Epic

Really well read and well articulated. Will be returning to this again soon. Highly recommended

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Fascinating insight into our forgotten heritage

Really enjoyable content, outlining the myths and legends of Britain that we English have overlooked (not always through the fault of our own).

It provides us with a fuller picture of the origins of Britain (so, not just sub-Roman Britain and the Germanic migrations of the 5th Century), explains our indigenous mythology, and generally deepens your enjoyment of the folklore of these islands.

Expect the Arthurian cycle, and much more!

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Mythology of the British Isles - a Review

Quite an amazing listen and very well presented. This was particularly good at sifting factual reality from the fanciful whilst respecting both sides. I learned so much about Arthurian legend and the origins of England. I had no idea that Geoffrey of Monmouth for example could not be taken as a gospel record and that his own considerations overruled historical facts.

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Not very accessible

This is a complex topic with many inter-weaving stories, some evolved from earlier tales, with names that are similar or might be related (or might not) so it needs a very sharp narrator to maintain one's focus. I found the narrator a bit uninspired, as if he was really not very interested in what he was reading - which made the book rather hard going.

The book itself contains a wealth of information - some of it inevitably speculative - and traces some of British mythology from 'were we founded by renegade Trojans?' to 'who might King Arthur have been?'. There is a lot of interesting stuff here but I found it hard to keep hold of - perhaps because of the plethora of similar names, or because of the various digressions covering related myths (or possible origin stories), or perhaps just because mythologies are, by their very nature, all rather evanescent.

I suspect it's a book that is better to read rather than to listen to, so you can pause, glance back a page or two and 'reset' yourself as you go along. Having said that it maintained my interest (despite the rather monotone narration) and there are some interesting nuggets o ponder on.

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1 person found this helpful

Good, well worth a read/listen.

A good presentation of this subject.
The depth of research could not be doubted for this work. In fact it is a little too much to take on at time.
Still, a unique and interesting work.

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Alternative fun title: "The roasting of Geoffrey of Monmouth"

It's probably more a history of mythology in the British but interesting all the same. There is a complexity to defining what is history, what is invented history, and what is myth, especially with the British. It also helps that the narrator was pretty damn good with welsh pronunciation, because often in these audiobooks the butchering of welsh words is painful but this guy managed it!

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Disappointing.

What could have been a good audiobook is let down by the monotone drone of the reader. It sent me to sleep.

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Brilliant

I love this audiobook. It covers myth, legend and history together showing its similarities and difference and drawing from writers of ancient history and various stories of the British isles. It was fascinating to me and just what I was looking for. Some have said the narration was dull but I didn’t find this. I preferred this down to Earth, easy to follow narration to some on audible that are American and read as though they are reading a highly dramatised Hollywood movie trailer!

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A must for any Englishman

Whether you're simply interested in mythology or more specifically wanting to develope a closer understanding of the process of myth-making that has helped evolve the British identity, this audiobook of Geoffrey Ashe's Myths of the British Isles is a great introduction.

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I feel failed by my schooling

Really interesting overview of the stories that make a people.
I was surprised by how much of this book was new to me, and will definitely return to it.
The chapters are logical in their order, both well written and well read, and leave you satisfied with the depth of subject coverage.
The only downside of my experience listening was my frequent question as to how I had reached my mid 40s knowing so little of my native country's mythology.

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6 people found this helpful