Celtic Books

This conclusion to the Scottish Crown series was very good. I looked forward to reading this for so long and i finally finished it! The book takes you through the life of Keifer, a boy who must go and foster with Adam and Gwenyth (The characters from the first book).When he is there he meets Adam and Gwenyth's daughter Nola, who he considers to be just an annoying eight year old. Through time the two become great friends,and Nola helps him thorugh the bitterness he has about his Father dying. This is a very touching and sweet story, a bit predictable at times, but still good. A must-read.

Carol Umberger completes her four book Scottish Crown Series in a magnificent display of passion, courage, love, and the cost brave men pay for freedom. Umberger weaves a page-turner in this Scottish tale. I enjoyed the history spun through the well-developed characters and suspensful plot.

Young Keifer McNab has been sent to foster with Sir Adam Mackintosh and his wife Gwyneth. He is to be trained to become "laird of the clan," a position Keifer doesn't want, but that someone else is determined he shall not have-at any cost.

Nola, the feisty and irrepressible daughter of Adam and Gwyneth, has made up her mind she will be a part of Keifer's future. In fact, she is certain of it, even though Keifer is apparently unaware of her other than as a playmate, companion and general pest. When it is time for Keifer to leave to continue his training to become a knight, Nola forces him to make a promise that may prove difficult, if not impossible, for either of them to fulfill.

Bitter at the twist of fate that deprived him of his father when still a child, Keifer resents even the offered help of those who are in a position to mentor him. Still, he has vowed to serve his king, Robert the Bruce, in Scotland's struggle for freedom from English tyranny. Keifer's bitterness deepens when he is betrayed by those he thought he could trust. Can he even be sure his own clan members are not among those counted as enemies? Finally, grievously wounded, he spurns the help of those who love him, including Nola. And what of their promise to each other-will he throw that away, too?

Peace with England is the cause and the hope of Robert the Bruce and the knights that fight alongside him. But for Keifer McNab, there is another war raging deep within. Is he willing to pay the price for this peace even if it should mean dying? Can he let go of his bitterness to find the faith he'll need to continue? Can he accept the unconditional love offered?

THE PROMISE OF PEACE is the fourth and final book in the Scottish Crown Series. These books have been of special interest to me because this is my own heritage. And I have always loved to read about the early and tragic struggles of the Scots. Carol Umberger has created some wonderful characters in this fiction series, and includes some of Scotland's own real historical heroes. But the reader is not bogged down in a lot of historical background that can tend to pull you out of the story. No, this is a good, fast-paced tale of 12th Century Scotland and the people that lived, struggled, fought and died to be allowed to live in peace and freedom.

Mermaids get all the good press. Heck, you can't throw a dart in a crowded library without hitting five or six children's books all dedicated to those fishy sea ladies. But what about selkie women? When do they get their due? Few books about selkies actually make them out to be women, as it happens. The men get, "A Stranger Came Ashore" and "Island of the Aunts", for example. Female selkies appear in "Daughter of the Sea", but not much else. So it was with great joy that I located not only a selkie book starring a woman, but a picture book at that. "The Selkie Girl" is your classic tale of abduction, male dominance, and naked women. Everything a picture book could aspire to. It is written by children's literature demi-god Susan Cooper (known best for her "The Dark Is Rising" stories), and illustrated by fellow Brit Warwick Hutton. It is a lovely little work.

Donallan lives alone by the sea with his cat and his dog and his sheep. It's a lonely life and Donallan longs for some company. One day, while scrounging for seaweed, he is enchanted by the song of three lovely naked women singing on a nearby rock. When he tries to investigate, however, they dive into the waves and become seals or selkies. An elderly man living near Donallan tells the young man how to catch one of the women as his bride. He must come on the same day one year from now and before the woman can grab it, steal her seal skin. Then she'll be bound to follow Donallan home. He does, she does, and they have five kids. Until, one day, their youngest son catches his father removing a lovely long sealskin from a mysterious brick behind their house...

Cooper, quite frankly, should do more picture books. This particular one contains all her lovely turns of phrase and particular lilts. Says the first sentence in the book, "The island rise green out of the sea, where the waves foam over the grey rocks, and strange things may happen there". The fact that Cooper has remained faithful to the whole naked chick part of the tale is also impressive. Other authors might have shied away or said the ladies were wearing seaweed garments or some such thing. The tale is a classic one, one told for centuries and not to be tampered with. So yes, this is a book about a man basically forcing someone to be his wife. Therefore, when she escapes back to the sea at the end, you're not particularly sad about it. Some kids reading the book may be a bit perturbed, but picture books should engage children as much as possible.

It is a bit of a pity that Warwick Hutton's illustrations don't convey the mystery of the story particularly well. His watercolors are lovely and majestic, but not particularly detailed. I cannot help but think that the book's editor could have located a more appropriate illustrator somewhere. Ah well. In the end it's the story that matters, and this one is truly lovely. Barbaric, perhaps. But lovely. For a great Irish tale that doesn't necessarily involve leprechauns, try "The Selkie Girl" on for size.

This book was amazing to me the first time I read it and continues to touch me deeply....so much so that I just spent $90. for an old used copy so that I could own it and return to it again and again. It is the story of all women, women who are taken from their true selves to serve others, in places that are foreign to their souls. And, of course, the story of her return. A children's book, but one that speaks to all ages. Magical. Timeless. I have heard that this story has been told in many languages for many hundreds of years. I would welcome any information that anyone has about this.

This story has a gripping plot with a wonderfully poignant ending. Children will empathise with the dilemma facing the mother and her children in this tale.

This book is by far the best book on the subject of Celtic Christianity I have ever encountered. The author not only has a superb knowledge of the subject, but has found ways to bring the knowledge and practice of the Celtic Saints into today's life. I would recommend this book only if you are willing to have everything you thought you knew about Christianity challenged and your life changed through a deeper relationship with God. This and Esther De Waal's "Celtic Way of Prayer" make a great starting point for the study of Celtic Christianity. I cannot recommend them highly enough. As the Irish say "Beannacht Dé leat" -- God's blessings be upon you.

Not a bad book if you are looking for a simple easy to read book on the Celtic church. The books strengths revolve around its simple truths, strong organization, and fluid and easily read style of Mitton. If you are interested in the Celtic church, this is a good place to start

Mitton identifies the principles behind the attractiveness of Celtic Christianity. Then, through exploring the lives of Celtic saints, makes an excellent argument for their applicability in an urban world.

What a delightful, well-produced and useful piece of work this book/DVD is! I was pleasantly surprised by just how very useful it turned out to be. The interviews on the DVD are fascinating in that they involve interesting, articulate people speaking naturally and unaffectedly, in Irish, on a wide variety of subjects. With the inclusion of speakers of Irish sign language as well as hearing respondents from very different walks of life, and speaking various Irish dialects, this DVD provides a valuable picture of linguistic and cultural diversity among modern gaelgeori.
I would rarely go so far as to give a product 5 stars but I felt that this book/DVD is exactly right for people who have some Irish and who want to improve aural comprehension using authentic materials. The book provides transcripts, translations at the back and just enough information to be helpful without swamping the student or blocking discovery. I would like to wish a hearty "comhghairdeas" and extend a heartfelt "go raibh maith agaibh" to everyone involved in the production of this wonderful resource. Well done!

The DVD is all Irish with no option for subtitles. It provides 2 hours of listening to a wide range of speakers to tune your ear to recognizing Irish in a variety of settings and dialects. The book provides guidance on how to get the most out of the DVD and some extra information on the language itself. The interviews are transcribed in both Irish and English so you do get some reading practice. The exercises in the book for each segment are brief. The book and DVD provide a good supplement to a more complete course, but does not stand alone. If you are following another course such as Progress in Irish, Buntus Cainte this is a good next step once your well acquainted with the language.

I've been studying irish on and off for a few years now, but always felt frustrated over the fact that I couldn't listen to native speakers on a regular conversational level or struggling with not being able to understand the dialects that veer off from standard book irish.

I just got this speaking Irish DVD and book yesterday and was blown away.
It totally submerges you 100% into pure untainted Irish (NO ENGLISH)...it's just like you are in the gaeltacht. You get to hear the differences in dialect and accent from different parts of Ireland and the text book has complete unedited transcripts so you can follow along. It even has a vocabulary list for each segment on the dialect words used and what they would actually be in standard Irish so you can creatively incorporate them into your own way of speaking as well as practice exercises after each segment so you can practice what you've learned!

This is a GOLD mine of information and an ABSOLUTE MUST for learners who have some Irish, but are looking to get more in order to obtain a measure of conversational fluency.

I am surprised there are no other reviews of this book, as it is part of one of the truly outstanding series in fantasy fiction, and certainly deserving of some of the attention currently being heaped upon the contemporaneous "World of Time" series by Jordan, or the recent "A Song of Ice and Fire" begun by Martin. While lacking in some of the richness of detail and characterization present in those works, nonetheless this series is deserving of serious attention by fans of the genre.

Set within a celtic realm, Kerr's tale actually follows the interwoven stories of several different characters spread across a time span of several hundred years in the history of the Westlands. Some readers used to the more conventional use of a linear plot may find this disconcerting, but Kerr has used it effectively and originally in evolving her story over the past six books. The realms of Westlands are varied and richly landscaped, and the mythology behind the world intriguing. The only flaw that prevented me from assigning 5 stars to this book was Kerr's sketchy handling of Jill's time spent in Anmurdio, a problem similar to those that plagued Kerr's first book, "Daggerspell." Nonetheless, a worthy successor to previous books in the series, and definately well worth the read.

One final note of complaint, directed at the publisher: It would be helpful, for those of us with a geographical bent, to provide maps of the Westlands with all of the books in the series. Since the second, book maps have been absent, except for a partial map available in "The Dragon Revenant." Even more irritating is the lack of provision in certain books of a full and complete character list covering at least the major characters in all six books. With all the shifts in plot line in time that take place, as well as the reappearance of certain characters in later books, it would be helpful to have this aid for one's memory.

This was the first Deverry book I read, and I spent the summer of 1994 reading it. Then I spent the rest of 1994 reading all the previous volumes! Then it was time to read the next volume in the series, and then the next...hopefully Katherine Kerr will never stop writing about Devrry!

For those unfamiliar with the series, it is told in a nonlinear, braided style, alternating between the 'present day' with Jill and Rhodry, and various narrative threads in the past. Characters who fail to learn lessons in a current life are reborn to work through their problems until the souls involved finally get it *right* - so characters can die, and tragically, and only the magicians of the dweomer know that it ends nothing and solves nothing.

This volume picks up the thread of the Time of Troubles where _The Bristling Wood_ left off, and is continued in _The Red Wyvern_. In the present day, picking up a thread from _The Dragon Revenant_, Salamander has turned his talent for dweomer into a living as a stage magician in the Bardek archipelago; as a half-elf, he has a life long enough to search for the soul of his beloved wife, dead untimely of fever, until he finds her reincarnation. Alas, the dweomer can't just be turned on and off like a lightswitch, and he'll pay for his abandonment of his true calling someday if he doesn't look out.

In the time of troubles, Maryn, the young Marked Prince of Pyrdon, is being groomed by Nevyn as the high king who can bring the wars to a halt, since he has close blood ties to all the contending claims for the throne, except Cerrmor - and since Cerrmor's heir is Princess Bellyra, an unmarried girl of Maryn's own age, that's not a problem. Cerrmor is in dire straits, and will welcome Maryn as a suitor for Bellyra with open arms - if he can get there alive. (Bellyra, for her part, is intelligent enough to realize that he'll never love her; she's just what he needs for the kingdom's sovereignty, and maybe a friend and ally, but no more.)

Some followers of the dark dweomer attempted to work magic against Maryn by creating a curse tablet. Nevyn has managed to get hold of it, but daren't destroy it, discard it, or be caught with it while trying to unravel the spells on it without harming Maryn. (This thread eventually doubles back on itself, in Kerr's nonlinear, braided storytelling style, giving him the idea for creating the Great Stone of the West (the opposite of the curse tablet) which we saw back in volume 2, _Darkspell_.)

Be warned, the dark dweomer workers did something VILE to enchant the tablet - Nevyn finds the evidence with the tablet. Grisly. Also, while Maryn has been groomed to be a warrior's ideal of a king, he's not a saint (the silver daggers when in transit introduce him to a brothel, which actually turns into a hilarious if bawdy scene through no fault of Maryn's).

Bellyra, for her part, is not only intelligent, but unusually well-educated and intellectual, and will grow into a formidable political force if she survives the siege of Cerrmor. Like Maryn, she is one of the recurring characters being reincarnated at different stages in the history of the series. One of her incarnations appears in _A Time of Exile_, while both she and Maryn have been reborn late in the 'present' day.

WHILE ON A VACATION TO SCOTLAND THIS SUMMER, I BOUGHT THIS BOOK. WELL I STAYED UP UNTIL 3 IN THE MORNING . I JUST COULDN'T PUT IT DOWN. IT'S THE BEST BOOK I'VE READ SINCE THE RED TENT. NOW AT HOME I'M LOOKING UP ANYTHING I CAN FIND ON ANNE FARQUHARSON.
PLEASE JANET PAISLEY, WRITE ANOTHER BOOK I'LL BE THE FIRST TO GET MY HANDS ON IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is a first-rate historical novel centering on an irresistible heroine, Colonel Anne. Janet Paisley has done an astonishing job of rescuing, and brilliantly imagining, a little-known 'real' historical figure who fought, against her husband's wishes, in the Jacobite Rebellion.

Compelling, enlightening and hugely entertaining, don't miss it.

White Rose Rebel is a fictional story based on the life of Anne Farquarson, Scotland's 'Colonel Anne' who lead the Jacobite rebels to war in 1745 in an attempt to regain Scotland's independence from England.

When Anne's husband Aeneas Macintosh joins the Black Watch and fights with the English army, Anne raises her own troops and with her first love, Alexander MacGillivray as her Captain, leads them to battle, fighting against her husband.

While I really enjoyed reading about this period in history, I was disappointed by the lack of character development, most characters were not developed well at all and even the main characters were very stereotypical.

I was also disappointed by the lack of detail to setting. I often had a difficult time picturing where events were occurring because there were so few details describing the setting of events and almost none describing clothing.

Some of the situations were bordering on the ridiculous. There were detailed sex scenes, which is something I think typically detracts from serious works of fiction.

And while I am certain that Janet Paisley knows this story like the back of her hand sometimes she was not very good at creating a vivid picture of it for the reader. There are places where the wording leads to ambiguity and uncertainty.

But I will say that I did enjoy this book despite the many criticisms I have about it. I really loved the feminist slant to the story and the history of the Jacobite rebellion in 1745 as well as the history of Scotland. And I will seek out other books on the topic.

I would say if you like Romance novels you will probably love this. Though there are plenty of gory details of war.

If you are a hard core literary fan who reads historical fiction you might like this, or you might be totally disgusted and hate it.

That's the thing about books...you just never know which one will be your next favorite.


If anyone has recommendations for other reading on this topic please share them with me, thanks :0)

Magnificent, engrossing and inspiring

I absolutely loved White Rose Rebel. It's an astonishing and deeply moving story of the 1745 Jacobite war in Britain which opens with a hunting scene. In the mountains, a dirge plays faintly on distant pipes and drums. There is a shot and a deer falls. A young girl in a velvet and lace highland dress rushes from cover to claim her kill. From that beginning, the action never stops. The girl is Anne Farquharson who becomes Colonel Anne, a real-life Highland heroine of the Jacobite Rising.

By chapter two, when her adult story starts, we've already met the two men who will love her. They're clan chiefs and bonded friends. In keeping with her nature, she marries the most challenging one. The relationship is passionate but they try to dominate each other. When the Rising starts, Anne expects her husband to join it, especially after brutal action against their clan by government forces. Instead, he joins the British side. Appalled, Anne raises his people to fight for the Jacobites and with her ex-lover at her side, goes to war.

Janet Paisley's research is excellent, using period documents for the earliest facts except where those are not known. She also understands the ethos of Scottish clans, the equality between the sexes and their democracy, and uses the erosion of those after Scotland's union with England as the reason why so many women support the Jacobite bid to regain the throne. These were women who had rights which English women at the time couldn't even dream of, and they behaved accordingly. There is an interesting writer's note at the back and a glossary though the few Gaelic and Scots words are easily understood while reading.

The battle scenes, when husband and wife face each other on opposite sides, are superb, bloody and brutal, but accurate. The sex scenes, as Colonel Anne sways between love for her errant husband and for her supportive lover, are the best I've read, tense, exciting and beautifully written. Even the minor characters in White Rose Rebel leap off the page, real and alive. I laughed with them as they danced and joked, and cried for them when they suffered pain and loss. These brave and admirable men and women are caught up in the reality of civil war as it tears apart the British union and the Scottish nation, splitting families, friends and couples.

Their clan culture is destroyed at the battle of Culloden. This must be the best fictional account of that battle ever written. Visual and visceral, the sounds and smells surround the reader. We're on that field, and we know and care about those who fight and die. Only the hardest heart could fail to be moved by the carnage. The book is written from a Jacobite point-of-view but even among the enemy there are people to love or to despise and fear. The danger to Anne's life increases with every rapidly-turning page as the aftermath of defeat brings difficult and painful times before the story reaches a satisfying, moving conclusion.

I can't praise this book enough. Packed with adventure, sexual tension, political intrigue, betrayal, cruelty and heartbreak, it also manages to be uplifting and inspiring. The writing is scenic, filmic and easy to visualise. It's literary and poetic but eminently readable with a powerful love story which is honest rather than romantic. White Rose Rebel brings period and people to life in a magnificent novel with themes of equality and democracy which are still being fought for today. It's also a brilliantly researched fictional tribute to a heroine who should be better known. A great read which I thoroughly recommend.

If you belong to a westernised culture, steeped in theistic religion and didactic reasoning, AND know somthing of Zen already, this may be the book that finally reassures your reasonable self that your purely spiritual one is on the right track. Brazier provides a revealing and insightful interpretation of Zen practice through the mind of a psychologist who obviously cares a lot about the people he treats. If you are new to Zen or Bhuddist thought, here you will find the essence of those somtimes arcane ideas presented with new clarity, within the framework of commonsense psychologese we in the west are at ease with. "Yes, of course!" I kept hearing myself say, as another pearl fell into place. Still, as we who meditate know, these are all merely words.

This is a beautiful book that made me love the field of psychology so much more. I highly recommend reading it. It is an exploration of Eastern and Western philosophy. Zen Buddhism and psychoanalysis comparing Carl Rogers to the Buddha. One of the best books I've had the pleasure of reading.

The approach for this book reminds me of the old "compare and contrast" essay assignments from college. But Brazier accomplishes more than highlighting the differences between these two views of our exterior and interior landscapes. You don't have to know the zen concepts, all is well explained, and ample references provide the basis for Brazier's framework. There is a blending going on that is synergistic, that creates a way of thinking and feeling that is more than western and more than eastern. It is indeed transcending the limits of both approaches. It's been a long time since a book compelled me to write in the margins and underline key points as this book does. There is a zen balance here; where traditional psychotherapy falls short, Buddha psychology fills in, and where the Buddha doesn't fit, western thought provides what is needed. We do live in a western culture and must strive for wholeness consistent with that. It's a how-to and patiently lays the groundwork for why this process will create a centered psychotherapist. The book manages to stand alone. For anyone with psychic ulcers, caused by a poor diet of ideas or by straining too hard, this book is the antacid. I am already giving it to friends.

In a small volume just slightly larger than pocket size, Mr. McColman gives us all we ever wanted to know about Celtic wisdom and lore, past and present. Bite sized pearls of wisdom grace the pages of this book. Each of the 366 essays of the book is only a page long.

Mr. McColman packs a wallop into each paragraph. The book is divided into sections with such headings as "The Path of the Fairies", "The Path of the Night" or The Path of Sacred Days" with each section focusing on information reflective of the heading title. Although the information does overlap in numerous places, the author does such a good job in his collection of daily meditations that the book never becomes repetitive.

Mr. McColman also avoids the all too familiar format of daily meditation books by not placing a date on each page. In his brief but very informative introduction, he explains that he wants the reader to enjoy the bits of wisdom on whatever day they may choose to read them instead of being forced to read certain passages in a prearranged progression. Spend a year and a day in any order you like, but make sure to not miss a single page. And for the avid reader who wants more there is a bibliography in the end matter as well.

The author takes us through all forms of Celtic wisdom and lore. This book crosses religious boundaries and historic ages. This book is an excellent introduction to the many facets of the Celtic mythology and culture. Even experienced students will find tidbits of interesting facts and wisdom to sink their teeth into. The past is explained in relationship to the present. Saints are given passages alongside mythic heroes and Gods and Goddesses. While it's main audience may well be a Pagan one, a person of any religion will find much wisdom in its pages. Another winner from Mr. McColman!

W. Lyon Martin Author/Illustrator of "An Ordinary Girl, A Magical Child"

"The Celts are, and always have been, a people with one foot in the otherworld, and thus are governed by the enigmatic conventions and customs of that spiritual realm: where time is meaningless, love is forever, and dancing just might never end." - Carl McColman

Part meditation book and part mystical curriculum, 366 Celt - A Year and a Day of Celtic Wisdom and Lore explains Celtic traditions and concepts in brief one-page essays for each day of the year. Drawing on the lives of saints, myth, folklore, symbol, druidism, and poetry, McColman provides an engaging overview of the key themes of this ancient spiritual tradition. Weaving his way through 40 different "paths"-each one consisting of 3, 9, or 21 meditations-the author demonstrates by example how the Celts value humor, storytelling and riddles over dry facts and matter-of-fact descriptions.

A few of the 40 "paths" include:

*The Path of the Bard
*The Path of the Seer
*The Path of Mythology
*The Path of the Saints
*The Path of the Fairies
*The Path of Anamchara
*The Path of Hospitality
*The Path of the Gods
*The Path of the Goddesses
*The Path of the Otherworld
*The Path of the Warrior
*The Path of Meditation
*The Path of Sacred Animals
*The Path of the Grail
*The Path of the Ogham

Rather than ascribe a particular date to a meditation, McColman numbers them from 1-366 so you can digest them at your own pace: one every day or many at a single sitting. 366 Celt covers a nice slice of Celtic terrain with reflections on sacred sites, holy days, ancient treasures, stories of fairies and heroes, flora and fauna of Celtic lore, and more. This book also includes a bibliography and index.

An example of one of the reflections is Meditation 64 under the Path of Neart:

"The Celtic tradition has a reputation for being optimistic. Certainly Celtic Christianity is a remarkably positive expression of the Christ path, and Celtic paganism (with its emphasis on the beauty of nature, the nobility of the hero, and the immortality of the soul) has its clear positive orientation as well. I rather think this upbeat characteristic of the Celtic path begins with the reality of neart. If we live in a universe pulsating with power and abundance, then ultimately our problems our solvable, surmountable-there's nothing to fear. It's reminiscent of Jesus' overarching message: Be not afraid. How sad that so many of his followers are wracked with fear, fear of offending God, fear of damnation, fear that others will be lost just because they live or think differently!

Optimism is a choice. It's the product of faith, for it requires a hopeful approach to life. Faith says "I believe in neart", while optimism says "I'll experience its blessings most any day now." They go hand-in-hand for those seeking to live a life of spiritual wisdom."

Whether you're looking for an introduction to Celtic spirituality or a daily reminder of the path you've followed for years, 366 Celt - A Year and a Day of Celtic Wisdom and Lore provides tasty morsels sure to nourish the soul.

To follow on from the review of GR Grove below. If it is a more "coffee table" pictorial book on celtic culture of Britain and Ireland you are seeking, but still written by an authority, also try "Celtic Britain and Ireland: Art and Society" by the same author. Although published in 1995 it is a also fine book. With plenty of colour plates.

At 420 pages, copiously illustrated with line drawings and black and white photographs, this is good value for money ($50 for the paperback edition on Amazon). No color plates, but you can't have everything. This is essentially a university-level textbook, not a mass-market coffee table book. The material is clearly written and extremely well-organized, and the author has, as he says in the preface, "endeavoured to remove as much jargon as is feasible." The book includes three appendices, abundant footnotes, suggestions for further reading, and an impressive bibliography.

After an introduction and a general survey of the Celtic world, the author gets down to details. The next eight chapters cover settlements, farming, everyday objects and equipment, industry and technology, trade and communications, clothes and jewelry, art and ornament, and the church. This is followed by area-specific chapters on south-western Britain, Wales, Ireland and the Isle of Man, Southern Scotland and northern England, and Northern Scotland. To cover all this ground in the space available (the appendices start at page 335) means that no discussion can be in any great depth, but Laing still manages to cram in an impressive amount of detail, and the abundant citations allow the interested reader to follow up on any particular point. No space is wasted on philosophical arm-waving; this is an "only the facts" treatment. I recommend it heartily.

This text (as one of three source books written by John Matthews) is an absolute must-have for anyone interested in Celtic history and religion. So many current books have absolutely no historical basis and focus solely for a New Age or occult audience that has no wish to understand historical context or who the bards and druids really were in their own society. This book is actually more of an anthology on the subject of Celtic bards, but the extensive commentary is also very useful. Robin Williamson (of the Incredible String Band) writes a brilliant introduction as well. I can't wait to get the Druids' Source Book and the Celtic Seers' Source Book too -- I enjoyed this text as both a student of Celtic history and as someone interested in modern Celtic spirituality.

This book was a good source for what I was looking for andf the words and things were easy to understand. I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did