The Celts cover art

The Celts

A Sceptical History

Preview

£0.00 for first 30 days

Try for £0.00
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

The Celts

By: Simon Jenkins
Narrated by: Simon Jenkins
Try for £0.00

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £12.99

Buy Now for £12.99

Confirm Purchase
Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.
Cancel

About this listen

The history of the Celts is the history of a misnomer.

There has never been a distinct people, race or tribe claiming the name of Celtic, though remnants of different languages and cultures remain throughout Wales, Ireland, Scotland and Cornwall. The word keltoi first appears in Greek as applied generally to aliens or 'barbarians'—and theories of Celticism continue to fuel many of the prejudices and misconceptions that divide the peoples of the British Isles to this day.

Often seen as unimportant or irrelevant adjuncts to English history, in The Celts Simon Jenkins offers a compelling counterargument. This is a fascinating and timely debate on who the Celts really were—or weren't—and what their legacy should be in an increasingly dis-United Kingdom.

©2022 Simon Jenkins (P)2022 Hachett Audio UK
Europe Sociology Western Europe
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

Listeners also enjoyed...

The Anglo-Saxon World cover art
Scotland cover art
In Search of the Dark Ages cover art
Small Island cover art
Children of Ash and Elm cover art
Devil-Land cover art
Crécy cover art
The Ancient Celts, Second Edition cover art
Buried cover art
The Faded Map cover art
A Brief History of America, Canada, and England 3-in-1 Collection cover art
Mythology of the British Isles cover art
The Story of Scandinavia cover art
Central Asia cover art
Poland cover art
The Gates of Europe cover art

What listeners say about The Celts

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    8
  • 4 Stars
    5
  • 3 Stars
    4
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    1
Performance
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    9
  • 4 Stars
    3
  • 3 Stars
    2
  • 2 Stars
    4
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    7
  • 4 Stars
    4
  • 3 Stars
    2
  • 2 Stars
    3
  • 1 Stars
    1

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Surprisingly good

Not so much about an ancient people but more of a rebalanced history of the British Isles

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Learn to pronounce non - English words

The pronunciation of Irish words and place names is laughable. I assume the same applies to Welsh and Scots Gaelic.

The arguable accuracy of the later chapters on Ireland make me worry about the earlier ones.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A surprising success

Selecting this book in order to learn about Celts, I became somewhat disappointed to find myself deep into a book about the UK. It is a pity that the title was not better chosen and may result in bad reviews from those who like me feel misled. Having said that, it is fortunate indeed that I was not disappointed because Jenkins gives us an excellent account of the State of our Union. He is a most lucid and knowledgeable author and the book is an admirable contribution to this subject, but it should have had a different title.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

fascinating

Clearing the mythology and rhetoric of certain nationalistic mindsets in a non bias way

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

what celts?

I chanced upon a review warning me already that this book is more about the beginnings and continuation of a federate kingdom than anything about the Celts- who don't exist for this author as a group as such with a common origin in the first place. The part I could get through read like a very boring history lesson.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A very good insight into the United kingdom

Found this book very interesting and thorough in it description and says of the eastern Celts and the western anglo-saxons.
The history and descriptions of each native people's are fully explained in their political desires, and goes a long way to address the differences.
Fully enjoyed this audio

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Not about the celts

Not about the Celts, it’s a political history of Britain and Ireland justifying the retention of the Union.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!