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Saxons, Vikings, and Celts: The Genetic Roots of Britain and Ireland
by: Bryan Sykes

List Price: $16.95

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Used Price: $9.35
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Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 599.9350941
EAN: 9780393330755
ISBN: 0393330753
Label: W. W. Norton
Manufacturer: W. W. Norton
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 320
Publication Date: December 10, 2007
Publisher: W. W. Norton
Studio: W. W. Norton
Sales Rank: 47902

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Editorial Review:

Product Description:
From the best-selling author of The Seven Daughters of Eve, an illuminating guide to the genetic history of the British Isles.

One of the world's leading geneticists, Bryan Sykes has helped thousands find their ancestry in the British Isles. Saxons, Vikings, and Celts, which resulted from a systematic ten-year DNA survey of more than 10,000 volunteers, traces the true genetic makeup of the British Isles and its descendants, taking readers from the Pontnewydd cave in North Wales to the resting place of "The Red Lady" of Paviland and the tomb of King Arthur. Genealogy has become a popular pastime of Americans interested in their heritage, and this is the perfect work for anyone interested in finding their heritage in England, Scotland, or Ireland.

Customer Reviews

Average Rating: out of 5 stars

Rating:

- History becomes part of you!
I do not often write book reviews, however this DNA genetic history of Britain and Ireland is so informative I decided to add my comments for what they may be worth, maybe not much but optimistically more valuable than a Lehman Brothers bond. I recently had my Y-chromosomes tested thru the Genographic Project by National Geographic. Knowing my Haplowgroup and now my Haplowtype makes this history of Britain and Ireland come to life. When you realize this is part of your personal history it becomes individual and relative. Sykes' book has Isles history and break thru information on Y-chromosome DNA and defines the relationship. If you have any interest in genealogy and history and now how DNA has unlocked and redefined what we thought we knew, this is an essential book. I for myself value Bryan ... Read More

Rating:

- Brilliant narrative but confusing nonetheless.
Well, this is certainly an interesting presentation of these DNA findings. I am persuaded that the DNA differences between the Scots, Welsh, Irish, and English are not significant, but I'm confused about most of the other issues he raises. For example, my surname would indicate Anglo-Norman ancestry yet my tests indicate what Sykes describes as Oisin(R1B). Okay. Yet, I look at maps of continental Europe and Scandinavia on other websites and see differing levels of R1B all over the place. I'm not sure that there's any way to sort out ethnic identity based on DNA. Not that it matters that much to me. His account of Irish mythology is worth the price of the book. I also think he should have matched up his "nicknames" to the conventional haplogroup identification.

Rating:

- Very light on the science; disconnected from genetic geneaolgy
After having paid for genealogical DNA testing for both myself (both Y and Mt) and my wife (Mt only, obviously), having received the results, and having developed some understanding of them, I looked forward to this book, since our ancestors are thought to have come from the British Isles.

Unfortunately, the author is completely caught up in his proprietary fanciful naming structure for haplogroups -- the "Seven Daughters of Eve" stuff.

He completely ignores all the other research being done in genetic genealogy -- and the hundreds of thousands of people who have had their DNA scientifically tested -- to the extent that he does not even offer a translation table (which could have easily been done in appendix) from his fanciful names to the scientific names of the haplogroups. ... Read More

Rating:

- History Buff
I am only now starting to enjoy this book. The author needs a good editor. He apparently is quite a scientist, and quite a scholar, but at least for me it take a lot of reading to get at the facts. Skip to the chapters on the DNA evidence, and then come back to his description of the history.

Rating:

- A Very Good Read
This is the book I've been looking for! I found Bryan Sykes to be a thoroughly engrossing author and storyteller as well as an accomplished scientist.

His overview of British history (as well as the occasional personal anecdote) coupled with the story of collecting samples in the various regions of the Isles is entertaining and sheds much light on who we are as a people. I came away with a feeling of connectedness to all around me and a burning desire to know my own ancient ancestry.

I loved not only the succinct stories of conquest and migration but also the simple explanations of current genetic anthropology. I was sorry to see this book end and look forward to reading his other books as soon as possible.

Perhaps the funny thing about all this is that I am not a ... Read More

Books : Saxons, Vikings, and Celts: The Genetic Roots of Britain and Ireland