Product Details
Saxons, Vikings, and Celts: The Genetic Roots of Britain and Ireland

Saxons, Vikings, and Celts: The Genetic Roots of Britain and Ireland
By Bryan Sykes

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Product Description

WASPs finally get their due in this stimulating history by one of the world's leading geneticists.Saxons, Vikings, and Celts is the most illuminating book yet to be written about the genetic history of Britain and Ireland. Through a systematic, ten-year DNA survey of more than 10,000 volunteers, Bryan Sykes has traced the true genetic makeup of British Islanders and their descendants. This historical travelogue and genetic tour of the fabled isles, which includes accounts of the Roman invasions and Norman conquests, takes readers from the Pontnewydd cave in North Wales, where a 300,000-year-old tooth was discovered, to the resting place of "The Red Lady" of Paviland, whose anatomically modern body was dyed with ochre by her grieving relatives nearly 29,000 years ago. A perfect work for anyone interested in the genealogy of England, Scotland, or Ireland, Saxons, Vikings, and Celts features a chapter specifically addressing the genetic makeup of those people in the United States who have descended from the British Isles.

Product Details

  • Amazon Sales Rank: #1506738 in Books
  • Published on: 2006-12-15
  • Formats: Audiobook, CD, Unabridged
  • Original language: English
  • Dimensions: .1 pounds
  • Binding: Audio CD

Editorial Reviews

From AudioFile
This work concerns a decade-long study of several thousand volunteers from Britain, Ireland, and the U.S. Sykes wished to compile a genetic history of the British Isles from DNA evidence, and in that he did succeed. Interweaving historical accounts of the Isles with accounts from his own study, he finds that much of accepted history is wrong. The choice of Dick Hill to read this meandering work may not be the best fit. His voice is fine but does not quite mesh with this production. His rhythm and pace are rather disjointed. This characteristic makes the work hard to follow, and the listener can quickly lose interest. M.T.F. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Boyd Tonkin, The Independent [UK]
Explained with an infectious zest. His book is so revealing that the new...as well as the old should read it.

Ann Forester, Library Journal
Make[s] a good case for genetics taking its place alongside archaeology and history as a tool for understanding the past.