Reviews

Prehistoric Britain from the Air.
by Janet and Colin Bord, photography by Jason Hawkes
London, Phoenix Illustrated, 1997
158 pp.
ISBN 0-75380-707-6
Paper

Reviewed by Mark E. P. Hows

A large format book with 158 pages, extremely well laid out with a small amount of text linking 130 beautiful colour aerial photographs of some of Britain's best know prehistoric sites. The book is divided into three main sections, England, Scotland and Wales although omitting Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands.The book covers hillforts, standing stones, stone circles, henges, hillfigures, burial chambers, man made caves, ancient villages, huts and long barrows.

The book has a short introduction providing the reader with alternative sites to visit rather than the tourist traps of stately homes and the like, and it is these sites that are depicted and described in the book. The aerial view allows some of the prehistoric sites to be seen from a completely different perspective and for some sites, such as the Uffington white horse, as they were intended - a view that is not usually available to us. Some sites take on a new significance as they can be seen not in isolation but as part of the landscape when viewed this way.

The informative narrative provided about each site investigates myths and legends associated with the sites and this is interwoven with the archaeological evidence providing an account of how each site was used and some insight into the ancient patterns of life associated with the sites.It reveals valuable information about the layouts of hillforts, villages and stone circles, something that is overlooked by the majority of books on the subject, and this is the great attraction and strength of the book.

Most of the major prehistoric sites are depicted with along with some lesser-known but very interesting sites, with a particularly good section on Uffington Castle and white horse, Stonehenge is of course shown in great detail. I was pleasantly surprised to find several hillfigures covered in this book.

There is also a list with National Grid References and a map of most of the places to visit depicted in the book, along with a useful bibliography.

My main criticism is the omission of any photographs from the particularly archaeologically rich Orkney and Shetland Isles and only one site from the Hebrides (Dun Beag Broch on Skye) is depicted, but even so, this is a wonderful book and a worthy addition to any bookshelf, particularly for £14.99.

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Mark Hows:mailto:mark@hows.prestel.co.uk