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The Celtic World

Written by: The Great Courses
Narrated by: Professor Jennifer Paxton PhD
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Publisher's 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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    4 out of 5 stars

good presenter not enough lectors

overall I enjoyed this series. The presentations were excellent and the lectures were well-crafted. my only real issue is that it tried to do too much. there was just too much ground to cover, ranging over 2000 years of history and a plethora of geographies.

this course would have benefited from greater Focus or from a greater number of lectures.

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2 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars

Good, but a little too much for one course

There is a lot of interesting material in this course, but it does not go into a very satisfying depth since it attempts to cover the entire several thousand year history of the Celtic peoples across Europe. This results in a slight lack of some historical depth which is replaced by surface level social themes. It is still interesting, but leaves something to be desired.

Paxton performs the course quite well, although there are numerous awkwardly edited lines which were obviously recorded at another time and shoehorned in. This is not a major deal, but it does create a little dissonance every once in a while.

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1 person found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars

Really engaging lecturer and lectures

This course was pitched at the perfect level for me. I knew very little about the subject, but I found the lectures, accessible and very interesting and it’s encourage me to look into the subject more. I’ve binged the whole set and didn’t feel I had to force myself to listen to it at all.

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    5 out of 5 stars

Impressive

I have watched many of the Great Courses but this is my first time listening thru Audible. I gravitated toward the subject because of my lived experience, genealogy and interest in history and this did not disappoint. I appreciated the journey through the ages and across the 7 Celtic regions with a focus on military battles, politics, linguistics and sociology. I most enjoyed how it intertwined with sports, music, literature and other arts as an enduring testament to a resilient culture.

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  • ncl
  • 2023-10-16

A wonderful overview!

This is a very enjoyable, informative and all encompassing view of the subject matter. Well done & thank you professor!

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    4 out of 5 stars

educational and bite sized

the chapters are a good size to digest the information well. the speaker is clearly spoken and knowledgable

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  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Tim
  • 2022-01-02

poorly structured

pretty random discussion and a lot of 'we'll talk about this later' it's just an unorganized mish-mash. this is less about the Celts than the current state of scholarship about the Celts, delivered in a meandering, repetitive style.

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VERY WELL PRESENTED

loved the series. made the characters and events real and their actions understandable. made me want to learn more.

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    4 out of 5 stars

I would have liked it to be more in depth.

I hope we will see other lectures covering the countries involved individually in the future.

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