Everyday Life of the Celts

Children's Literature

In the introduction about the origins of the Celtic world, the author acknowledges that the Celts did not leave written records so our knowledge depends on accounts written by Romans and Greeks as well as the information gleaned by archeologists. Since the Romans and Greeks were conquerors of the Celtic world, their views need to be taken with a degree of skepticism. Yet the author presumes to tell us how Celts felt: "Young people were eager to become druids...," "Celts loved horses...," "they were not good at long-term plans or working together on long-term projects." When he sticks to the facts he does a fine job of examining Celtic life, and the many excellent illustrations on each page add to the reader's understanding. Pages with acetate overlays show us the inside and outside views of a bog burial and a Celtic homestead, as well as the outer walls and the inside buildings of a village. The book also looks at religion, the druids, burial, farming and food, war, daily life, technology, art, festivals, fun and games, Celts and Romans along with Romanized Celts, trade and travel, the Celtic fringes, and the way Celts live on. The book, in the "Uncovering History" series, includes an index but would be better if it also had a bibliography. 2004 (orig. 2003), Smart Apple Media, Ages 9 to Adult.
— Janet Crane Barley

Library Journal

Gr 4-5-Topics in these books include clothing, society, religion, games, and the household. On each spread, the facts are presented in an introductory paragraph with shorter paragraphs and captions providing additional details. Each volume has two or three cellophane overlays that are of little value. There is not enough information in either title for a report, and what is there is so general that at times the books appear to contradict themselves. There are also some inaccuracies, e.g., Senker cites the height of the Greek civilization as being 2000 years ago, when it was closer to 3000 years ago. Stick with the many superior titles on these topics.-Lynda S. Poling, Long Beach Public Library, CA Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.