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Ancestors
- A Prehistory of Britain in Seven Burials
- Narrated by: Alice Roberts
- Length: 13 hrs and 48 mins
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Ancestors
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Summary
An extraordinary exploration of the ancestry of Britain through seven burial sites. By using new advances in genetics and taking us through important archaeological discoveries, Professor Alice Roberts helps us better understand life today.
We often think of Britain springing from nowhere with the arrival of the Romans. But in Ancestors, pre-eminent archaeologist, broadcaster and academic Professor Alice Roberts explores what we can learn about the very earliest Britons, from burial sites and by using new technology to analyse ancient DNA.
Told through seven fascinating burial sites, this groundbreaking prehistory of Britain teaches us more about ourselves and our history: how people came and went and how we came to be on this island. It explores forgotten journeys and memories of migrations long ago, written into genes and preserved in the ground for thousands of years.
This is a book about belonging: about walking in ancient places, in the footsteps of the ancestors. It explores our interconnected global ancestry, and the human experience that binds us all together. It’s about reaching back in time, to find ourselves and our place in the world.
Critic reviews
"This is a terrific, timely and transporting book - taking us heart, body and mind beyond history, to the fascinating truth of the prehistoric past and the present." (Bettany Hughes)
What listeners say about Ancestors
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- C
- 07-12-21
Brilliant!
Fascinating subject, brilliantly narrated by the author. I loved how it was very relevant to today. Highly recommended whether you are interested in history or not.
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- alphabet
- 01-06-22
Fascinating
I loved every minute of this fascinating book and I learned such a lot from it. It’s a book which I own in both an audible as well as a hard copy and audible was a different experience - reinforcing what I had read and the images that I had looked at.
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- Jill
- 03-02-23
Ancestors and ancestry
I have thoroughly enjoyed listening to Professor Alice Roberts reading her own book on the discovery and archaeology of human remains and how they were treated through the millennia. I have always enjoyed the way she explains things in layman’s terms in her tv programmes and this book is no exception. An enjoyable and thoroughly understandable listen.
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- Daniel Cunningham
- 19-06-23
Fascinating
Despite others comments of ‘waffle’ - as a non scientist I found it excellent and with a soothing melodic tone that I enjoyed and couldn’t stop listening to. Very informative thank you.
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- JAG
- 25-02-23
Very educational yet lacking in story cohesion.
Very educational yet lacking in story cohesion; although I still enjoyed the narrative, as I always do with Alice’s works.
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- D. Cottam
- 28-08-23
Great writing and an engaging narration
Alice Roberts does justice to the minutiae of her subject but manages to make the story and broader context effortlessly fluent. Some of the most interesting episodes are her musings on how to interrogate facts without confirmation bias. Her reflections on death and the human condition are profound and sensitive. A great achievement of scholarship and storytelling.
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- Andy
- 20-10-23
Great
Well done Alice great book thoroughly enjoyed your book. Need six more words to rate it so here they are.
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- Kisaca
- 04-03-24
Great book, dodgy sound
This is a fascinating book, and I enjoyed that it was read by the author. The sound is a little off though, and throughout the entire book it would occasionally get quieter or louder.
Sound trouble aside, it’s the first non fiction book I’ve managed to enthusiastically finish in a few years. And it leaves me with much to ponder.
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- Sidney Chambers
- 09-09-21
Wonderful view of the past
It is now easy to understand why Alice is a Professor. To take so much information from ancient time and render it understandable, interesting and enjoyable is a monumental feat.
It was great, and I thank you for it. Kind regards.
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1 person found this helpful
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- R. Phillips
- 10-03-22
Brilliant and fascinating
Alice Roberts manages to balance respect for the intentions of early archaeologists while pointing out their failings and repeatedly holds back our natural inclinations towards romantic conjecture in this insightful study of some of the famous human inhumations, mostly in Britain. Informative and entertaining, I would definitely recommend and will be downloading another of her books next.
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1 person found this helpful