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The Celtic World cover art

The Celtic World

By: The Great Courses
Narrated by: Professor Jennifer Paxton PhD
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Summary

Following the surge of interest and pride in Celtic identity since the 19th century, much of what we thought we knew about the Celts has been radically transformed. From the warriors who nearly defeated Julius Caesar to druids who, contrary to popular opinion, definitely did not worship at Stonehenge, get to know the real Celts.

In The Celtic World, discover the incredible story of the Celtic-speaking peoples, whose art, language, and culture once spread from Ireland to Austria. This series of 24 enlightening lectures explains the traditional historical view of who the Celts were, then contrasts it with brand-new evidence from DNA analysis and archeology that totally changes our perspective on where the Celts came from. European history and culture have been profoundly affected by the Celts, from the myth of King Arthur to the very map of the United Kingdom, where the English confronted the peoples of the "Celtic Fringe."

With a wealth of historical expertise, Professor Jennifer Paxton (PhD Harvard University), Director of the University Honors Program and Clinical Assistant Professor of History at The Catholic University of America, guides you through each topic related to Celtic history with approachability and ease as you unearth what we once thought it meant - and what it may actually mean - to be Celtic. Professor Paxton's engaging, often humorous delivery blends perfectly with the facts about the Celts to uncover surprising historical revelations. The ancient Celts are very much alive in the literary and artistic traditions that their descendants have both preserved and very deliberately revived. All facets of Celtic life, past and present, are addressed by Professor Paxton, who demonstrates a masterful knowledge and carefully separates fact from myth at every turn. Come along for a ride through history to discover your inner Celt.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©2018 The Great Courses (P)2018 The Teaching Company, LLC

What listeners say about The Celtic World

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Awful

Grating Americanisms and accents, inaccuracies, can't tolerate listening to it. Please can we have more Celtic history options?

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11 people found this helpful

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should be called Ireland and some other countries

There is so much wrong with this I'm not sure where to start. very poor

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9 people found this helpful

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Very inaccurate pronunciations

Very interesting but completely murdered pronunciation of Irish words. Spoiled it for me just like the inaccuracies in Bravehart spoiled the movie for the author. This might help explain what I mean https://youtu.be/uUteMtNhe3g

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9 people found this helpful

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One of the best Great Courses!

Not only does Prof Paxton really know her stuff but you can tell she clearly loves it too. Her enthusiasm and knowledge comes through in every lecture. The history of the Celts is fascinating and there are even some twists and turns along the way. Like did they even properly exist? How did they really get to Ireland and the rest of the British Isles? Fab course.

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9 people found this helpful

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Enlightening and Engaging

Almost every part of this book has come as an eye-opening revelation to me, a Welshman, who knew so little of Celtic history and culture. It is like someone has gifted me with a part of myself I didn't realise was missing.
Most popular history in the UK in my experience tends towards an anglo-centric narrative, so to explore the history of Celtic nations is a welcome change.

Prof Paxton clearly enjoys her subject and that enthusiasm shines through. She has a nice balance of topics which are easily accessible and fascinating. Her explanation of technical aspects of languages was clear and easily understood.

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7 people found this helpful

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Really enjoyed this offbeat topic

I wanted to find something interesting, but without drama as I just wanted it on as background noise while I worked. It was a great course and I learnt a lot. Who knew the celts were in Turkey??!? Jennifer's narration was captivating and not boring to listen to. Lets hope she makes some more courses soon as I would be happy to purchase :)

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Very good

The book itself was a nice beginner to the subject, and covered all the bases, including the errors.

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learning

this has been a brilliant book and i recommended it to all who will give it a go

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excellent

Excellent course, so glad I gave it a chance despite the mixed reviews. Pronunciation of place names/Celtic words isn't perfect but highly informative and clearly well-researched. Very broad overview of celtic culture from Asia minor to the Western Isles. The lecture format makes it easy to navigate. Would highly recommend to anyone interested in celtic history.

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4 people found this helpful

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An excellent (and up-to-date) overview

This is an excellent course, covering the history and cultures of the "Celtic world" from earliest times to the almost-present. While sympathetic in its approach, and showing the deep knowledge of the presenter, it also debunks a lot of the pop-history mythology about who the Celts were, where they came from, even whether there really were those invasions by waves of culturally homogeneous tribesmen. If it does dispose of some cherished notions, it replaces them with scenarios that are just as fascinating. I highly recommend this course to those interested in history and especially in learning about why some parts of these islands are the way they are.

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4 people found this helpful