Read Ireland Book Review
Issue 305
The Family on Paradise Pier by Dermot Bolger
Trade Paperback; 14.00 Euro / 17.00 USD / 10.00 UK; 526 pages
Starting in the tranquil idyll of a Donegal village in 1915, The Family on Paradise Pier follows the extraordinary journeys of one Irish family through the War of Independence, the General Strike in Britain, the dangerous streets of 1930's Moscow, the Spanish Civil War and on to Soviet gulags, Irish Internment camps and London during the Blitz. The Goold Verschoyle children are born into a respected freethinking Protestant family in a Manor House alive with laughter, debate and fascinating guests. But the world of picnics and childish infatuations is soon under threat as political changes within Ireland and the wider world encroach upon their private paradise.
The Family on Paradise Pier shows how quickly a family and a class can find themselves displaced and considered foreigners within their own land, with a new generation forced to invent new roles in which to belong. For Eva the dream is to be an artist, yet her fragile vision cannot cope with first loveor the reality of London art school. She finds herself married into a stiff Anglo-Irish family, struggling with growing debts and with trying to keep open her soul to the new perceptions while yearning for personal freedom.
Politics is how Eva's brothers make sense of their new world. The eldest son, Art, rejects his inheritance to become a hard-line Marxist. Isolating himself from his family, he tries to belong among the poor, a party agitator working as a manual labourer in Dublin, Moscow and London. Brendan, the carefree and less fanatical younger brother, also embraces communism until confronted by its harsh realities in the Spanish Civil War with consequences that will haunt and divide his family.
Based on real-life people, this family saga grows into an extraordinarily kaleidoscopic portrait of the lives, dreams and tensions of a generation finding their own paths in life between the World Wars. Bolger superbly recreates a family in flux, driven by idealism, racked by argument and united by love and the vivid memories of childhood. The Family of Paradise Pier shows Bolger at the height of his powers as a master storyteller. It is a spellbinding and magnificent achievement. (Also available in Hardback priced at 25 Euro)
Sinn Fein and the SDLP: From Alienation to Participation by Gerard Murray and Jonathan Tonge
Trade Paperback; 22.00 Euro / 28.00 USD / 15.00 UK; 300 pages [Add To Basket]
A political history of the SDLP and Sinn Féin, from the onset of The Troubles in 1970 to the present day. It outlines the ideological and electoral rivalry between the two parties and assesses the contribution of both to the reshaping of modern nationalist politics in Northern Ireland.
Drawing on interviews with prominent Sinn Féin members, the authors examine the dynamics of Republican politics since 1970, explaining why armed struggle was replaced by electoral politics, and why Sinn Féin is likely to consolidate its position as the primary representative of Northern Ireland's nationalists.
Early Medieval Ireland 400-1200 by Daibhi O Croinin
Trade Paperback; 40.00 Euro / 50.00 USD / 30.00 UK; 380 pages
Within a broad political framework this impressive survey explores the nature of Irish society, the spiritual and secular roles of the Church and the extraordinary flowering of Irish culture in the period. Other major themes are Ireland's relations with Britain and Europe, and Vikings and their influence, the beginnings of Irish feudalism, and the impact of the Viking and Norman invaders.
The Burren and the Aran Islands by Carleton Jones
Large Format Paperback; 25.00 Euro / 30.00 USD / 18.00 UK; 280 pages, with full colour illustrations throughout [Add To Basket]
The Burren and the Aran Islands form a region renowned for its geology, flora and archaeology. The ancient monuments are often perceived as shrouded in mystery and beyond explanation. Recent studies have shed considerable light on the functions of these monuments and the people who built them. This book presents these archaeological interpretations in an attractive and engaging manner. (Also available in hardback priced at 35 Euro)
Practical Treatise on Trees by Samuel Hayes with a foreword by Thomas Pakenham
Hardback; 30.00 Euro / 37.00 USD / 22.00 UK; 200 pages
Samuel Hayes was a true Renaissance man. He not only designed the portico of the Bank of Ireland on College Green, he also planted one of Ireland’s most cherished forest parks: Parnell’s Avondale in Co Wicklow. Now, with the support of the Irish Tree Society, New Island bring back into print Haye’s blueprint for the landmark estate. One of the earliest ‘guides’ to planting, this is set to become a collectors item for tree enthusiasts and gardeners. Remarkable Trees author Thomas Pakenham will contribute an introductory essay and up-to-date index and glossary, adding to the value of what looks set to be a unique and collectable title.
Ireland: A Novel by Frank Delaney Paperback; 10.00 Euro / 13.00 USD / 7.00 UK; 480 pages [Add To Basket]
One evening in 1951, an itinerant storyteller arrives unannounced and mysterious at a house in the Irish countryside. By the November fireside he begins to tell the story of this extraordinary land. One of his listeners, a nine-year-old boy, grows so entranced by the storytelling that, when the old man leaves, he devotes his life to finding him again. It is a search that uncovers both passions and mysteries, in his own life as well as the old man's, and their solving becomes the thrilling climax to this tale. But the life of this boy is more than just his story: it is also the telling of a people, the narrative of a nation, the history of Ireland in all its drama, intrigue and heroism.
IRELAND travels through the centuries by way of story after story, from the savage grip of the Ice Age to the green and troubled land of tourist brochures and news headlines. Along the way, we meet foolish kings and innocent monks, god-heroes and great works of art, shrewd Norman raiders and envoys from Rome, leaders, poets and lovers. Each illuminates the magic of Ireland, the power of England and the eternal connection to the land.
A Paradiso Year: Spring and Summer Cooking by Denis Cotter
Trade Paperback; 20.00 Euro / 26.00 USD / 15.00 UK; 154 pages, with full colour illustrations throughout [Add To Basket]
Featuring recipes selected from the award winning Paradiso Season, A Paradiso Year offers a practical and inspirational approach to cooking and eating seasonal food. After months of heavy dishes made from roots and ‘cupboard food’, we have the first shoots of spring greens and sprouting broccoli, wild garlic, rocket; and later, asparagus, artichokes, broad beans: The plants of spring change how we cook, lightening our dishes, giving them a high, delicate sweetness and vibrancy. Where spring is full of promise and hope, summer is the big payoff of the growing season. At the height of the season, we feast on so many varieties at one time – tomatoes, peppers, courgettes and their delicate flowers, chard and all of the beans and peas. But if there is a highlight to the bounty of summer, it is surely the delicate, fragrant fruits that feed our memories as much as our bellies. Cherries alone would make the season worthwhile, yet they are followed gluttonously by sun-ripened strawberries and raspberries, the almost sinful pleasures of peaches, and intensely fragrant melons. Denis Cotter is owner of the Café Paradiso restaurant in Cork. He is the author of the acclaimed Cafe Paradiso Cookbook and Paradiso Seasons ( winner of Best Vegetarian Book in the World Award 2003)
Avoca Café Cookbook
Trade Paperback; 25.00 Euro ; 30.00 USD / 20.00 UK; 190 pages, with full colour illustrations throughout [Add To Basket]
A beautifully produced cookbook from what has become one of the premier tourist destinations in Ireland. The 120 delicious recipes are only part of the menu as the book goes behind the scenes to unfold the inspiring tale of this remarkable business success
Avoca Café Cookbook 2
Trade Paperback; 25.00 Euro ; 30.00 USD / 20.00 UK; 190 pages, with full colour illustrations throughout [Add To Basket]
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