A New History of the Picts

The author has tackled a broad subject cover a large expanse of time, but has done so with a clear, fresh perspective on the indigenous people of ancient Scotland. His style is crisp and direct and footnotes are informative and clear. It 's a worthwhile read for historians or someone with a heritage in the region and the culture.

I'm still reading this book, but am very impressed with the detail & new information it contains on the Pict peoples. As it turns out, the Romans,who gave them the ' Pict ' name, may not have been so far off the original ' sound/name ' they used for themselves as; ' Pecht '. The Romans were using their word for ' pictured ' people, but they used a sound/name that sounded much the same. I also bought other books which describe many other aspects of these people that cover their art, such as; ' Decoding The Pictish Symbols ',& ' The Art of The Picts ' so that I can roam & refer back & forth, to continue my studies of them. My ancestry includes Scots & Norwegians & probably these folks as well. This is definitely one of those books which will set you off on a ' paper trail ' of discovery. ( This is the primary reason I'm still reading this book ! ) I recommend this one highly.

The author tells you that what there is in writing about the early centuries - 4 th/5 th century AD - is or biased (Romans) or unreliable and biased ( Bede), but then continues to use these sources. I couldn't find anything " new" in his New History of the Picts...and what kind of people where they? Warriors and farmers! Oh, really? I also bought " Tales of the Picts" by the same author. Of the 183 pages 40 are shallow folklore under the title " General Tales", and the rest is about the deeds of Christian Saints... no idea why they should be tales of the Picts!

The book contains many interesting facts and insights as to who the Picts really were and the role they played in the history of Scotland

I have read a good deal of books on the Pictish people of northern Scotland. McHardys viewpoint on their society is "refreshing". I totally agree with what he lays out. They were never really conquered by the Romans. They are the ancestors of todays Highland clans! Its a quick, easy read too!

I found this book to be a hard read . i did not enjoy at all and returned .

I haven't finished this book, but so far I like it and it's ability to connect me with my Scottish ancestry. It's loaded with interesting facts, but takes a bit of concentration.

Eye opening and challenging.

Found the book well researched but I couldn't help thinking that the author's 21st century take on politics influenced how the subject was presented.That tends to turn me off.

Good read

Well written, made me want to know more about this subject, of which I knew nothing . Fast delivery & good value.

Good infomative and ideal for research

A tad subjective.