It may come as a shock to some that Ireland still has nineteen documented native "royal" families, probably because the island's ruling dynasties were suppressed nearly five centuries ago by the imperialist Tudors. The conquest of Ireland was followed by the Flight of the Wild Geese, in which much of the Irish aristocracy fled to other Catholic countries (notably France and Spain) and was largely forgotten at home. The government of today's Ireland, however, has been granting courtesy titles to claimants who can prove their descents. Ellis is a noted scholar and popular writer in the area of Celtic studies and history and this enabled him to be "invited in" by the heads of the families to examine their claims. Each of these is "the chief of the name" -- though some also hold other Gaelic titles, such as Conor O'Brien, "The O'Brien," who also is hereditary Prince of Thomond (as well as being a baronet and Baron Inchiquin in the Peerage of Ireland under the UK). They generally have more money (based on land ownership) and education than average, and their influence in Irish culture can be considerable. The author does a very creditable job of outlining the lineage and political history of each of these families, each in its own chapter, as well as the modern-day activities of the chiefs in regaining their social positions. Following the publication of the first edition, a scandal erupted around Terence McCarthy, recognized as The McCarthy Mor, who turned out to be a complete fraud, and that episode, which badly damaged the credibility of the chiefs of Ireland, is also recounted in detail in this edition. An articulate, informative, and very well written book.

Erin's Blood Royal: The Gaelic Noble Dynasties Of Ireland by Celtic scholar Peter Berresford Ellis is a stately and informative study of the Irish aristocracies that ruled Ireland until Henry VIII forced them to obey the English crown. Individual chapters relate the sagas of numerous Gaelic noble families, including O'Carroll, O'Connor, McCarthy, Maguire, O'Grady and many more. A highly recommended contribution to Irish Studies supplemental reading lists and reference collections, Erin's Blood Royal is an articulate and impressive account of the family branches whose descendants live in Ireland, Great Britain, America, and many other nations throughout the world today.

This book contains stories from almost every Celtic country; Ireland, Isle of Man, Scotland, Wales, Cornwall, and Brittany. The author writes these tales like short stories, which is easier to understand than the original versions I'm sure. If you want to hear a veriety of stories from all over the Celtic world, then buy this book.

This Book, as is Peter Berresford Ellis's Dictionaty of Celtic Mythology, is in my opinon deserve 6+ stars, not 5. "Irish Mythology" is not really covered in his "Celtic mythology book, Celtic Mythology is really a continuation of of this book, covering a much broader scope. I have over a dozen "Dictionaries and Encyclopedias of Celtic Mythology, Legend and Lore" and the scope and breadth of the information covered by Mr. Ellis is excellent. As you look up each entry, a full explanation is given, and if your curosity is peaked, it is easy to look up all other referances that are mentined in the text. Stories of Irish mythology, that I didn't fully grasp before, are very clear and understandable.

This book is small, compact, and has maps of old forts, digs, directions to drive there, etc. Good research by Peter Berresford Ellis, noted Celtic scholar.

I borrowed this book from a friend and had to obtain a copy for my own personal library.

The introduction is so moving that anyone interested in modern Irish History will not put it down.

Connolly's viewpoints on Socialism, Nationalism, and the Catholic Church lifted an enormous cloud of confusion I have had since my early schooldays in Belfast.

While Ellis' "Celtic Women" is the best book I have yet read on the subject, it suffers from peculiar inconsistencies, as well as the author's tendency to disregard or dismiss evidence which contradicts his thesis. This work is definitely preferable to Jean Markale's book of the same title, as Ellis seems to be more of a scholar and less of a mystic. Ellis focuses on material from the Classical authors, native Celtic law texts, and vernacular works of literature and history in painting a vivid picture of the many roles of Celtic women and Celtic female divinities. This work is not without flaws, however, for one must ask, would a book about Celtic men include an overview of Celtic male gods? Female divinities are also prominent in Greek mythology, but I find the argument that the stature of goddesses reflects the status of women in the culture which worships them to be, at best, highly speculative. While there is definitely evidence that women could attain high social positions in Cletic societies, Mr. Ellis seems to gloss over the fact that ruling queens and influential female Brehons (judges) were notable exceptions to the rule. In addition, while there is much material introduced from native law regarding women's rights to property and divorce, nothing is said concerning women's rights to child custody. The reader is left to wonder whether nothing is said in these law texts about such an important and revealing point as a woman's right to her own children, or if the author considered it to be of no importance. As a woman, I would love to look to the Celts as an example of the "original egalitarian model" that the book's jacket claims, but as a scholar I feel that Mr. Ellis overstates his case, a failing of many of his otherwise fine works. Perhaps more disturbing, there are sections of the book that strike a strangely discordant note in view of the overall theme. For instance, Mr. Ellis devotes an entire chapter (out of 10) to the subject of personal adornment. In this chapter, he discusses not only the costume and adornments of women, but of men as well. Does this suggest a view on the part of the author that the whole subject of dress is a concern specific to women, or is this material introduced solely by way of comparison? While I would recommend this book as being the best available on the subject, I believe that a truly 5 star book on Celtic women has not yet been written.

After researching for years and looking desperately for a good resource on Women in the Celtic times, this book was an amazing find. I was thrilled by the information I found here. I learned things about Celtic Women that I had never imagined could be true. I know that I will be using this book for many years to come.

There are many non-fiction books written on the Celts, but only a few on the subject of Celtic Women. This book is well-written and researched with care. Most interesting to this reader, was the chapter on a Celtic woman's legal status during different times of history. If you like this book I would also suggest the Mr. Ellis' book on the Druids, aptly named, "The Druids".

Peter Beresford Ellis is obviously a scholar, as he collects together many stories and histories and presents them in a very readable style (though, as another reviewer has said, if you intend to read this aloud you should practice the names a few times in advance).

This text is quite different that Lady Gregory's _Of Gods and Fighting Men_, as it is less a retelling of ancient myths than an attempt to show the historical sides of the various families. Still, it is quite filled with legend, and a good read.

Share it with your children at bedtime!

Peter Beresford Ellis has taken several Christianized sources for various Celtic myths and retold them as they might have sounded before the Christian influence appeared. If you're looking for translations of Celtic stories, this isn't the book for you; it is decidedly Reconstructionist in nature and not a historical retelling. The author's approach, however, is quite scholarly, and he makes a concerted effort to seperate the different Celtic cultures, each one represented by six distinct myths, which makes it easy to focus on your own family heritage. His writing has a biblical feel, a bit like a formal storyteller. For this reason, I believe The Chronicles of the Celts would be a good addition to the library of parents who are attempting to raise their children with a respect for their ancestry and their ancestor's gods. They are good stories, some of which contain references to sex and violence, but in the same inexplicit way the Bible does. (Remember "And Adam knew Eve..." And "David slew Goliath" ?) Each contains several life lessons. The women are strong and respected, the men are honorable yet with emotion, and the gods aren't petty and cruel. Their formal nature makes them good to read aloud at family celebrations of Celtic Holidays.

Note: You may want to learn to pronounce the Gaelic names before reading aloud. Some of them can be tricky the first time, but it's not necessary to enjoy the book.

Actually.....nil stars.

Only buy it if you are the sort of person who buys timeshare, the Eiffel Tower, etc...

For those who are unaware, the "MacCathy Mor" discussed in the book was really an imposter.

The reality of an indigenous Irish nobility is not much understood or accepted inside Ireland itself, much less in the rest of the world. As the victors write the history, too much Irish history has omitted any reference to the fact that Ireland had its own kings and nobles well before the Norman-English intruded on the scene. To this day the claims of persons such as the MacCarthy Mor to royal status are met with skepticism; relevant to this book, one individual expressed this skepticism so openly as to warrent a suit before the Italian courts. This lawsuit offered the MacCarthy Mor to present to a court of experts his credentials as Head of the Royal House of Munster, as Chief of his Name, and as rightful bearer of the coat of arms of the MacCarthy Mor. The Court carefully reviews and expounds on the evidence presented, and the ruling presents in detail the Court's rationale for fully supporting the MacCarthy Mor's claims. This book is a must read for any student of Irish history, modern aristocracy, chivalry, or heraldry. A word of warning, though: this is a legal document, and it reads like one -- don't expect light reading, but do expect to be educated!

If you thought that the Gaelic Nobility died out in 1601, or even 1691, this book is for you. This book documents the present situation of one of the Royal lines of Ireland. It documents the present views of two European powers towards the rights and prerogatives of the current representative of the Royal Eoghanacht Dynasty. This Royal line ruled over the southwest quarter of Ireland for more than a thousand years. The last regnant King was Donal IX, King of Desmond, who died in 1596.

Yet the dynasty, with it's rights and priveleges, survives! Contained in the book are the transcripts of two Italian Court rulings, a translation of a Certification from the Kingdom of Spain, and copies of various supporting documents that were made available for the Italian and Spanish authorities. This book will be of special interest to those who study the Gaelic history of Ireland, and those who claim descent from the MacCarthy family.

Peter Berresford Ellis' work on the "Celtic Empire" is an interesting, well-researched, and compelling read. His deep knowledge contemporary archaeological lore, modern Celtic scholarship, and the original Greek and Roman sources, makes this work a reliable and trustworthy account of a nation often clouded by the mist of Mythology and obscured by the stigma barbarity. Ellis begins his study of the Celtic peoples during the Bronze Age at approximately 1000 BC and concludes it at the conquest of Britain under the regiments of the emperor Claudius in AD 51. Also, the epilogue covers some fascinating theories propounded concerning Celtic relations with the American Indians around 800 BC, and also about possible ties of kinship with the Etruscans - Ellis discounts these theories, but they are worth checking out nevertheless. In general, the history focuses on the Celts struggle for freedom and identity against the pressure of an expanding Roman Empire. So, what will be found here is a very good, in-depth overview of Roman and Celtic military history. Little will be found here on Celtic law, philosophy, religion, and art, although it does contain much useful information on the Celt's language, achievements and contributions to Greco-Roman civilization and culture from Asia Minor to Ireland. The only flaw to this history is Ellis' obvious contempt for anything Roman, branding them as ambitious, greedy, and cruel; this estimate of the Roman's may to a certain extent be justified, however, Ellis' over-emphasis grows a bit bothersome early in the work. Apparently, to Ellis, anything that was good in Roman culture was inherited from the Celts. Overall, an eager reader will find a peaceful medium between the impressions left from the original Greco-Roman sources and Ellis' Celtic bias. This work should not be overlooked.

Having first read this book in 1991 I may have forgotten parts of the story but what I haven't forgotten was that it was an excellent story. The author has presented a rich account of the first millennium of Celtic history (1000BC - 51AD). This may not be a highly detailed history but its a good story and covers all the major points of history that you would want to know about the people we call the Celts.

It covers all aspects of their life and their role in the ancient world. Its a good book, well presented and researched and it's a joy to read. The text just flows along taking you on a journey back in time to when the Celts were the most feared and respected people in the land. Read it and enjoy!

I used think of druids as mystical priestly figures in Celtic societies. Having read this book I came to change my view. In general Peter Berresford Ellis suggests that the druids were actually less mystical than we may popularly think. At the same time their sphere of influence and interests extented far beyond religious matters. The writer presents the subject matter in very scholarly fashion and without the all too usual over-glorification and mystification of anything Celtic. Logical argumentation and the fact based approach to druids and druidism convinced me. Despite being scholarly Berresford Ellis's text is very enjoyable to read. If you want an objective account on druids and druidism, read this book.