Review by Choice Review
O hOgain (Univ. College Dublin) examines the history of the Celts from the appearance of proto-Celtic peoples in Europe around 1000 BCE to the 11th century CE, when about two million people still spoke Celtic languages. Drawing on archaeological and linguistic evidence and the written sources of Greek, Roman, and early medieval civilizations, he deciphers the obscure history of a people who rarely spoke for themselves. Though O hOgain addresses the difficult issues of Celtic origins, material life, folkways, and social organization, these fundamental topics remain sketchy and ill defined. The heart of the study is the expansion of the Celts into the emerging classical world and their long conflict with Greek and Roman civilizations. O hOgain goes where his written sources take him: into the military history of the rise and fall of warrior peoples whom we know best through accounts of bloody battles described by their adversaries. Early Celtic history remains obscure, but this study clearly demonstrates their powerful presence in the ancient world and their stubborn persistence. ^BSumming Up: Recommended. Of most interest to advanced students of classical history. C. W. Wood Jr. Western Carolina University
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
