Read Ireland Book Reviews
Issue 454
Finally Available in Paperback
1&2 August 2009
A New History of Ireland volume 3: Early Modern Ireland 1534-1691 edited by TW Moody and FX Martin and FJ Byrne
Paperback; 35 Euro / 42 USD / 30 UK; 768 pages
A New History of Ireland is the largest scholarly project in modern Irish history. In 9 volumes, it provides a comprehensive new synthesis of modern scholarship on every aspect of Irish history and prehistory, from the earliest geological and archaeological evidence, through the Middle Ages, down to the present day. The third volume opens with a character study of early modern Ireland and a panoramic survey of Ireland in 1534, followed by twelve chapters of narrative history. There are further chapters on the economy, the coinage, languages and literature, and the Irish abroad. Two surveys, `Land and People', c.1600 and c.1685, are included. (Volumes 1 & 2 also now available in paperback.)
Kerry’s Fighting Story 1916-1921 Told By the Men Who Made It with an intro by JJ Lee
Large Format Paperback; 20 Euro / 28 USD / 14 UK; 352 pages, with an 16-page black-and-white photo insert [Add To Basket]
This is the classic text on the struggle for independence in Kerry. Originally published by The Kerryman in 1947, this is one of the four title in the "Fighting Stories Series". It records the events of the War of Independence in the words of the people who fought it and those who wrote about it at the time. The range of the book is incredible, everything from the formation of the volunteers, the German expedition to Tralee Bay during World War One, the Kerry Heroes of 1916, the RIC mutiny at Listowel Barracks, ambushes at Headford Junction, Lispole and Ballyduff, to the IRA firing party that challanged a Royal Navy ship in bantry bay in Autumn 1922. "Kerry's Fighting Story" is a treasure trove of information and intriguing detail.
Limerick’s Fighting Story 1916-21 Told By the Men Who Made it with an intro by Ruan O’Donnell
Large Format Paperback; 20 Euro / 28 USD / 14 UK; 380 pages, with an 16-page black-and-white photo insert
This is the classic text on the struggle for independence in Limerick. Originally published by The Kerryman in the 1940s, this is one of the four title in the "Fighting Stories Series". It records the events of the War of Independence in the words of the people who fought it and those who wrote about it at the time. Amongst the gripping episodes recorded are: Limericks heroes of 1916, the execution of an enemy spy in West Limerick, Limerick's Night of Terror, Cumann na mBan in Limerick and the destruction of Killmallock Barracks. Featuring reports of the ambushes, battles, successes and failures, "Limerick's Fighting Story" is a treasure trove of information and intriguing detail.
A History of Irish Farming, 1750-1950 by Jonathan Bell and Mervyn Watson
Large Format Paperback; 25 Euro / 32 USD / 19 UK; 344 pages [Add To Basket]
The book deals with changing methods of crop and livestock production during the `Age of Improvement' in Ireland, and some of the ways in which they shaped rural society and the landscape. Irish agricultural improvers were part of an international exchange of ideas that led to the development of many new implements, crop varieties and breeds of livestock. However, at the level of small farm production, there was also a persistence of ancient techniques, some of which have been used since prehistoric times. These techniques were often condemned by contemporary observers, but modern research and fieldwork shows that they were most remarkable for their refinement and effectiveness.
The book shows the rationality of Irish farmers, in developing systems and techniques that fitted their resources, or lack of them, making Ireland a major agricultural producer, and overcoming huge environmental and social obstacles to ensure the survival of millions of people.
Connemara: The Last Pool of Darkness by Tim Robinson
Paperback; 12 Euro / 16 USD / 9 UK; 374 pages [Add To Basket]
The first volume of Tim Robinson's Connemara trilogy, Listening to the Wind, covered Robinson's home territory of Roundstone and environs. The Last Pool of Darkness moves into wilder territory: the fjords, cliffs, hills and islands of north-west Connemara, a place that Wittgenstein, who lived on his own in a cottage there for a time, called 'the last pool of darkness in Europe'. Again combining his polymathic knowledge of Connemara's natural history, human history, folklore and topography with his own unsurpassable artistry as a writer, Tim Robinson has produced another classic.
Other Comments: 'An astonishing and almost infinitely provocative work ! It is a rare pleasure to be among those engaged in the salvage of so rich a treasure' - John Burnside, Irish Times 'One of the most remarkable non-fiction projects undertaken in English' - Robert Macfarlane, Spectator 'An imperishable monument to the West' Irish Independent 'Reading Tim Robinson on Connemara is almost as good as being there -- better in some ways' Irish Examiner 'A masterpiece of travel and topographical writing and a miraculous, vivid and engrossing meditation on landscape and history and the sacred mood of places' Irish Times Books of the Year
God’s Executioner: Oliver Cromwell and the Conquest of Ireland by Micheal O Siochru
Paperback; 12 Euro / 16 USD / 9 UK; 314 pages [Add To Basket]
Cromwell spent only nine months of his eventful life in Ireland, yet he stands accused there of war crimes, religious persecution and ethnic cleansing. In a century of unrelenting, bloody warfare and religious persecution throughout Europe, Cromwell was, in many ways, a product of his times. As commander-in-chief of the army in Ireland, however, the responsibilities for the excesses of the military must be laid firmly at his door, while the harsh nature of the post-war settlement also bears his personal imprint. A warrior of Christ, somewhat like the crusaders of medieval Europe, he acted as God's executioner, convinced throughout the horrors of the legitimacy of his cause, and striving to build a better world for the chosen few.
Bear in Mind These Dead by Susan McKay
Paperback; 12 Euro / 17 USD / 10 UK; 412 pages [Add To Basket]
Nearly 4,000 people were killed over the thirty or so years of the Northern Irish Troubles. And the killings were as intimate as they were brutal. Neighbors murdered neighbors. Susan McKay's book explores the difficult legacy of this conflict for families, friends and communities. By interviewing those who loved the missing and the dead, as well as some who narrowly survived, McKay gives a voice to those who are too often overlooked in the political histories. Old enemies are now in government together in Belfast, and the killing has all but stopped, but peace can only endure if the dead can finally be laid to rest. "Bear in Mind These Dead" is a moving and important contribution to that process.
Great Hatred, Little Room: Making Peace in Northern Ireland by Jonathan Powell
Paperback; 12 Euro / 17 USD / 10 UK; 340 pages
The Blair administration's pursuit of a lasting settlement in Northern Ireland stands out as one of the great achievements in modern British politics. Even after the initial moves towards a peace, there was every chance that long-nursed grievances would break out again into paramilitary extremism. That they did not is a lasting monument to the determination and guile of many of those involved. As the government's key negotiator, Jonathan Powell is uniquely qualified to give the definitive account of the end of the Troubles. "Great Hatred, Little Room: Making Peace in Northern Ireland" will become a landmark in the literature of conflict resolution: an historical document of lasting importance that is also a vivid and dramatic account of fallible men and women working at the limits of their endurance.
More Praise: ‘A powerful contribution to the history of Anglo-Irish relations’ Literary Review ; ‘A fascinating book. No-one else could provide such an insider’s account, for he was the only one to be involved in the detail of every tortuous step’ Sunday Telegraph; Making peace in Northern Ireland was the greatest success of the Blair government, and one of the greatest achievements in British politics since the Second World War. In Jonathan Powell’s masterly account we learn just how close the talks leading to the Good Friday agreement came to collapse and how the parties finally reached a deal.; Pithy, outspoken and precise, Powell, Tony Blair’s Chief of Staff and chief negotiator, gives us that rarest of things, a true insider’s account of politics at the highest level. He demonstrates how the events in Northern Ireland have valuable lessons for those seeking to end conflict in other parts of the world and shows us how the process of making peace is sometimes messy and often blackly comic. ; ‘Jonathan Powell has produced one of the half-dozen best books of the Troubles… He was the ultimate insider… Powell writes in a personal manner, with deft character sketches’ Independent ; ‘He is an engaging witness to the events that brought peace to the benighted north – largely because he wants no future role in politics and can afford to be outspoken.’’ Scotsman on Sunday
Noel Browne: Passionate Outsider by John Horgan
Paperback; 13 Euro / 18 USD / 10 UK; 341 pages, with a 16 page photo insert [Add To Basket]
In the course of a long political career, Dr Noel Browne held public office for less than three years, as Minister for Health from 1948 to 1951. In that brief time he left an indelible mark on Irish life. His introduction of the controversial Mother and Child Scheme, which was effectively vetoed by the Catholic hierachy at the urging of Archbishop John Charles McQuaid and Bishop Michael Browne, and was then abandoned by the cabinet, was a defining moment in Irish church/state relations.; His post-ministerial career saw him drift politically, into - and out of - four different parties. He maintained a stormy on/off relationship with the Labour Party but became an iconic figure on the Irish left - a difficult colleague, but adored by his public.; This biography explores the tantalizing gaps in Browne's own autobiography, "Against the Tide", but offers a rounded picture of a complex, tortured and exceptionally gifted individual.
The Orange Order: A Contemporary Northern Irish History by Eric Kaufmann
Large Paperback; 25 Euro / 32 USD / 20 UK; 370 pages, with black-and-white photos throughout [Add To Basket]
Based on unprecedented access to the Order's internal documents, this book provides the first systematic social history of the Orange Order - the Protestant association dedicated to maintaining the British connection in Northern Ireland. Kaufmann charts the Order's path from the peak of its influence, in the early 1960s, to its present-day crisis. Along the way, he sketches a portrait of many of Orangeism's leading figures, from ex-Prime Minister John Andrews to Ulster Unionist Party politicians like Martin Smyth, James Molyneaux, and David McNarry, and also includes the highly revealing correspondence with adversaries such as Ian Paisley and David Trimble. Packed with analyses of mass-membership trends and attitudes, the book also takes care to tell the story of the Order from 'below' as well as from above. In the process, it argues that the traditional Unionism of West Ulster is giving way to the more militant Unionism of Antrim and Belfast that is winning the hearts of the younger generation in cities and towns throughout the province.
A Dance in Time by Orna Ross
Paperback; 9 Euro / 13 USD / 7 UK; 607 pages [Add To Basket]
Lover. Mother. Writer. Each of these roles has meant the world to Izzy Mulcahy. But now, as she stands accused of killing her elderly father, Izzy sets out on a journey of self-discovery and finds the three roles colliding in ways that both surprise and sustain her. However, her journey also leads her to conclude that when she stands up in court her testimony will have a devastating effect on the two loves of her life, her daughter, Star, and her soulmate, Zach . . .
Angels in My Hair by Lorna Byrne
Paperback; 8 Euro / 12 USD / 6 UK; [Add To Basket]
Angels In My Hair is the autobiography of a modern day mystic, an Irish woman with powers of the saints of old. When she was a child, people thought Lorna was retarded because she did not seem to be focussing on the world around her. Lorna remembers seeing not just the world around her but seeing equally vividly angels and spirits. For many years she assumed everyone saw the same. As Lorna tells the story of her life, growing up in a poor family, later working in Dublin, marrying and experiencing family tragedy, the reader meets, as she did, the creatures from the spirit worlds who also inhabit our own - mostly angels of an astonishing beauty and variety – including the prophet Elijah and an Archangel- but also the spirits of people who have died. Today, it is not only the sick and troubled who come to visit Lorna, looking for healing and consolation, but theologians of different faiths and the head of a religious order in Rome are asking her for guidance too. This remarkable document is the testimony of a woman who sees things at the far end of the spectrum, beyond the range of our everyday experience.
Follow Me Down to Dublin: The City Through the Voices of Its People by Deirdre Purcell
Paperback; 9 Euro / 14 USD / 7 UK; 254 pages, with an 8-page black-and-white photo insert [Add To Basket]
In the course of conversation, she learns how her birthplace is viewed and remembered by a host of Dubliners – from broadcasters to shop workers recalling showband days; by the city’s writers, actors, historians and, most tellingly, her ordinary folk who, with wit and fondness, share far from ordinary reminiscences, Here are images of the clip-clop of Guinness drays, of thronged and opulent Corpus Christi processions, of penitential but sociable rounds of The Seven Churches on Holy Thursdays, of Jewish tailoring houses, of the gentle self-sufficiency of the Dublin Protestant – and of an intimate, impenetrable lingo spoken and understood only by those in the city’s retail trade. In words and pictures, we learn about the closure of the fabled Frawley’s of Thomas Street – a hugely emotional event for the staff and its heartbroken customers – about the ballroom of romance in the Broadway Café in O’Connell Street, about the blowing up of Nelson’s Pillar and the devastating fire in Power’s Distillery, about Moore Street then and now, about the spread of the city into the ‘new Dublins’ of Finglas, Crumlin and beyond. Dubliners featured include Dermot Bolger, Catherine Hogan, Peter Sheridan, Ronan Sheehan, Geraldine Plunkett, Aidan Mathews, Pat Liddy, Larry Gogan, Bernard Farrell, Deirdre McQuillan and Kevin Hough, all of whom agree that what makes the city special is the indomitable spirit of the Dubliner. Follow Me Down to Dublin is a book to be savoured by Dublin’s natives, her ‘blow-ins’, and by all who have enjoyed even a passing acquaintance with Anna Livia and her court.
Bard of Erin: The Life of Thomas Moore by Ronan Kelly
Paperback; 12 Euro / 17 USD / 10 UK; 620 pages [Add To Basket]
Colm Tóibín has called Thomas Moore ‘the most influential figure in shaping the Irish political psyche’. In Bard of Erin, Ronan Kelly tells the story of Moore’s extraordinary life – from humble beginnings in Dublin to glittering social and literary success in London (at one point his popularity was eclipsed only by that of Sir Walter Scott and his close friend Lord Byron). Ronan Kelly’s biography is a gripping and definitive account of a great romantic figure.
Roy Foster, The Times - `Vividly absorbing ... an enthusiastic, persuasive and highly readable attempt to restore a full picture of the man ... Everything in this eloquent and intelligent life shows that Moore's achievement decisively transcended the "poetical"' ; John Montague, Irish Times - `Definitive ... a fascinating story' ; Irish Daily Mail - 'a major reassessment ... scholarly and comprehensive ... Kelly makes it clear what fun Moore was' ; Sunday Business Post - 'This new biography of Thomas Moore delights in the reading. Ronan Kelly has done his groundwork well ... A substantial, highly readable examination of the life, social development and cultural significance of a figure who occupies a pivotal position in Irish history, both as an Irish writer of the Romantic period and as 'Ireland's National Poet' of a pre-partition era'
Please note: Prices were correct at time of original posting but are subject to subsequent change without notice.
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