Tribal history of Britain (Boudica - Vanessa Collingridge)

Member Name: mcader

Product:	Boudica - Vanessa Collingridge
Date:	22/03/09 (73 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: exciting

Disadvantages: none

This is a great book to immerse yourself in the ancient British world, with a mostly level-headed view, although slightly feminist, it has good cause to be.

For the Romans and Christianity came to Britain and have given us a male-dominated Britain and religion for some time. It wasn't always like this. We had female Druids and Warrior Queens ruling our tribes.

She has clearly spent a long time in love with the image and background of Boudica, and yet here she does not let this get in the way of history and the 'real' boudica. She uses it to fuel an analysis and recount the exciting facts that we do know about her....

It's essential considering how often her image is used in patriotic terms for Britain. Or in new film or tv productions. Or as an image of Empire! (ironic) But luckily this book is anti-patriotic really, and anti-Celtic neo-paganism. It tells us what we really know about Druidry etc: ie, not that much. But how different all this history is compared to our modern ideas and romanticism is.


The other parts of the book are essential in accessing and understanding Boudica and where she fits into British history. We learn about the Roman world and Britain as seen through the eyes of Ancient Romans. Then we learn about the legacy of Boudica, and how her image has been re-invented or used for various causes.

The writing here is so good though. Much better than any quick-passing documentary and more memorable and engaging.

Summary: Boudica : the before, the facts and the legacy