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Collins New Naturalist #18
A Natural History of Man in Britain
One of the aims of this series is to present a comprehensive survey of our natural history in relation to its background and environment. A first and vital consideration in a project of over fifty volumes is the study of man himself through the ages, against the very varied natural conditions afforded by the British Isles. A NATURAL HISTORY OF MAN IN BRITAIN is such a study. In the words of the editors, "we believe that it will contribute much to the outlook of man as one with nature, that alone can save our beautiful islands from wrongful changes, from the degradation and destruction which may result equally from unplanned development as from wrongly conceived planning."
Surely no man, by academic training and subsequent studies, is so well fitted to undertake a review of this vast and complex field as Professor Fleure. His long association with the University of Wales at Aberystwyth and his later connection with the University of Manchester have given him distinctive viewpoints. It is now more than thirty years since he published his Human Geography in Western Europe and more than twenty years since, with the late H.J. Peake, he began that remarkable series of volumes, the Corridors of Time. We owe this book to a perfect combination of historian, anthropologist, geographer and naturalist. It is the fruit of a lifetime's gathering.
Surely no man, by academic training and subsequent studies, is so well fitted to undertake a review of this vast and complex field as Professor Fleure. His long association with the University of Wales at Aberystwyth and his later connection with the University of Manchester have given him distinctive viewpoints. It is now more than thirty years since he published his Human Geography in Western Europe and more than twenty years since, with the late H.J. Peake, he began that remarkable series of volumes, the Corridors of Time. We owe this book to a perfect combination of historian, anthropologist, geographer and naturalist. It is the fruit of a lifetime's gathering.
- GenresNatural History
349 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1951
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19 people want to read
About the author
Herbert Fleure
15 books1 followerHerbert John Fleure, FRS was a zoologist and geographer. He was secretary of the Geographical Association, editor of Geography, and President of the Cambrian Archaeological Association. He served as the President of the Geographical Association in 1948.
Fleure was born in Guernsey, the son of Jean Fleure and Marie Le Rougetel. In 1897, he attended the University of Wales, Aberystwyth, where he founded the Student Representative Council. He graduated B.Sc. with first-class honours in late 1901 and was offered a University Fellowship. He went on to study at the Zoological Institute in Zurich, Switzerland.
Returning to Wales, Fleure became Head of the Department of Zoology at Aberystwyth in 1908. He assisted Professor Patrick Geddes with the mounting of the Cities and Town Planning Exhibition in Dublin in August 1914. In 1917, he became Professor of Anthropology and Geography at the university, holding the post until 1930, when he became Professor of Geography at Victoria University, Manchester. He was made a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1936. Following his retirement in 1944, he was President of the Royal Anthropological Institute from 1945 to 1947.
He was a founder member of the Guernsey Society, which was established in 1943 to represent the interests of the Nazi-occupied island to the British Authorities. After the war, he was a regular contributor to The Quarterly Review, as well as to The Guernsey Farmhouse, a book published by the Society in 1964 celebrating the ancient family houses in the island. He also authored biographies of several scientists including Arthur Robert Hinks, Alfred Cort Haddon, James George Frazer and Emmanuel de Margerie.
From 1927 through 1956 he was the co-author of the ten volumes of The Corridors of Time by Harold John Edward Peake.
Fleure was born in Guernsey, the son of Jean Fleure and Marie Le Rougetel. In 1897, he attended the University of Wales, Aberystwyth, where he founded the Student Representative Council. He graduated B.Sc. with first-class honours in late 1901 and was offered a University Fellowship. He went on to study at the Zoological Institute in Zurich, Switzerland.
Returning to Wales, Fleure became Head of the Department of Zoology at Aberystwyth in 1908. He assisted Professor Patrick Geddes with the mounting of the Cities and Town Planning Exhibition in Dublin in August 1914. In 1917, he became Professor of Anthropology and Geography at the university, holding the post until 1930, when he became Professor of Geography at Victoria University, Manchester. He was made a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1936. Following his retirement in 1944, he was President of the Royal Anthropological Institute from 1945 to 1947.
He was a founder member of the Guernsey Society, which was established in 1943 to represent the interests of the Nazi-occupied island to the British Authorities. After the war, he was a regular contributor to The Quarterly Review, as well as to The Guernsey Farmhouse, a book published by the Society in 1964 celebrating the ancient family houses in the island. He also authored biographies of several scientists including Arthur Robert Hinks, Alfred Cort Haddon, James George Frazer and Emmanuel de Margerie.
From 1927 through 1956 he was the co-author of the ten volumes of The Corridors of Time by Harold John Edward Peake.
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March 27, 2016
The aim of the book is ethnographical rather than historical. However, it is very difficult to cover one of these and not the other. Fleure attempts to cover the ethnography of the British Islands without adequately covering the history. The result is a difficult read that seemingly mashes together different periods in history.
The book begins discussing migrations to the British Islands prior to the Bronze Age. There is scant archeology for this, so Fleure uses details from mainland Europe to argue what life was like for the first Britons. During the Bronze Age era, he uses archeological analysis of pottery to argue that the early Britons ultimately came from Spain and Bohemia. He follows this up with linguistic studies to further demonstrate the Spanish influence, even though the language resembles nothing of modern Spanish. He makes persuasive arguments. And the early chapters are informative.
He then goes into the Roman Era; but hints that Celts from the Mainland had conquered parts of the islands in the decades just prior to the Roman invasions. This argument is a bit cursory and with little or no evidence. It is clear that there was extensive commerce between the islands and the mainland since the Bronze Age. The Roman period was not so much Romanization, Fleure argues, but rather a formal integration of the Celts in the islands. Obviously, this is so conjectural that this section of the book is nearly meaningless. However, he does use some linguistic data to show how pockets of pre-Celt Britons formed isolated islands.
The ethnographic islands of England in particular form the basis of the middle part of the book, namely the Germanic invasions. At least here there is some codified history to explore. Fleure cleverly uses archeology, linguistics, and written history to identify how the different Germanic tribes created their own ethnographic islands in the geographic islands. Of course, there was almost constant warfare; but since he is skeptical of the historical record (rightfully so), and avoids history for the most part in his book, he merely says over and over again that the conquerors married native women.
The history seems to abruptly end with the Norman invasion. Sure, he mentions the Vikings; but has little to offer except the usual conquerors marrying native woman. Even regarding the French, he has little to say. Apparently, they did not truly affect the natural history of man in Britain the way Bohemian pottery affected them in the pre-Bronze Age. Nothing of substance happened after the Norman Conquest to warrant much of the natural history of man. Instead, Fleure works hard to discover remnants of the pre-Norman ethnographic islands through physical measurements. Perhaps he did not have an understanding of genetics, so he stays with appearance - cranial measurements, hair and eye color, local rituals, and local dress.
Ultimately, Fleure sees Great Britain not as a unified people, but as a complex hodge-podge of isolated hamlets of varying degrees of German, Romano-Celtic, and Slavic (?) heritage. I am disappointed in the way he seemingly cuts off his natural history in 1066; and I am bothered by his inadequate use of genetics when he is clearly trying to rely on genetics to prove his argument. This book is a good example of how books and fall out of date. Fleure's analysis of the pre-Norman Conquest Britain is interesting and perhaps insightful if accurate. However, his treatment of material post-conquest severely restricts the usefulness of this book.
The book begins discussing migrations to the British Islands prior to the Bronze Age. There is scant archeology for this, so Fleure uses details from mainland Europe to argue what life was like for the first Britons. During the Bronze Age era, he uses archeological analysis of pottery to argue that the early Britons ultimately came from Spain and Bohemia. He follows this up with linguistic studies to further demonstrate the Spanish influence, even though the language resembles nothing of modern Spanish. He makes persuasive arguments. And the early chapters are informative.
He then goes into the Roman Era; but hints that Celts from the Mainland had conquered parts of the islands in the decades just prior to the Roman invasions. This argument is a bit cursory and with little or no evidence. It is clear that there was extensive commerce between the islands and the mainland since the Bronze Age. The Roman period was not so much Romanization, Fleure argues, but rather a formal integration of the Celts in the islands. Obviously, this is so conjectural that this section of the book is nearly meaningless. However, he does use some linguistic data to show how pockets of pre-Celt Britons formed isolated islands.
The ethnographic islands of England in particular form the basis of the middle part of the book, namely the Germanic invasions. At least here there is some codified history to explore. Fleure cleverly uses archeology, linguistics, and written history to identify how the different Germanic tribes created their own ethnographic islands in the geographic islands. Of course, there was almost constant warfare; but since he is skeptical of the historical record (rightfully so), and avoids history for the most part in his book, he merely says over and over again that the conquerors married native women.
The history seems to abruptly end with the Norman invasion. Sure, he mentions the Vikings; but has little to offer except the usual conquerors marrying native woman. Even regarding the French, he has little to say. Apparently, they did not truly affect the natural history of man in Britain the way Bohemian pottery affected them in the pre-Bronze Age. Nothing of substance happened after the Norman Conquest to warrant much of the natural history of man. Instead, Fleure works hard to discover remnants of the pre-Norman ethnographic islands through physical measurements. Perhaps he did not have an understanding of genetics, so he stays with appearance - cranial measurements, hair and eye color, local rituals, and local dress.
Ultimately, Fleure sees Great Britain not as a unified people, but as a complex hodge-podge of isolated hamlets of varying degrees of German, Romano-Celtic, and Slavic (?) heritage. I am disappointed in the way he seemingly cuts off his natural history in 1066; and I am bothered by his inadequate use of genetics when he is clearly trying to rely on genetics to prove his argument. This book is a good example of how books and fall out of date. Fleure's analysis of the pre-Norman Conquest Britain is interesting and perhaps insightful if accurate. However, his treatment of material post-conquest severely restricts the usefulness of this book.
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