with the Britain AD book this is compelling stuff, unless of course you like romantic stuff like some other reviewers.

4 out of 5 stars

Interesting Read October 19, 2007
0 out of 3 found this review helpful

Britain BC: Life in Britain and Ireland Before the Romans is a good read. As are all of the books written by Francis Pryor.

It is possible to see how keen the author is for his subject, that comes across clearly. By beening so keen the reader does also start to feel the same away about this history, which is the history of all peoples of these Islands.

One comment is that I was taught and have always understood that the Romans never really visited Ireland.

5 out of 5 stars

why the antagonism? July 13, 2007
12 out of 13 found this review helpful

This is a landmark book in terms of understanding Britain(ie the British Islands) in prehistory. All this talk of "missing celts" and "making Britain = England" is kind of missing the point somewhat. There WERE no celts in this period. No Welsh. No Scottish. No Cornish. Just BRITONS. Just lots of tribes and family groups living on this island. It wasn't until the Romans shut the Northern Britons off behind Hadrians wall that you get a notion of a "Scottish" country, land of the Picts. It wasn't until later again when the Saxons forced the Britons into the west, that you get a notion of Wales (Walas included modern-day Wales, Cumbria and Cornwall back then). As such, the notion of "celts" is a subject for Britain AD. They simply didn't exist in Britain BC. "Celt" is style of art of the period, found all across Europe. Not a type of people.

Francis has, and is doing, brilliant work in this field, this book should be required reading for anyone doing British history and/or archaeology. Also should be read by anyone with an interest in "celtic" spirituality and religion - everything the ancient Britons do has a religious aspect, and Francis is making the connections no-one else seems to be making (even though they seem obvious after he explains them)

5 out of 5 stars

Britain BC - Buy it March 6, 2007
18 out of 24 found this review helpful

If you're interested in British prehistory go no further.

It speaks volumes that the only critics are people who are offended at not having their Celtic self identity reinforced. Face it the ancestors of Iron age Britons had been here for millenia before the bearers of La Tene material culture emerged in central Europe who were described by Classical authors as Celtae or Keltoi. True, Prehistoric Britons spoke a Celtic language but they weren't and neither were their languages described as Celtic until recent times.

LIVE WITH IT!!!