Britain Begins

Cunliffe is a noted archaeologist whose books are always a pleasure to read and highly informative. What I especially liked here was his examination of the possible origin of the Celtic language along the European Atlantic coastal region. It is possible that instead of the traditional view, which sees the Celtic language originating in Central Europe from Poland through Gaul and to Italy and Celtiberian Spain, that the Celtic language instead moved from the Atlantic coast, the peoples who eventually came to speak it, having come from the Anatolian region through Italy and along the Mediterranean to what is now Spain and then to the Atlantic coast; then the developed Celtic language moved to Central Europe. Cunliffe was greatly affected by the DNA analysis of Stephen Oppenheimer in reaching this view, but Cunliffe has long been an expert on the Atlantic coastal regions. Since neither Cunliffe nor Oppenheimer are professional linquists, it will be interesting to see how the linquists react to this view. Cunliffe also follows Oppenheimer in positing that the inhabitants of what is now England may have been speaking a Germanic dialect from as early as 6000 BCE or have developed one from their known frequent interactions with the mainland European Germanic dialect speakers. This would explain why Celtic has left so relatively little trace on present day English and why the Anglo-Saxon dialects became so readily accepted.. Cunliffe is less sure than Oppenheimer that we can differentiate the early Neolithic Germanic influences from the later DNA supplied by by Angles, Saxons, Frisians, and Jutes of the 5th century CE and the still later Viking influence from CE 800 on. Readers should note that these speculations take up but one chapter in a many chaptered book on early Britain.

Well written, well illustrated and a pleasure to read. Written by a leader in the archeological field (pun intended) this book is well worth the cost and time it takes to read. Free from jargon it is accessible for almost anyone to learn from. If you want a ‘technical’ or ‘academic’ book this might be a little light, but for general readership I would recommend this book.

I wanted a well-researched and technical book by a reputable archaeologist to provide a reliable background overview of the diverse population expansion in Britain from prehistoric times onwards. This book does it. My particular interest is why the earliest stone circles, dating to c3800BC were constructed in Orkney, while later expansion of that architecture developed more widely further south, particularly in southern mainland Britain. The book dosent answer the question but does shed light on immigration via the Atlantic routes from the continental mainland

If you even been to Stonehenge or any stone circle, or any remains before the Romans then this book will provide you with the story of who the people were who built those remains, why they were here and how they got here. Very readable. A fascinating view of the British landscape at the time.

This looks like a coffee table book but is very academic and detailed. Don’t be fooled by the pictures- it’s a dense read. It is however, simply brilliant and I have learned a tonne of information- indeed for the first time I feel I have a grasp of our ancient history. It was astonishing to understand all the evolutions Of culture and I can actually say it helped me understand my country and identity. Utter brilliance.

Cunliffe never disappoints with his career filled stories of systematically reconstructing pre-historic life. Doggerland’s implication will likely always be the unknown lynchpin until the next Ice Age reopens the lost lands for exploration. Of the >250,000 years of anatomically modern man, Britain reveals no evidence of a most ancient human footprint. Britain seems to begin around about the time of Cheddar Man and say 14,000 years ago with increasing clarity by millennia until arriving at relatively modern Stonehenge and forward. Britain Begins peels more or less 10,000 years of layers adequate to infer the nature of the populating wanderers. Detailed and very interesting.

Another wonderful book from historian Barry Cunliffe, who can meld archaelogy and history into a fascinating tale better than any other writer I know. This book traces the history of the British Isles from the earliest human habitation up to the Norman Conquest. Most of the book, therefore, is based on archaelogical records rather than on written ones; it presents these so clearly that one can envision them, and shows how they suggest a pattern of history. There are a lot of unknowns, Cunliffe makes very clear, but there are also strong probabilities. Absolutely fascinating, and an engaging read as well

This is a carefully and broadly inclusive review of data related to the population of the British isles as it developed over the centuries. The perspective of time and the evidence of which population derived from whatever source is dealt with in an even manner. The mysteries of an individuals specific heritage may or may not have an answer in DNA analysis.At least the reader will gain a perspective on the mix of ethnic groups which has occurred over the centuries. Sometimes the effort to include all possible evidence impedes the progress of the tale but a reader will gain an appreciation of the effort expended in presenting this excellent work.

A highly detailed expose on Britain before the Romans. Wonderful read on early people and their evolution with the land and seas. Makes you consider what an island development is all about. If you are thinking of travel to an ancestral home after a COVID-19 vaccine, you have time to enjoy this book.

The inhabitants of the British Isles are a mongrel race and always have been. This mongrelization is what has strengthened them and made them what we know as the English, the Welsh, the Scottish and the Irish.

Sir Barry Cunliffe is one of the most distinguished British archaelogists. Although he takes some controversial positions (e.g., the very early appearance of Indo-European languages and Anatolia as the core Indo-European homeland), this is a very thorough, well-balanced, and delightful history of Britain from the end of the last Ice Age up until the Norman Conquest. It is a very good introduction to the subject.

Barry Cunliffe is a writer of great clarity, with a massive knowledge of his subject. I love the abundant maps & pictures in this book. I am, at the same time, reading his "Pytheas the Greek", which has overwhelmed me, in the way he has pieced together a very intricate puzzle with but a few pieces, & created a masterpiece of easy reading. When I learn & enjoy at the same time, I am very pleased.

This is a superb book. It begins by tracing the geographic and geological origins of the country and then moves to losing at the story of humans as the inhabited the land. I was fascinated by his insights as to the benefits and disadvantages of each of the key investigative disciplines, archeology, DNA and chemistry and how when you put them all together you get a better picture. He's flexible inches thinking, clear where we don't know the answer to questions and pretty good and giving options and alternatives to key ideas. Above all else this book is based around the notion that humans are made to move and to travel. Thoroughly enjoyable. Ends with the Normans