The Picts

A History

By: Tim Clarkson

Narrated by: Mhairi Morrison

A British historian explores the mysterious Scottish culture of the Iron Age and Early Middle Ages whose enigmatic symbols adorn standing stones.

The Picts were an ancient nation who ruled most of northern and eastern Scotland during the Dark Ages. Despite their historical importance, they remain shrouded in myth and misconception. Absorbed by the kingdom of the Scots in the ninth century, they lost their unique identity, their language, and their vibrant artistic culture. Among their few surviving traces are standing stones decorated with incredible skill and covered with enigmatic symbols.

The Pictish Stones offer some of the few remaining clues to the powerful and gifted people who bequeathed no chronicles to tell the sagas of their kings and heroes. In this book, Medieval historian Tim Clarkson pieces together the evidence to tell the story of this mysterious people from their emergence in Roman times to their eventual disappearance.

©2016 Tim Clarkson (P)2022 Tantor

Poor reading distracts from history

The narrator is one of the worst I have had in a while. Apart from tedious she cannot pronounce correctly a range of well known words. A good example is ‘diocese’. I am not knowledgeable enough to comment on the quality of the historical interpretation.

Not sure I will finish.

Disappointing

Apart from the rather monotonous narration, this book seemed to be less about the history and nature of the Picts than a series of unsubstantiated and disconnected conclusions that are not even presented in chronological order. I found it overwhelming and frustrating and was unable to finish the book.