What Life Was Like Among Druids and High Kings: Celtic Ireland, AD 400-1200

What Life Was Like

by Time-Life Books, Robin Chapman Stacey (consultant)

Drawing on art, artifacts, and literature that was left behind, these richly illustrated volumes recount captivating tales of everyday life in long-ago vanished worlds.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Irish Literature, Medieval, Reference, Anthropology, Archaeology

144 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 1993

Reviews

[Cara M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Better than I expected from the title and format. Lots of lovely pictures, and a good mix of historical fact and myth. The best part, of course, were the actual what life was like sections, where you found out a bit more about small farmers, and monks, and women. I wouldn't have minded even more of that!
Also, I was pleased by the honest treatment of the druids. We know pretty much nothing about them, so saying that, and then moving onto Christial Ireland was a good move. Although, probably they could have picked a better title.

[Britt ⋆.˚ ☾⭒.˚ · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is decent, I guess, for a general overview of early Irish history, but it should be taken with many, many grains of salt due to the author's complete lack of criticism of Roman sources describing Celtic society. Chapman also glosses over certain aspects of Celtic mythology, especially in regards to the Morrigan, completely ignoring that Macha is one of the three Morrigans and omitting the reason for Macha's curse on the men of Ulster. Definitely will look elsewhere for more, more detailed, and more accurate information.

[Evan Hays · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this book a lot. It is in the format of one of those time/life books with lots of asides mixed into the main text and no footnoting, but it is well written. Its main strength is how it addresses various aspects of life--common people (both men and women, married and monastic), religion, and rulership. A quick and fun read that I would recommend to anyone interested in Ireland.

[Aric Cushing]

Great pictorial with accompanying text on the Celts in Ireland, from the time before Christianity, and after. The book provides a brief overview of the Monks, the spread of Christianity, and the Celtic-Christian fusion. It also covers the Viking invasions, the country's religious saints, and various pre-Christian worship sites. The book is worth the photographs alone.

[William · Rating 1 out of 5]

Superficial treatment of the subject, but includes some nice color photos.

[Yolanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice coffee table book with excellent pics and some good information.

[Liz Breen · Rating 3 out of 5]

As an overview of the culture it was okay. They have some of the historical facts wrong. The pictures were the best part.

[Visubooks (Sofia) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. You through the history of Celtic Ireland from 400 AD to 1200. You learn about St. Patrick and what he did from Ireland and it’s religion, You learn about high kings like Brian Boru and Cormac Mac Airt. You learn the impact Vikings and countries like England, France, snd Scotland had on Ireland. You learn what the druids actually were without all the fantasy associated with the name today. It teaches a lot about that time period in Ireland and you see all that took place during that time. Great read!

[Nancy H · Rating 4 out of 5]

This excellent volume gives deep historical background into what life was like for early people Ireland. For a somewhat short volume, it has a plethora of information on all aspects of life at that time. It is well-researched and is fascinating reading.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sketchy overview of Ireland and it’s people. Great photos.

[Jbondandrews · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was quite good although I didn't think much of the idea that the early people of Ireland did not wash, seemed an unnecessary comment.

[Andrea M · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book to better understand the history of Ireland. I learned about the religious history, militaristic nature and agricultural practices of a highly skilled people. I felt that the information portrayed was accurate and thoroughly researched. Some of my ancestors are Irish so I learned something about my family roots. I especially like the story of the despotic chief Brian who aspired to control the whole island at any cost even though it is a tragic one. It reminded me of other stories I've read in the Book of Mormon. I liked the picture of a corroded iron sword/knife with a brass handle. The book contains an sexually graphic image of a stone carving on page 75 and a description (in text) of a coronation tradition that shows a corruption of morality in the people for which they have suffered.

[Alisha G · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this in the Children's Section of the library. I liked it. It isn't supposed to be a comprehensive look at medieval Irish history, so it is rather light reading. But it is intelligently, efficiently written. Some detail, but not at all tedious. Very engaging.
3 1/2 stars.
I liked this much better than How The Irish Saved Civilization, which I found obnoxious.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

I ran across this book at the library and thought it looked interesting. It did have a few cool stories and some nice pictures but the title is a little misleading. Some of the stories do talk about the high kings (or individuals' quests to be a high king) but no real mention of Druids. Overall it was a bit of a disappointment.

[Nathaniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting read but not very detailed. It has nice pictures. It also sticks a lot of captions and distractions in the middle of text which makes it difficult to read without stopping.

[Gail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting and well presented.