Author:Bryan Sykes Availability:
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Editorial Review:
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:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
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... more info
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... more info
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... more info
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.
