"I have travelled south from Stornoway through all the Hebrides to Ulster, to Galloway, to the Isle of Man, southern and western Ireland. I can report that there is such a place as Celtic Britain, that it shares a common culture, an intimately related history and strikingly similar geography. The story of Celtic Britain can be found in these places." "The Sea Kingdoms" is a narrative history based on a journey from Shetland, down the west coast of Scotland taking in the Isle of Man and the Outer Hebrides, across to Ireland, back to Anglesey and the west Welsh coast, back to Ireland again and finally Cornwall. Using Patrick Leigh Fermor as a model, the heart of the book is the journey from which Moffat will stray into the oral histories, legends and known events of the Celts and their past. Its narrative soaked in legend and myth and sensuality, tragedy and gore.

The sea kingdoms: The story of Celtic Britain and Ireland

History

Moffat, Alistair

Ancient Civilizations

HARPER/COLLINS

This is a narrative history based on a journey from Shetland, down the west coast of Scotland - taking in the Isle of Man and the Outer Hebrides - across to Ireland, back to Anglesey and the west Welsh coast, back to Ireland again and finally Cornwall. This journey lies at the heart of the book - the base from which the author strays into the oral histories, legends and known events of the Celts and their past - with narratives soaked in legend, myth, sensuality, tragedy and gore. These apparently disparate stories, fragments of history and myth are woven together together to give a representation of the race which has repeatedly changed history as we know it. Ranging between pre-history and the present, with much in between - the book tells the story of a people stretched down 1000 miles of coastline that has to be among Britain's richest and most ancient. It also tells the story of the sea itself, which has, more than anything, shaped the Celtic character.

The Sea Kingdoms : The History of Celtic Britain and Ireland

HarperCollins Publishers, Ltd

Moffat builds up a thesis which enables him to reveal the location and identity of the real Arthur, argueing that he was not a king but a cavalry general chosen around 500AD to lead a coalition army. The key to Moffat's thesis lies in place-names and their derivation, and that the lost medieval city of Roxburgh and its castle were Arthur's Camelot.

Arthur and the Lost Kingdoms

Europe

TRAFALGAR SQUARE +

Before Scotland: The Story of Scotland Before History

There is still a tendency today to regard history as `the story of man's progress from prehistoric savagery to modern sophistication', and yet the people who lived in Scotland 10,000 years ago would have acted and thought in similar ways to us. So argues Alexander Moffat in the introduction to his fascinating and very easy to read survey of Scotland's environment and the people who affected it from the end of the Ice Age to AD 900 when the term `Alba' was created. The study clearly guides us through the formation of Scotland's dramatic landscape and the arrival of the first hunter-gatherer-fisher settlers, tempted by the warming climate. Moffat presents the archaeological evidence for the first buildings, boats, and artefacts but he also looks beneath the surface to consider how human needs, sensibilities and beliefs shaped these remains, such as the layout of a house and the construction of the earliest stone monuments in Britain. Throughout, side panels present Moffat's reflections and digressions on a whole range of topics, such as examples of modern echoes of ancient behaviour, catastrophes, the age of the earth, Himalayan prawns, the creation of a perfect henge circle and Native Americans. This is a good book that cannot fail to convey to the general reader the author's expert enthusiasm for Scotland's past.

Thames and Hudson

A compelling and beautifully illustrated history of Scottish clans and their leaders. The Highland clans of Scotland are famous, the names celebrated, and the deeds heroic. Having clung to ancient traditions of family, loyalty, and valor for centuries, the clans met the beginning of their end at the fateful battle at Culloden in 1746. The great emigrations to North America and elsewhere began, and clansmen and women disappeared into the streets of the world’s cities. Alistair Moffat traces the history of the clans from their Celtic origins to the coming of the Romans; from Somerled the Viking to Robert the Bruce; from the great battles of Bannockburn and Flodden to Bonnie Prince Charlie and the Jacobite Risings; and from the Clearances to the present day. These are the stories of great leaders and famous battles. They are also the stories of an extraordinary people, shaped by the unique traditions and landscape of the Highlands of Scotland. Moffat is an adept guide to the world of the clans, a world dominated by lineage, land, and community. Names were crucially important in this world: more than mere labels, names were also addresses, linking people to the map of northern Scotland. Even today the power of the ancient clan names persists, drawing many of the children of the scattered diaspora back to this rugged corner of the world. Special features include a clan map and a list of clan names. 35 color and 51 black-and-white photographs and illustrations

The Highland Clans

Thames&Hudson

Entertaining and provocative, this book from an expert on Scotland’s cultural heritage reveals the lost history of an ancient, proud nation. 
While Scotland’s history cannot be separated from its kings and queens, saints, and warriors, there is a rich story to tell about the country’s lesser-known places, people, and events. This colorful history of Scotland from award-winning writer Alistair Moffat chooses episodes, half-forgotten or misunderstood, that have been submerged by the wash of history. Bringing these stories to light and to life, this entertaining book reveals the richness and complexity of this nation on the northwest edge of Europe. 
Moffat takes us from the geological formation of the land that makes up Scotland to the first evidence of human habitation and then up to modern times. In the process our discoveries include: the cave of headless children; the origins of the Scottish kings and the real heroes of Scottish independence; the invention of tartan and the romance of the Highlands; Scotland’s answer to Shakespeare; the many US presidents with Scottish heritage, and other fascinating tales brought to life by Joe McLaren’s attractive woodcut-style illustrations. Even the most knowledgeable history buff will experience a sense of newfound knowledge and appreciation for this unique country, its history, and its people.

Scotland's Forgotten Past: A History of the Mislaid, Misplaced and Misunderstood

This story of early Scotland begins 10,000 years ago at the end of the Ice Age when the familiar Scottish geography of mountains, glens, and rugged coasts evolved. It follows the movement of hunter-gatherers north, the growth of fishing, the establishment of farming. The author also covers cultural evolution in Scotland – the roles played by megalith builders, Celts, Picts, and others. 22 color, 2 b&amp;w illustrations

“A brisk and accessible guide to a thousand years of reiving and rivalry in the Highlands.” ―The Scotsman The story of the Highland clans of Scotland is famous, the names celebrated, and the deeds heroic. Having clung to ancient traditions of family, loyalty, and valor for centuries, the clans met the beginning of their end at the fateful Battle of Culloden in 1746. Alistair Moffat traces the history of the clans from their Celtic origins to the coming of the Romans; from Somerled the Viking to Robert the Bruce; from the great battles of Bannockburn and Flodden to Bonnie Prince Charlie and the Jacobite Risings; and from the Clearances to the present day. Moffat is an adept guide to the world of the clans, a world dominated by lineage, land, and community. These are stories of great leaders and famous battles, and of an extraordinary people, shaped by the unique traditions and landscape of the Scottish Highlands. It’s a story too about the pain of leaving, with the great emigrations to the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand that began after Culloden. Complete with a clan map and an alphabetical list of the clans of the Scottish Highlands, this is a must for anyone interested in the history of Scotland. 86 illustrations, 35 in color

A pioneering look at early Scotland that transforms prehistory into gripping narrative. 
The story of the land that became Scotland is one of dramatic geological events and impressive human endeavor. Alistair Moffat’s gripping narrative ranges from the great thaw at the end of the Ice Age, which was instrumental in shaping Scotland’s magnificent landscape; through the megalith builders, the Celts, and the Picts; to the ascension of King Constantine II. 
Moffat deploys his knowledge with wit and deftness, interweaving the story with numerous special features on topics as diverse as cave drawings of dancing girls, natural birth control, the myth of Atlantis, and the Zoroastrian Towers of Silence―all of them valuable, sometimes quirky, additions to the whole picture. Erudite and entertaining, Before Scotland transforms our understanding of a neglected period and is essential reading for anyone interested in the people, events, and monuments that make up Scotland’s captivating past. 23 illustrations / 22 in color

Before Scotland: A Prehistory

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Moffat, Alistair. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Moffat, Alistair

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Moffat, Alistair. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

The sea kingdoms: The story of Celtic Britain and Ireland

The Sea Kingdoms : The History of Celtic Britain and Ireland

Arthur and the Lost Kingdoms

Before Scotland: The Story of Scotland Before History

The Highland Clans

Scotland's Forgotten Past: A History of the Mislaid, Misplaced and Misunderstood

Before Scotland: The Story of Scotland Before History

The Highland Clans

Before Scotland: A Prehistory

Scotland's Forgotten Past: A History of the Mislaid, Misplaced and Misunderstood