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Description

The Veil of Isis or Mysteries of the Druids By W. Winwood Reade [1861]. This book is fairly typical of the mid-19th Century literature about Druidry, which had some romantic misconceptions about the Druids. For instance, we now know that the construction of Stonehenge preceded the historical Celts by many centuries. (Quote from sacred-texts.com)

About the Author

William Winwood Reade (1838 - 1875)
William Winwood Reade (1838 - 1875) was an English historian, explorer, and philosopher.

Born to a squire in Perthshire, Reade took to writing at an early age, composing two novels by the age of 23. At this age he also decided to depart for Africa, arriving in Gabon by steamboat in 1862. After several months of observing gorillas and traveling down through Angola, Reade returned home and published his first travel account, Savage Africa. Despite what critics have called an often juvenile tone, the book is notable for its anthropological inquiries.

In 1868, Reade secured the patronage of London-based Gold Coast trader Andrew Swanzy to journey to West Africa. After failing to get permission to enter the Ashanti Confederacy, Reade set out north from Freetown to explore the areas past the Solimana capital of Falaba. Though Reade traveled over some unexplored territory, his findings excited little interest among geographers, due mostly to his failure to take accurate measurements of his journey; his sextant and other instruments had been left behind at Port Loko. On his return, Reade published his African Sketch-Book (1873), an account of his travels that also called for far greater British involvement in West Africa.

His best-known work, however, is The Martyrdom of Man (1872), a secular history of the Western world. In it, Reade attempts