Translation of Bernhard Maier, The Celts: A History from Earliest Times to the Present

Abstract

Now in its second edition, this comprehensive history of the Celts draws on archaeological, historical, literary and linguistic evidence to provide a comprehensive and colourful overview from origins to the present. Divided into three parts, the first covers the continental Celts in prehistory and antiquity, complete with accounts of the Celts in Germany, France, Italy, Iberia and Asia Minor. Part Two follows the Celts from the departure of the Romans to the late Middle Ages, including the migrations to and settlements in Ireland, Wales, Scotland and Brittany. This section also includes discussions of the Celtic kingdoms and the significance of Christianisation. Part Three brings the history of the Celts up to the present, covering the assimilation of the Celts within the national cultures of Great Britain, France and Ireland. Included in this consideration are the suppression of Gaelic, the declines, revivals and survivals of languages and literatures, and the histories of Celtic culture. The book concludes with a discussion of the recent history of the meaning of ‘Celtic’ and an examination of the cultural legacy of the Celts in the modern era.