About the Author

Charles Thomas was born in 1928 in Cornwall, where he developed an early interest in archaeology, languages and history. Until his retirement in 1991 he was Professor and Director of the Institute of Cornish Studies, University of Exeter. He is the founder of the journals Cornish Archaeology and Cornish Studies. Professor Thomas is a Fellow of the British Academy, and a former President of the Council for British Archaeology, and the Royal Institution of Cornwall. His many publications include: The Early Christian Archaeology of North Britain (1971), Britain and Ireland in Early Christian Times (1971), Christianity in Roman Britain (1981), Exploration of a Drowned Landscape: Archaeology and History in the Isles of Scilly (1985), Celtic Britain (1986) and Tintagel: Arthur and Archaeology (1993).ISBN 0-7083-1160-1

Reviews

" . . . a very readable work and one in which scholars in the field will find much of interest . . . his book puts down some important pointers and provides a multitude of charts to guide us all in the future. For this he has earned our admiration and our thanks." -Cambrian Medieval Celtic Studies-- "Cambrian Medieval Celtic Studies"

"This is a stimulating, original and highly persona; book, the success of which in reaching its target, 'the ordinary reader', is demonstrated by the sales figures to date." -Antiquaries Journal-- "Antiquaries Journal"

". . .a fascinating detective story, whose arguments are at once imaginative a coherent, which in their essentials carry conviction. It is hard to think of a more perfect companion for a holiday in western Britain, whose enigmatic landscape is vividly brought to life in this major contribution to early medieval studies." -Times Higher Education Supplement-- "Times Higher Education Supplement"

" . . .this is an immensely impressive book. Thomas gives us severe scholarship sweetly presented: the book is one of mature learning, but it is also an excellent read. Only Thomas could have written it; and we must all be grateful that he has done so." -Cornish Archaeology-- "Cornish Archaeology"

". . .a splendid treasure chest of ideas. . ." -Current Archaeology-- "Current Archaeology"

"It is not an easy book to review, chock-full, as it is, of material to, in turns, excite, perplex, inform, entertain, frustrate, and intrigue." -Peritia-- "Peritia"