In Search of the Irish Dreamtime: Archaeology and Early Irish Literature by JP Mallory review

"In Search of the Irish Dreamtime: Archaeology and Early Irish Literature" a review by JP Mallory.

JP Mallory describes this book as a companion to his The Origins of the Irish,
from 2013, in which he sketched the emergence in the early medieval
period of a people who were recognisably Irish. In that book he briefly
examined the legendary history of Ireland as written down in
early-medieval times by clerical scholars who prized the vernacular
traditions of poetry, myth and legend and gave them an honoured place
side by side with the Latin learning of the church.

 He returns to that subject in this latest valuable study written in his characteristic accessible and witty style.

BookLikes, Goodreads, and Social Network Censorship

I have decided to remove the Goodreads widget from the right hand column of this blog, because I am going to delete my Goodreads account, and move all my books, reviews, and data to BookLikes, a rival book/networking site.

The move will mean a lot of extra work, adding covers, adding data on self-published books and books not found on conventional book seller sites, etc., but it will be worth it to be able to freely express my opinions of books to friends, and shelve/tag my books as I see fit without interference (read: censorship) from the website owners.  I have been a member of Goodreads for many years, with over 900 books listed, (virtually) met lots of fellow pagan readers, and was a librarian: editing covers; inserting book summaries; inviting fellow authors I admired to join groups and enter into discussions about their work; and adding books from obscure publishers, many of which were pagan and/or occult related, to the ever-expanding database.  I am not the only librarian to leave under protest and, this appears to have resulted in a slower response time to requests from members of Goodreads to make amendments to books, as many super-librarians - those who have made thousands of edits or more to the Goodreads database - depart.

Normally, I detach myself from spats between authors, readers, fans, and member but when Goodreads decided to edit its policy on reviews and how their membership named bookshelves without informing their membership of the same, and then began deleting personalised shelves without rhyme, reason or informing infringing members first (to provide them with time to amend or save the content), I felt it was time I moved on – being a believer in self-censorship, but little beyond that. 

I was taken aback when I learned one member’s shelf, innocuously titled "Tain", relating to Táin Bó Cúailnge was deleted without warning.  Perhaps Goodreads staff felt they were able to read the mind of the member, and came to the conclusion that the name "Tain" was a comment on the behaviour of the authors – as this is the only reason for deleting shelves according to the scant comments from Goodreads staff on the unannounced policy change?[1]  Where is the logic in deleting a shelf entitled “bad authors” but leaving another shelf, belonging to the very same member account, called “cool authors”?  

It all seems hypocritical: instigating a policy supposedly to end the targeting of authors, only to bully their own members by saying that staff know what a member is really thinking when naming a shelf “authors I want to avoid”, i.e. it’s a comment on the author’s behaviour.[2] 

Oddly, the policy change, censoring of book shelf titles, ensuing furore, and mass exodus of members occurred during Banned Book Week.

For now, it seems BookLikes are keen to hear the suggestions of their new members, and have promised to provide lots of new goodies including a private messaging system, and groups function for socialising, and will be developing apps for those of us who read on the go, but like to update our progress.

I’m pretty hopeful my celtic myth shelves will be at BookLikes for a long time to come.

---

[1] Like Goodreads staff, I am also a mind reader ... actually, I’m not but I’m speculating based on the many reports I’ve read from other members.

[2] It would never refer to the poor writing style, unsavoury content of the author’s books, etc.

Shelf of Myths

Shelf of Myths, a photo by i-c-photos on Flickr.

A selection of my books on myths, though I noted the other copy of the Mabinogion has been misplaced.

Books on the Shelf

Celtic Shelf, a photo by i-c-photos on Flickr.

A selection of books on one of my bookshelves.

Another Book Giveaway

The Pagan Writers’ Community are giving away another book: "Energy Work" by Robert Bruce.

This step-by-step approach to physical and emotional health shows how to use the body’s energy centers to speed healing.

In Energy Work, Robert Bruce offers a simple, easy-to-learn approach to self-healing based on his breakthrough system of Body Awareness Tactile Imaging energy work. Bruce explains how to use tactile imaging, based on one’s sense of touch rather than visualization, to stimulate the flow of vital energy throughout the body. This is a system that anyone can use, regardless of age, health, or previous experience. Readers learn how to awaken the body’s energy centers and move healing, vital energy throughout the body.

Energy Work offers exercises to:

• Improve immune system function
• Enhance vitality and self-healing ability
• Increase psychic and spiritual abilities
• Develop stronger and more intimate relationships

Bruce provides easy-to-follow illustrations along with a series of exercises that encourage safe, rapid results. This is a valuable guide for anyone seeking to take charge of his or her health.

The winner of this drawing will receive one (1) copy of “Energy Work” by Robert Bruce.

The drawing for this giveaway will occur on Friday, November 25th around noon CST. Entries (comments on this blog post) must be dated before then to be counted.

So, go to the Pagan Writers’ Community website, quickly, to enter.

More Book Giveaways

The Pagan Writers Community are giving away a copy each of two books:

Coventry Magick with Candles, Oil and Herbs by Jacki Smith;

The Herbal Alchemist's Handbook: A Grimoire of Philtres. Elixirs, Oils, Incense, and Formulas for Ritual Use by Karen Harrison;

The Secrets of Dr. Taverner by Dion Fortune; and

Who are you in the Tarot? by Mary K. Greer.

Go to the website of Pagan Writers Community for details. Both giveaways close on 2 December 2011.

Book Giveaway: Pagan Writers Presents – Samhain

The Pagan Writers Community are giving away a copy of their upcoming anthology, "Pagan Writers Presents – Samhain"

Go to the PWC blog to post a comment, as entries close later today.

The Moon of Gomrath - Review

Author: Alan Garner
ISBN: 9626344709/9789626344705

Why did I choose this book? Because I had listened to The Weirdstone of Brisingamen and enjoyed it very much.

What did I like? The pace of the adventure was faster than The Weirdstone of Brisingamen and the same characters gained some depth.

I loved the weaving of celtic and local myth, and folklore into the storyline as well as the concept of old and new magic. I appreciated the way Alan Garner chose to describe occurrences and, more importantly, feelings ascribed to the afterlife or in-between; it was almost beautiful.

What didn't I like? Unfortunately, I was not as enthralled as I was with The Weirdstone of Brisingamen, and I found myself losing attention despite the wonderful narration of Mr Madoc. At certain points, I lost the any concept what was happening and I feel I may need a second listen, when not driving, to better appreciate this sequel.

I never heard an explanation as to how the Morrigan returned. As others have said, it felt more contrived with certain events seeming to happen at precisely the right moment purely to set-off another, and to provide the story with momentum.

So, despite the increase in pace, the further exploration of characters, and the fusion of folklore, myth, and landscape The Moon of Gomrath fell short of the standard set by The Weirdstone of Brisingamen.

Would I recommend it? Yes, but only because it is the sequel to a fine book.

Rating: 2½/5.

Testament of a Witch

Author: Douglas Watt
ISBN: 9781906817794

Why did I read it?  It was given to me in exchange for a review and I was keen on the idea of a fictional work set in Scotland during the the notorious witch hunts.

Synopsis:   John Mackenzie is an advocate in Edinburgh who is charged by a letter from a dead woman to investigate happenings in the village of Lammersheugh. He and his assistant, Davie Scougall, a man raised in religious superstition, arrive to find the dead woman's daughter, Euphame also accused of witchcraft and the enlightened Mr Mackenzie and his reluctant assistant must work quickly to save her.

What did I like? Douglas Watt keeps his chapters short and each has a different voice, focussing on one person, or section of the community and this keeps the story moving at a cracking pace.  The zeitgeist of the Scotland in the 17th century - the religious fervour and political unrest - is evoked with apparent ease and Mr Watt is explicit when describing the gruesome nature of the treatment afforded those accused of being in league with the devil but this adds to the feeling of uncertainty and terror of the time.

I enjoyed this book and sped through it keen to discover the underbelly of Lammersheugh with John Mackenzie, but unlike other murder and/or mystery books, I was unable to unravel the mystery ahead of the author's reveal.  For me, this is a big plus for the book.

What didn't I like?  Very little.  Some of the chapters were difficult to read as over half the chapter was  written in a Scottish dialect, though the few Gaelic phrases scattered throughout other chapters were translated into plain English.

 Would I recommend it?  Yes!  I would thoroughly recommend this book to others: friends, family and even my grandmother, a fussy reader.

Rating: 4/5.

Book Giveaway

The Pagan Writers’ Community are giving away one copy of a book and this time it is "Shades of Faith" edited by Crystal Blanton.

To quote the Pagan Writers’ Community:

"Shades of Faith: Minority Voices in Paganism is an anthology that encompasses the voices and experiences of minorities within the Pagan community and addresses some of the challenges, stereotyping, frustrations, talents, history and beauties of being different within the racial constructs of typical Pagan or Wiccan groups.

Often the associations of the roots of Paganism have pushed assumptions that worshippers of Paganism are strictly Caucasian. The mainstreaming of Wicca has elevated images of worship and deity that connect with Celtic, Greek or Roman cultures. There are a lot of minority races that are practicing Pagans and are often having a myriad of experiences that are fashioned by the reality of walking between the worlds of their birth ancestry or culture and that of their spiritual culture. This anthology is an opportunity to share their stories and experiences with others around being the minorities within a minority spiritual community.

Some of the practitioners in this anthology practice paths that include (but are not limited to) Wicca, Voodoo, Umbanda, Shaman, Native and other Pagan paths.

Join us in celebrating the incredible diversity and beauty that encompass the harmony that has created the song of the Pagan community. The previously unheard voices of our community are now sharing the power of experience through the written word and through their voices."

Please go to the website of the Pagan Writers’ Community for details on how to participate.

Good luck!

Book Giveaway – Uneasy Lies The Head

The Pagan Writers' Community blog are offering "Uneasy Lies The Head", a book by S. P. Hendrick, as a giveaway.

"In the near future, Britain has given up its constitutional monarchy to become a republic. But though the crown is a museum piece and the family no longer bears its ancient titles, Stephen Windsor feels the stirrings of the lives of ancient Sacred Kings in his bones, which is not surprising as at key points in Britain's history he has been reincarnated to perform the supreme kingly act. And though the throne is empty and forgotten, the Land remembers, and calls once more for a crown upon a royal head... and royal blood upon the ground!"

Why not go over to the Pagan Writers' Community blog and see if you can't nab yourself a copy of this five star read, as rated by the reviewers at Good Reads?

Trance Portation: Learning to Navigate the Inner World

By: Diana L. Paxson
ISBN: 9781578634057


What I like:  The book is very well organised and the information is solid.  The book is designed to be read over a period of months, as each chapter's exercise is undertaken and understood before moving on to the next.   The text contains an appendix aimed at teachers who are taking students through the process of trance.  As such, this book is suitable for teaching groups though the author suggests it is suitable for solitary students.

What I dislike:  the style of delivery rather dry and uninspiring; I had to push myself to read the book, as it was part of a book club group read. I am not a newcomer to trance, and perhaps this made it more difficult for me to engage with the information provided.

There appears to be a serious flaw with the book: the author assumes every reader is capable of adapting each exercise to their own tradition, but this is not always the case. For instance, if the reader is also new to particular path, faith or tradition they will have no understanding of the landscape traversed by followers, or the deities, entities, etc. and, as such, will not know how to adapt the exercises therein. Although Paxson does provide some examples, these are not comprehensive and this could leave a newcomer rather at a loss.

Would I recommend it to others:  As it is aimed more at the newcomer, I would hesitate to recommend it to anyone for the reasons stated above; however, I would think it suitable for students to work through with their teachers.

Rating:  3½/5.

Review: "Ravenwood" by Nathan Lowell

Author:  Nathan Lowell
Format:  Podcast/Audiobook

After reading other reviews of "Ravenwood" I decided to download it and give it a try as my preferred listening option on the commute to and from work. The author, Nathan Lowell was a far superior narrator his own story than others to whom I had listened and, though the plot developed slowly, I was happy to listen further to the pleasant reading.

I have to admit I was at a loss as to the time and place that Tanyth, the main character, inhabited. At once, it seemed to be the past but I could not figure the exact time or even a location and this niggled me - just a little. After a while, however, I settled into her story and as new characters were slowly introduced I felt more and more comfortable.

The story centres around Tanyth, a woman who travels (on foot) from place to place learning from the wiser of her sex about herbs - growing, eating and medicinal applications. To keep herself safe she travels dressed as a man and it is clear, almost from the start, there is something in Tanyth's past which has led to this path; her history is glimpsed occasionally as the story develops.

On her way to meet another wise woman, Tanyth finds herself in a hamlet of young people who seem a little out-of-place. As one of their number falls ill, Tanyth skills are called for. Eventually the residents convince Tanyth to stay over the winter before resuming her travels and teach two of the community's number to do for themselves, their own healer having passed away. Tanyth finds herself undergoing personal changes in the hamlet, as the residents and their activities come under scrutiny from undesirables.

"Ravenwood" is peppered throughout with rituals which have their basis in wicca and paganism; some of this feels a little forced, whereas the herbal lore easily slips into the storyline. It also contains a fair bit of violence, and I found it difficult to listen to one section near the end of the story in which the author describes some wounds rather graphically. Nathan Lowell is very descriptive, but not overly so, to the point where a picture is easily built within the mind. He manages to create the environment and atmosphere of Ravenswood, slowly but surely, and eventually you fall into Tanyth's world only to be disappointed when you finally leave, all the while hoping that you will one day be able to return. Nathan Lowell has indicated this is part one of further adventures of Tanyth Fairport and I, for one, will be listening again.

Rating: 4/5.

Reviews: "Shadowmagic" and "The Prince of Hazel & Oak"

Author: John Lenahan
ISBN:   1905548923/978-1905548927 (Shadowmagic)
              0007425597/978-0007425594 (Prince of Hazel & Oak)

"Shadowmagic: Prince of Hazel and Oak" is the sequel to "Shadowmagic" by John Lenahan and, despite being aimed at young men, these books appeal to me immensely. Okay, so I haven't actually read the books but listened to the podcasts downloadable from iTunes and Podiobooks, but I am going to buy the books and I am going to give them to friends because I think that John Lenahan knows how to write a rip-roaring tale. Yes, the main character is a bit obnoxious at times, but show me a teenage boy that isn't.

The Shadowmagic series runs at a face pace and is packed with adventure and humour. Both books are set in the land of Tir Na Og where fairies, banshees, pucas, brownies and sentient trees reside and into this world was thrown young Conor, the said Prince of Hazel and Oak, who grew up in the real world not knowing his was the heir to the House of Oak, his father having kept this secret from him all his life in order to protect Conor from his uncle, Cialtie, who was determined to kill him.

In "Shadowmagic: Prince of Hazel and Oak", after making it back to real world from his first adventure in Tir Na Og, Conor finds himself in yet more trouble as the police believe he has murdered his own father who has gone missing. The truth is, Conor's father is mortally ill and so, once again, Conor is hurled back to Tir Na Og, but this time there is a stowaway: the policeman, Brendan, who is determined to see Conor brought to justice. Conor now find himselfs struggling to save his father's life, and save Tir Na Og from Cialtie, with the help of his loyal friends and one confused policeman.

Sure, Conor can be a bit obnoxious at times, but what teenage boy isn't? His friends soon knock it out of him, and the supporting characters are fantastic, loveable at times, and they are what really makes these books a joy. Well ... okay, the storytelling skills of John Lenahan have a lot to do with it and his reading for the podcasts is of exceptional quality for Podiobooks.

Seriously, folks: read "Shadowmagic" and "Shadowmagic: Prince of Hazel and Oak" for a rip-roaring tale of a boy's own adventure in the Otherworld.

Rating: 5/5

Shadowmagic

Author:  John Lenahan
ISBN:  1905548893 / 978-1905548897


Shadowmagic is great audio book, narrated wonderfully by the author. This is a fast-paced story about a teenage boy whose life is turned upside down upon the sudden arrival of relatives of whom he knew nothing and who are determined to see him dead.

The main character is Connor, raised by a one-handed father, Oisin, who speaks to him in ancient languages and teaches him to use a sword. Connor is transported to the land of Tir Na Og, a place inhabited by Imps, Ban Sidhe, Leprechauns and Pookas and where the trees hug back.

Sure Connor's sense of humour is not to everyone's taste, but it keeps his spirits up when all manner of misfortune befalls him. There isn't much in the way of character introductions and background is rarely provided, but it's not necessary because their actions speak for themselves. At times, some of the voices used for different characters were slightly, ever so slightly off-putting but I kind of had the feeling it was more how Connor interpreted, or might have mimicked them himself.

The story runs at a fair pace and you hardly have time to breathe, which is how Connor himself must feel. The author has deftly told a story without any of surplus that often gets in the way of a good tale. This type of adventure is probably aimed at tweenage boys, but as a woman of a certain age I truly enjoyed listening to the podcast version on my commute to and from work for the week, only just resisting listening to it between times.

I recommend the audio version of Shadowmagic to anyone that has to face boring tasks, as you will lose yourself in the land of Tir Na Og with Connor, his family and friends in no time; that it the skill of John Lenahan's storytelling, and narration.

Rating: 4/5

A Long Lost Treasure

I realised today that one of my all-time favourite books was missing from my catalogue.  I have spent a few hours now trying to search for its details on various book sites, so I can upload it to my catalogue, but the closest edition I can find was published in 1970, whereas I have an edition that states it is a "First Edition" but with a copyright in 1969 and two earlier dates of 1967.   Perhaps mine was the first Australian edition?

The book in question is "The World's Best Fairy Tales" edited by Belle Becker Sideman and with simple, but lovely illustrations by Fritz Kredel.

I have owned this book now for night on 40 years. It was gifted to my parents when I was born. I read it and re-read it and re-read many times as a child and I still enjoy the tales, even if they have been modified to make them more palatable. Even so, my favourite tale is "The Goose-Girl" mostly because of the sentence passed on the servant girl; it was gruesome to this child's mind, but I relished it and though she deserved it. The magic in the tale also captured my imagination, as it did in all the tales.

I doubt I will ever give this book up, and now that it has been retrieved from storage, I hope to find a bookbinder to repair its sorry, leatherbound spine and restore it somewhat to its glory days.

Land of the Seal People

 

Author: Duncan Williamson
ISBN: 1841588806/9781841588803

I read "The Land of the Seal People" having just finished David Thomson's excellent "The People Of The Sea: Celtic Legends And Myths: Celtic Tales of the Seal-folk". I was hoping it would match it for warmth and wonder, but I was to be slightly disappointed. Although each tale comes with a paragraph explaining where it was heard and a description of the teller is included, names not always included for obvious reasons, the atmosphere in which the tales were told is missing and the attachment gained from learning more about the teller is lost. To that end, I could not warm to these tales as much as I could to those told by Thomson.

"The Land of the Seal People" doesn't just focus on the selkie, but includes encounters with others of the supernatural kind and, as much as I enjoy these, I was a little disappointed as I was hoping to learn more about the seal people and/or selkies. I was also put off by the overuse of the character name Jack, which featured heavily about 3/4 of the way through the book. It seemed to me that in every tale, Jack has lost his father young and was left an only child supporting his mother. True, each of Jack's adventures was different, but I started to become disinterested the moment I saw the name Jack.

Because I did not get the same feeling reading "The Land of the Seal People" as I did "The People Of The Sea: Celtic Legends And Myths: Celtic Tales of the Seal-folk", I doubt I will be re-reading it and I am unsure as to whether I should read Duncan Williamson's other books on a similar topic. I did enjoy reading both books and seeing the connection to the film "The Secret Of Roan Inish" though I did learn that the book on which the movie is based was originally set in Scotland. Overall, I enjoyed the book but I think it might have endeared itself to me more had I read it first, and then Thomson's book.  

Rating: 3½/5.

The People of the Sea

Author:  David Thomson
ISBN:  1841951072

I bought this book some time ago, but it seemed destined to remain on my "to be read" shelf.  Earlier this year, while on holiday in Scotland with a small tour group, I noticed one of my fellow passengers was reading this book and when I enquired about it, she was unable to tell me much, which of course peaked my interest.  This was just one of a series of co-incidences in which the legend of the selkie were brought to my attention: just before, during and after the tour of Scotland.

As well as watching a few selkie-related movies when I returned from my trip, I resolved to read the book; however, being a member of a book club, I found myself reading other books, all the while "The People of the Sea: Celtic Legends And Myths", though taken down from the shelf, remained in my satchel (unread) just waiting to be started.  So last Friday I picked up this book and I only put it down three times: once to drive home, the next because I wanted to savour the last tale and then, finally, when I finished it on Saturday night.  The book was so enchanting I didn't want it to end. 

I knew "The People of the Sea: Celtic Legends And Myths" would be different when I read Seamus Heaney's introduction and I was not to be disappointed.

"The People of the Sea: Celtic Legends And Myths" is somewhat of a memoir as the author, David Thomson, travels the western islands and coasts of Scotland and Ireland, in search of those who can tell the tales of the selchie (selkie) or sea-folk.  First, Mr Thomson introduces the storyteller, he then sets the scene and atmosphere in which the story is being told and, finally, he recalls the conversation that illustrates the tale, bringing it fully to the light.  There is not always a straight line from beginning to end with these stories, as someone will interject with their own version of events, and then another, but the main speaker provides a continuous thread weaving all the information together.   I must admit that I felt myself sitting there in the closeness of that store/pub in County Mayo along with Michael the Ferry and his passengers as they gave up their hidden stories; just as I felt right there, with the author, as he (we) paid keen attention to every storyteller in the book.

As Mr Thomson travels through the lands from which these stories emanate, he clearly illustrates the loss of the (Seanchaí) storytellers along with their myths, tales, lore and legends as modernisation takes hold*, so that I was made to keenly feel the loss of the culture where once people lived between reality and the otherworld.  Like all things celtic (what a loaded term), the tone is slightly melancholic, but the stories are so full of wonder I was loathe to read the last tale, for I knew I would be sad indeed to reach the end with no more tales to be told and my journey of wonder into the past over.

I must admit that despite the way some of the stories are delivered, oft times in conversational form, they do lend themselves to be performed at storytelling nights, where both adults and children can appreciate and enjoy them.

I cannot recommend this book enough: it is simply warming even if some of the stories are meant as warnings.   I think I shall always treasure "The People of the Sea: Celtic Legends And Myths" and re-read regularly, more particularly when it's cold, wet and the wind is lashing at the windows.  If you have any interest in folk tales, fairy tales, the legend of the selkie, or the transformative powers of magic, you will probably enjoy this book.

Read it!

Rating: 5/5.




* In the time the author is writing and recording, radio as much as television is taking hold of the minds of the young, causing the decline.

Britain BC

Author: Francis Pryor
ISBN: 9780007126934

It has actually taken me two years to read this book. I started it in July 2008, and I remember finding it hard to comprehend. It seemed all over the place and I had difficulties with the way Pryor went into long, confusing descriptions of various archaeological dig sites. I felt extremely stupid as I just could not visualise that which he attempted to illustrate with words in detail. I became frustrated and, instead, found other books to distract.

This year I have made a concerted effort to finish those books I struggled with in the past. I picked up Britain BC again, but instead of returning to the beginning, I continued from where I had left off in order to distance myself from the earlier frustrations. It worked! I was able to read this book somewhat more comfortably and actually absorb most of the information.

The detailed and wordy descriptions of various artefacts and archaeological digs sites still left me reeling, but pictures and illustrations are provided (more frequently in the second half of the book) which help to clearly demonstrate what Pryor is tries to describe in words. In some cases, I still skipped the details in favour of understanding how the site/artefact furthered the understanding of a particular time, people, community or way of working.

Britain BC did provide me with insight in the world of archaeology; its progress over the years; and an idea of how archaeologists work today both in terms of learning about our past and in preserving it for the future. I marvelled at the amount of speculation involved in seeking to put finds into context, giving the impression that the purpose of a site or artefact can never be certain where archaeologists are involved. This was quite a lesson for me. I found it disconcerting that as Pryor dismantled the ideas of others, he sought to replace them with his own imaginings, a few of which I thought less credible than those he had just rejected. Still, what do I know?

I was taken by the idea that, immediately prior to the arrival of the Romans, British society was not necessarily a cohesive whole but rather made up of small community groups, some of which had banded together to form larger societies. Pryor also speculates that some of these communities did not have a formal structure, but were loosely banded together, and there may not have been an elite class as previously thought or imagined by rich burial sites.

Prior to reading Britain BC, I was unaware the Iron Age extended into the early part of first millennia CE with crannogs and brochs being in use in 600 CE, but only in those areas where the Romans had not tread. Although I have gained some insight into what is known about the various “ages” of prehistory, I might have assimilated more if the author had refrained from flitting between archaeological dig sites, with a quick tangent into the future of one or another site "... but we will explore that further later in another chapter" (to paraphrase) and back again. As a reader, I felt disconnected from the finds or how they corroborated what was known about the people and/or communities of the age and how they lived in the landscape. I was lost quite a bit of the time; I needed lots of breaks from reading this book in order to take my bearings. I know the author is enthusiastic - I can read it in his text - but I think more careful editing might have made the evidential information more accessible.

Overall, the book did provide me with a basic knowledge of prehistory in Britain and it's all in one place instead of the myriad of bits and bobs floating around in my head from reading news updates from various archaeological websites. I have definitely learned more than I ever did at school about the subject. It's just Britain BC is not a book I would, or even could, use as a reference to with which to check my understanding.

I am not sure what is says about the book when the first thing I can say about it is: "I now know the difference between pre-history, proto-history and history".

Rating: 4/5.

Defences Against the Witches' Craft

Title: Defences Against the Witches' Craft: Anti-cursing Charms from English Folk Magick, Traditional Witchcraft and the Grimoire Traditions
Author: John Canard
ISBN: 9781905297184

No preaching, just practical ways of preventing and combatting curses and hexes. I only had one small quibble on a historical matter, but other than that a superb book that every witch should own.

Defences Against the Witches' Craft is a slim book packed full of useful information on charms, amulets and other ways of dealing with malefic magical forces; taken from history, but still used in modern times.  The author, John Canard, provides methods of preventing and combatting curses and hexes using a wide variety of English practices including herbs, poppets, special stones and other traditional tools.  The source of information is provided in all cases, most of which is very much rooted in England, but is supplemented by similar practices from other cultures, and a small bibliography is provided for the reader who wishes to explore further the historical uses of the various items mentioned in the book.  For the most part, it is assumed the reader has a working knowledge of magic, with step-by-step instructions provided only for a few methods.

The book is well written, in a friendly manner, and refrains from preaching on ethical matters.  I recommend this book and I am considering it as a birthday present for more than just one of my witchy friends.

Rating: 4½/5.