This volume presents a narrative history of the Celtic world from c. 1000 BC to the present day. Covering continental Europe, Britain and Ireland, and the present day Celtic global Diaspora, it tells the story of the birth, death and rebirth of one of the most important peoples of European history..

`The Celts’ is more than a history of one of the most enduring and important peoples of Europe.

This is the first sustained examination of the real reasons for the remarkable historical phenomenon of Celtic survival. How did a small and disparate group withstand the invasions of infinitely stronger nations over many centuries? John Haywood traces an amazing story of adaptation and endurance. His conclusions are provocative and cast light on the way other relatively weak peoples have sustained their identities in the face of the aggression of far stronger powers.

The current intense interest in the Celts is sure to endure through the twenty-first century. This book is a vital reappraisal of their past, present and future.