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Article: Peering past the Celtic mist.(Features)
- Article from:
- Daily Mail (London)
- Article date:
- September 11, 2009
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2009 Solo Syndication Limited. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Byline: BY PETER LEWIS
HISTORY THE CELTIC REVOLUTION BY SIMON YOUNG (Gibson Square [pounds sterling]14.99)
AS I UNDERSTAND it, the word 'Celtic' equals 'legendary'. It seems as if nobody agrees on who the Celts were. Some doubt they ever existed. If they did, did they matter?
According to this surprising new work by an historian of the Dark Ages, whose reputation is fast rising, they mattered very much -- as much as the Greeks and the Romans -- because their legacy helped form the way in which more modern peoples like ourselves see the world.
For one thing, they wore trousers. This was practical, since they came from chilly Northern ...