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A History of Ancient Britain
by
Neil Oliver
Who were the first Britons? Famed archaeologist Neil Oliver answers that question and more, excavating the past to weave an epic story of half-a-million years, from the mists of prehistory to the departure of the Roman Empire in the fifth century AD. As gripping as any novel, filled with fascinating facts and charismatic figures, this is popular history at its finest--a fi...more
Hardcover, Large Print, 400 pages
Published
August 7th 2012
by Weidenfeld & Nicolson
(first published September 15th 2011)
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This is a beautiful book. Neil Oliver presented the BBC TV series on this subject, which got me hooked, and he writes wonderfully, with a real enthusiasm and reverence for the subject. There are so many things here I didn't know, about the immense spread of time before written history, the trade and communications throughout this ancient world, their astonishing knowledge of astronomy, mining, and metal work, and much more, all based on archaeological discoveries which becoming more extensive an...more
Verdict: 4 ludwigs
BBC-presenter Neil Oliver, you know the long-haired lout with the thick Scottish accent, takes you along for a fascinating and enthralling ride through the (pre)history of Britain.
Why should you read it?
Not only are the facts and cases presented super-interesting, but Oliver's enthusiasm and passion for the subject shines through every paragraph. A joy to read, it will make you want to visit Britain. Like right now!
Why should you not read it?
If you're not interested in human hi...more
BBC-presenter Neil Oliver, you know the long-haired lout with the thick Scottish accent, takes you along for a fascinating and enthralling ride through the (pre)history of Britain.
Why should you read it?
Not only are the facts and cases presented super-interesting, but Oliver's enthusiasm and passion for the subject shines through every paragraph. A joy to read, it will make you want to visit Britain. Like right now!
Why should you not read it?
If you're not interested in human hi...more
A History of Ancient Britain is nothing less than a thoughtful, fascinating and enlivening account of life in ancient Britain, starting way back with the ice ages and leading up to the time of the Romans. Neil Oliver reveals the incredible extent of the layers of human occupation of Britain, referring to 'deep time' as the sense of the massive history that lies beneath us all. All through the book I found myself wanting to mark pages that mentioned places I'd love to go and see, or go and look u...more
Archeologists are detectives par excellence. This book reveals so much that they have discovered - and are still discovering - about our earliest times, and Neil Oliver presents these discoveries to us in such a way that we feel part of the process. For me, the culmination of all this history is the clear picture it gives of how the British character has evolved, patted into its present shape by history and geography. Concurrent with that thread is the story of the independence of the Scots - e...more
Saw this in Waterstone's in Oxford, and didn't buy it then (a mistake, since it's not available yet in bookstores here, nor on Kindle!). I recognized the horse from our visits in and around the country surrounding Stonehenge and Avebury, when we sought out Uffington to get a glimpse of the chalk horse. I have developed an interest in pre-Roman and Roman Britain, which this book covers. Luckily, UChicago library had a copy, and I'm enjoying Mr. Oliver's very readable (if a little fanciful) accoun...more
Jan 13, 2013
Misssharice
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
History fans
Recommended to Misssharice by:
A bookstore
A great read. It really made me think about how Britain was shaped. Some elements of it made me a bit panicky - I don't like the subject of death and a book concerned about centuries and centuries of ancestors, burials, bones and killings didn't make for easy bedtime reading for me. That aside, I was fascinated to learn more about ice age Britain, a tsunami that wiped out most of the island's inhabitants, the mystery behind Stonehenge and so much more.
Jan 08, 2013
Kacey
is currently reading it
This is pleasure reading, even though it's so close to my research area. I'm slightly in love with Neil Oliver (must be the Scottish) and prehistory, so let's see what he's like at writing about it...
Mar 22, 2013
M.h.
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
everyone interested in history and England
Shelves:
historical,
non-fiction
This book was a guess, and it turned out to be so much more than an average good guess.
I had never expected a non-fiction book to be entrancing, or remotely page-turning-like, but this one defenitely was.Did you know that when the Celts started their rituals among the towering trilithons of Stonehenge, the monument was already ancient too them? Neither did I.
If you are interested in the history of Britain before the Anglo-Saxons invaded the country (yelling "hwaet" and hurling axes) this is the...more
I had never expected a non-fiction book to be entrancing, or remotely page-turning-like, but this one defenitely was.Did you know that when the Celts started their rituals among the towering trilithons of Stonehenge, the monument was already ancient too them? Neither did I.
If you are interested in the history of Britain before the Anglo-Saxons invaded the country (yelling "hwaet" and hurling axes) this is the...more
Excellent - Neil Oliver ensures what could be a dry topic is covered in sufficient detail to keep the reader interested.
I read this book to provide some background and context to some historical fiction I am planning to read in the near future. Being Canadian, I have little knowledge of ancient and Roman Britain, and felt I needed to do some research before attempting to read about Boudicca and the Romans. This book is full of fascinating information, and the author's passion for the subject matter is obvious. He has managed to make what could be very dry information very readable. Even so, I found it slow going...more
Who were the first Britons? Famed archaeologist Neil Oliver answers that question and more, excavating the past to weave an epic story of half-a-million years, from the mists of prehistory to the departure of the Roman Empire in the fifth century AD. As gripping as any novel, filled with fascinating facts and charismatic figures, this is popular history at its finest--a fitting monument to a land that has been home to an extraordinarily diverse range of cultures and peoples.
Neil Oliver is proving to be a historian of some note. The tie in TV series of the same name was excellent, and the book maintains that.
It covers the periods of history from the Mesolithic to the Romans, covered in relatively broad brush strokes whist having enough detail to captivate.
A must read for history fans.
It covers the periods of history from the Mesolithic to the Romans, covered in relatively broad brush strokes whist having enough detail to captivate.
A must read for history fans.
Currently reading this in ebook format. I'm a Neil Oliver fan. I love how he mingles plainspeak with his personal stories and experiences. He is knowledgeable and personable and charming. And he makes you think.
Oct 23, 2012
John Kirkby
added it
enjoyed what initially may seem a dull subject.
May 20, 2013
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Shelves:
non-fiction
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Neil Oliver is a Scottish archaeologist, historian, broadcaster and writer who has become widely known as the presenter of BBC television's series A History of Scotland and Coast.
He lives in Stirling with his wife and three children.
More about Neil Oliver...
He lives in Stirling with his wife and three children.
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Aug 22, 2012 10:50am