Product Description

In "Stations of the Sun" and "The Triumph of the Moon", Ronald Hutton established himself as a leading authority on the historian of Paganism. His wealth of unusual knowledge, complemented by a deep and sympathetic understanding of past and present beliefs that are often dismissed as strange or marginal, and an ability to write lucidly and wittily, gives his work a unique flavour. The essays which make up "Witches, Druids and King Arthur" cover elegantly and entertainingly a wide range of beliefs, myths and practices.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #111815 in Books
• Published on: 2006-06-29
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 384 pages

About the Author
Ronald Hutton is Professor of History at the University of Bristol. He is the author of the Stations of the Sun, The Triumph of the Moon and Shamans: Siberian Spirituality and the Western Imagination.

Customer Reviews

Hutton�s book both delights and disappoints
"Witches, Druids and King Arthur" is essentially a collection of nine separate, but well-written essays examining the subjects of witchcraft, paganism and myth-making. Author Ronald Hutton, a Professor of History at Bristol University, has attempted to produce a work which will appeal to both academic historians and the general public alike. Whether he has succeeded in such a daunting task is a moot point; to paraphrase the late John F. Kennedy, some of this book will appeal to all of its readers, and all of this book will appeal to some of its readers, but it's unlikely that all of this book will appeal to all of its readers. Personally, I found the chapter on "The New Old Paganism" incredibly tedious and had to make a concerted effort to reach the end. By contrast, the essay on Ritual Nudity was delightfully entertaining, as was the chapter discussing the Christian and Pagan influences on the works of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien.
Although there are a handful of black & white photographs in the centrepiece, this book would really benefit from a few diagrams and illustrations to break up the interminably long text. And despite the work's rather grandiose title, there is (sadly) very little for students of the Arthurian genre. But perhaps this book's major failing is that it simply hasn't been marketed properly, which is (presumably) the fault of the publisher rather than the author.

Another great work from Hutton
A compelling collection of unusual and interesting essays.

Written by an academic historian, but very accessable. Easier to read than his prior publications, but maintains the depth and accuracy of his more academic works.

Never Judge A Book By Its' Cover
As a practising "Pagan in the Street" and someone who has not had a classical education I have to say I struggled greatly with the very academic language and style of this book. I found the content to be long winded and tedious and many sittings left me confused. I failed to see where the title had any relevance to the content of the book and have been left feeling very disappointed in a book I was very much looking forward to reading.
I regret to say that as a book about Paganism it said very very little to me, not a title I would recommend.