Ancient Paths

From the bestselling author Graham Robb, The Ancient Paths contains a discovery that will transform your understanding of pre-Roman Europe. 'An ingenious and thoroughly gripping historical and archaeological bolt from the blue.' New Statesman, Books of the Year 2013 When Graham Robb made plans to cycle the route of the legendary Via Heraklea, he had no idea that his journey would change his understanding of pre-Roman Europe. The ancient path he followed took him deep into the civilization of the Celts, where his discoveries were so extraordinary that he spent years trying to disprove them. Grounded in astronomy, philology, archaeology and history - not to mention 15,000 miles on a bicycle - this book presents nothing less than a new wonder of the ancient world. 'The Romans did a good job of writing their predecessors out of history . . . As Robb makes clear, they told only part of the story.' Observer 'The findings of Graham Robb, a biographer and historian, bring into question two millennia of thinking about Iron Age Britain and Europe.' Daily Telegraph 'Remarkable . . . an overarching, wondrous reworking of history.' Philip Hoare, Literary Review Graham Robb's The Ancient Paths will change the way you see European civilization. Inspired by a chance discovery, Robb became fascinated with the world of the Celts: their gods, their art, and, most of all, their sophisticated knowledge of science. His investigations gradually revealed something extraordinary: a lost map, of an empire constructed with precision and beauty across vast tracts of Europe. The map had been forgotten for almost two millennia and its implications were astonishing. Minutely researched and rich in revelations, The Ancient Paths brings to life centuries of our distant history and reinterprets pre-Roman Europe. Told with all of Robb's grace and verve, it is a dazzling, unforgettable book.