The Sea Kingdoms

At the heart of this book lies a journey; from Scotland and the Isles, across to Ireland, back to Wales and finally, to Cornwall. From this base, the author strays into the oral histories, legends and known events of the Celts, forming a narrative history of an ancient people and their past.

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This is a narrative history based on a journey from Shetland, down the west coast of Scotland - taking in the Isle of Man and the Outer Hebrides - across to Ireland, back to Anglesey and the west Welsh coast, back to Ireland again and finally Cornwall. This journey lies at the heart of the book - the base from which the author strays into the oral histories, legends and known events of the Celts and their past - with narratives soaked in legend, myth, sensuality, tragedy and gore. These apparently disparate stories, fragments of history and myth are woven together together to give a representation of the race which has repeatedly changed history as we know it. Ranging between pre-history and the present, with much in between - the book tells the story of a people stretched down 1000 miles of coastline that has to be among Britain's richest and most ancient. It also tells the story of the sea itself, which has, more than anything, shaped the Celtic character.