Product Description
An Illustrated History of Ireland from AD 400 to 1800 is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by Mary Frances Cusack is in the English language. If you enjoy the works of Mary Frances Cusack then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection. ... Read more

Product Description
The book has no illustrations or index. Purchasers are entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Subjects: History / Canada / General; Language Arts ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The only history of Ireland I know of
It's not a new history, but it might possibly be the only complete history of Ireland. And it's probably not the most accurate, since more modern histories seem to improve the accuracy of older histories, but at least I'm finally finding out what went on in Ireland as an Irish history as opposed to an invader's history. The author seems to have had a lot of source material to draw from, and wrote from an Irishman's perspective, yet still seemed to be writing with an objective viewpoint, and he had the required intelligence to write such an all-encompassing and complex history, and finally, he was a quite adequate writer. It's an enjoyable read, both for how it's presented, and for the solving of the mystery that's Ireland. ... Read more

Product Description
As early as the introduction of Christianity Ireland was already divided into four such aggregations of tribes--kingdoms they are commonly called--answering pretty nearly to the present four provinces, with the addition of Meath, which was the appanage of the house of Ulster, and included West Meath, Longford, and a fragment of the King's County. Of the other four provinces, Connaught acknowledged the rule of the O'Connors, Munster that of the O'Briens, Leinster of the McMurroughs, and Ulster of the O'Neills, who were also in theory over-kings, or, as the native word was, Ard-Reaghs of the entire island. ... Read more

Product Description
New York Times best-selling author Malachy McCourt offers an authoritative and engrossing one-volume chronicle of Ireland from pre-Christian times to the present, told with Irish flair by the gifted storyteller. The pages are populated with figures from myth, history, and the present, from Saint Patrick to Oliver Cromwell, James Joyce, Samuel Beckett and Charles Parnell, to Sinead O'Connor and Bono. Some beloved, some controversial--each influenced the course of Irish and world history. While McCourt vividly describes Ireland's turbulent history, he also offers a cultural survey with fresh insights to the folklore, literature, art, music, and cuisine of Ireland, producing an irresistible tour through the Emerald Isle. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

Wonderful way to Learn your Irish heritage
This book has been a fantastic way to understand the struggles and the source of pride of the Irish. As an Irish American I am always trying to understand where the strong Irish Pride comes from. This book has told the history in an intriguing way and helps shed the light on the past.

Malachy McCourts History of Ireland
I have just started reading and it is very informative. The book was in excellent condition for being used. I wish I had known some of this info on Ireland before I visited a couple of years ago. There were some places mentioned in the book I would have liked to visit. Some of them were right in the area I was visiting but I was unaware of their significance.

Home run.
This is without a doubt the best summary of Irish history I've ever seen. Very readable.

McCourt's history
This is a well written, very readable, casual history.Worth the time and effort of reading it.It could be viewed as a casual introduction to Irish history.

Entertaining but poorly researched
The man can write but he needs to get his facts down. To be honest I have just scanned the book but found so many factual errors it was plain stupid. It is a small thing but he could not even get the date of the first executions after the Easter Rising right. If you are just looking for a good read and do not care to much about facts this might be OK. ... Read more

Product Description
This third edition of Joseph Coohill's bestselling book has been fully updated to include all latest political developments. Starting with the first prehistoric inhabitants of the island, the book takes us right up to the Good Friday Agreement, and beyond, covering all the major events that have shaped the country. Clear and lucid, it will continue to provide a valuable resource to tourists, students and all those interested in Ireland's complex history. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Excellent Read
Very good book. I purchased it while doing research for a family history, trying to understand what my great-grandparents were going through when they decided to come to America. I read the section I wanted...and kept reading. Coohill does a very good job of covering the various factions and attitudes, and the feelings of the Irish at the time. Excellent book - I recommend it.

Great Introduction to Irish History
Ireland: A Short History is a wonderful little historyCoohill does a really good job of describing the nuances among and between the competing groups in Irish history. It's not as clear-cut as the Catholic-Protestant divide that we often hear about in the news. Really amazing how he can be so deft at describing these differences in historical context while under a pretty severe limit to keep it a "short" history. Landowners v. peasants, nationalists v. unionists, and all the sub-groups in between get fair treatment.It should never be forgotten that there were (and are) Protestant nationalists and Catholic unionists.Coohill eschews the simplistic explanations in favor of "real" history, that is, being true to the documents and records, rather than writing for a point of view.If only we had more historians like Coohill.

An Engaging History
As a teacher and writer whose work is primarily limited to literary studies, I found this text exceptionally helpful in its integration of accessible historical scholarship and incisive commentary on cultural and social contexts. Coohill successfully enables his reader to understand the complexity and instability of political and cultural identities, particularly as they reveal themselves in twentieth century Ireland.And while the expansive history has exceptional breadth, Coohill skillfully explicates the intricacy and depth of historical and cultural interpretations of critical historical moments.I recommend this text to anyone interested in learning more about the fascinating interplay between Irish culture and history.

great book
Great book. Easy to read and understand. Explains Irish history pretty good. But it's not boring because he talks about ways that people see Irish history. Taught me a lot about Ireland and Northern Ireland. Highly recommended. Good gift too (that's how I got it). - Johnny Fitz!

History and Historians
This book was very good. I have read a few books on Ireland and this is now one of my favorites. It is not only a good read (how could interesting history not be?!?!), but is also a good reference book to look up facts about Irish history. Particularly interesting were the sections on the various interpretations of Irish history. I didn't realize that people's different ideas about Irish history influenced their political and social opinions so much. At times, though, I thought that maybe historians are too interested in the work of each other. Each chapter has three or four pages on interpretations. This is a good thing, but, if I wasn't interested in the particular topic, I found that I wasn't interested in the interpretations either. But, overall, this is really good history, it seems to me. ... Read more

Product Description
Ireland has rarely been out of the news during the past thirty years. Whether as a war-zone in which Catholic nationalists and Protestant Unionists struggled for supremacy, a case study in conflict resolution or an economy that for a time promised to make the Irish among the wealthiest people on the planet, the two Irelands have truly captured the world's imagination. Yet single-volume histories of Ireland are rare. Here, Thomas Bartlett, one of the country's leading historians, sets out a fascinating new history that ranges from prehistory to the present. Integrating politics, society and culture, he offers an authoritative historical road map that shows exactly how - and why - Ireland, north and south, arrived at where it is today. This is an indispensable guide to both the legacies of the past for Ireland's present and to the problems confronting north and south in the contemporary world. ... Read more

Product Description
A history of Ireland from 1600 to 1972; an account not only of the events themselves but also the way in which those events acted upon the peoples living in Ireland to produce an 'Irish Nation'; a description of that nation's tragedy and resilience. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Best single volume history of Ireland
This book is hands down the most well written and informative single volume history of modern IrelandI have read. It covers the subjsectin a cincise, thorough fashion without taking the reader down the more obscure tangents the subject tends towards. A great introduction.
The first time I read it I did so straight through, it is that well written.

Indispensable
I found the book somewhat dry, and surprisingly unpassionate, given its subject matter, but neverthless a good handbook as far as a grasp of the main issues of Irish history are concerned. In an academic setting, nevertheless, I thought it indispensable.

A genuine masterpiece - essential reading.
Roy Foster's volume is one of the most beautifully written and compelling histories on any subject one could hope to read. He succeeds brilliantly in his stated aim of going beyond a straight historical narrative into examining how the events of Irish history (1600 - early 1970s) effected the people and (most crucially) shaped, for good and for bad, their view of themselves and their place in these events. His most trenchant and consistent stance is a remorseless questioning of the myth-mongering and self-exaltation that has shaped, arguably warped, the self image of members of all sections of the island's population, leading to the adoption of stances and states of mind that make conflict and unbending dogmatism so hard to root out. In particular his analysis of the myopia and double-think that self-proclaimed 'pure' Republicanism demanded of its followers makes for sobering reading for anyone who still thinks that Ireland's is a simple story. The dire consequences of Partition for the Catholic/Republican minority under the Ulster statelet are well illustrated, but equally the fact that it contributed in huge measure to the creation and maintenance of a stable and largely unified independent Irish state. Equally thought provoking is his highlighting of the contradictions of that strand of nationalism that defined itself in strictly Gaelic and Catholic terms yet demanded the allegiance and incorporation of those Irish whose self-identification was very different and thus viewed as 'illegitimate' by these same terms. The bigotry and paranoia that has marked part of the northern protestant unionist mindset are well depicted, but so too are the particular Republican stances and post-Independence policies that did much to feed and (in their terms) justify it. Foster is trenchant in showing how Republicanism has found it so much easier to aim it's attacks on a British Government that (however reluctantly) had put unpartitioned 32 county Home Rule on the table prior to 1916 than on an Irish minority whose resistance to the Republican view of their proper and true destiny made this impossible. This final post-Parnell section is probably the books most absorbing, dealing as it does with issues of recent and contemporary resonance, but the rest of the book no less enthralling. The only area perhaps not covered fully enough, in view of the subject's ongoing contentiousness, are the causes (not the effects) of the Famine's catastrophic outcome. An essential read, biased only in the direction of challenging received assumptions.

Quite superb treatment of Irish history
This is not only the best available work on modern Irish history but a wonderful example of how to give impartial treatment to a highly controversial topic. Many myths surround the Irish past, but Fostersuccessfully strips them away. He is not afraid to criticise the post-1922Irish state and politicians such as de Valera when necessary, but heestablishes beyond doubt that the record of British rule in Ireland beforethat date was patchy and unwholesome at best, ignorant and vicious atworst. He also illuminates the complexities of the Ulster problem, showingthat it is easier to caricature the province's Protestant reactionariesthan to understand them. One other praiseworthy feature of the book is itsbiographical capsules, which are separated from the main text and neatlysummarise the lives of the leading personalities of Irish history. Ifyou feel you have a gap in your knowledge of Ireland, you must start withthis book. ... Read more

Product Description
The history, archaeology, and legends of ancient Ireland from 9000 B.C., when nomadic hunter-gatherers appeared in Ireland at the end of the last Ice Age, to 1167 A.D., when a Norman invasion brought the country under control of the English crown for the first time. The book also looks at contemporary Ireland's connection with the country's past. Companion to the PBS documentary series. Well-written...integrates the talents of distinguished anthropologists, archaeologists, and historians....Contains new and fascinating material challenging many myths. --Lawrence J. McCaffrey, Loyola University of Chicago ... Read more

Customer Reviews (36)

In Search of Ancient Ireland
Excellent scholarship yet easy for layman to understand.I completed reading the book while visiting Ireland and it made the experience much more significant.

Ancient Irish history addicts
This is actually sort of a text book, but it is so well written that it follows like a planned review of the events leading up to the Norman incursions in the 12th century. It is thoroughly researched and the descriptions of many of the sites inspire me to want to go visit them all. All of ancient Ireland's activities come to life and many of its still uncovered mysteries are fascinating to contemplate. A good exploration of the unique land that is Ireland starts here. Highly recommended.

Excellent book for history lovers
Before my trip to Ireland,i picked up this book and i wasnt dissapointed.This book explains everything you need to know about Ireland and its places of neolithic and ancient history.The author keeps the book simple and interesting with good photos.In my case,it helped me appreciate my trip more since i was doinga lot of driving in Ireland and was able to enjoythe places i was refered to in the book.Good work!

A Trip into the Past
This is a great book.However, the first half is a great deal more so.That half has the author visit ancient sights being accompanied by archeologists & other experts as well as local folk who add color and humor to the tours.The experts who study the growth rings of trees for the past 2000 years, reveal some astounding facts!
The middle section, dealing with Christians and straight forward history, is less revealing.I must admit, however, I have little interest in the Christians--the Pagans are far more fascinating.
The final section, dealing with the Viking Invasion & rule; covers facts I had no knowledge of.I also found out that my last name, Reynolds, is a very common Viking/Irish name...but that's merely me.
This book will make you want to travel; to many of the places mentioned...and I am, in June.

Randolph Reynolds

Wonderful Read
This book is the best I've read on this subject. Easy to understand and I like the order. I want more by this author! ... Read more

Product Description
There is a tragic inevitability about Irish history: "hatred answering hatred", as Lady Gregory wrote. Four events in particular, Yeats' "four deep, tragic notes", ring through Irish history: the Catholic revolt against Elizabeth; the battle of the Boyne, which established the Protestant Ascendancy; the impact of the French Revolution; and the fall from power of Charles Stewart Parnell, which turned Ireland away from peaceful solutions to its ills. The authors bring the story up to the present, then look ahead to the end of the century. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

"Concise" is the key word, here.
This is actually a fairly easy to read and short book, due in part, to the many illustrations.If you are looking for a deep, scholarly tome on the history of Ireland, buy something else.If, however, you are planning on a trip to Ireland and want some basics with regard to the culture and politics of IE, give this a read.I read this along with the historical-fiction novel, "Trinity" to prepare for my trip and felt the balance between the two was a nice way to learn the highlights of Irish history.

Not bad for a short history, but could be better written
A mixed bag, this.Good for a brief exposure to some of the more renowned moments and movements in Irish history, but hard to follow at many spots.The early chapters seem to have been written by a different hand than the later.The language of the earlier ones is hard to follow and no coherent picture formed in my mind about that time.The later ones are easier because they're more "newsy" in style. You're only going to get the highlights of the times (up until mid-1984) and even those are at times disjointed, or strung together with facts the reader is presumed to already be familiar with.

I borrowed this from the library.I'm glad I read it, and I'm glad I didn't buy it.

Don't Waste Your Time
This is truly one of the most lacking of the general histories of Ireland available on the market.Conor Cruise O'Brien and Maire O'Brien provide a rather pourous account of the history of Ireland and manage to not quite even skim the surface.Leaving out many of the events that would embarass the author or not promote his own political agenda, this book is at best a waste of time.There are many, many better accounts available.

Ireland's tragedy in 176 pages !
This is a brief and impartial account of the history of Ireland from 3000 BC up until 1994 . There is no in depth analysis of the historical figures involved but just a simple yet concise narative of the important events that shaped this country .

It is after England's brutal conquest of the native Irish , and the protestant plantations that followed , that this book comes into it's own , as it gives the reader a clear understanding of the political dynamics at work that would eventually lead to a divided Ireland .

The book has a generous amount of illustrations and photographs that compliment the very readable text . I'd recommend this book as a starter to anybody who is interested in finding out about the tragic history of Ireland , or as an overview to more in depth books for the discerning reader .

An excellent introduction to Irish history
If there's a better overview of Irish history out there, I'd like to see it!

The book is in 'school' format, for want of a better word, that is to say very generously illustrated. Don't let that give you the impressionthat the book is superficial. This man and wife team know their Irelandinside out and are both topnotch writers. Maire MacEntee is one of the mosteminent, if not the most eminent, Irish language poets alive, and herhusband is very well known as a scholar and essayist.

Read and enjoy! ... Read more

Product Description
It's history with the nasty bits left in! Want to know: why wax models were captured and made Prisoners of War? Which warrior went to battle naked? How to make yourself invisible? This work helps you to find out the tragic truth about Ireland's foul famines, savage sieges and wretched rebellions, and the incredible Irish people who lived and died in them. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Funny, but ill-balanced
I love the Horrible Histories series and I'm not at all a stickler for perfect historical accuracy in them. These books are meant to make children interested in history and learn to enjoy reading.

That said, this particular "Horrible History" loses one star for being obviously biased against the Republic of Ireland, and another because this bias can be so damaging to kids. The tensions in Northern Ireland are not at an end, and presenting a view of the area that clearly comes out on one side of the conflict is truly irresponsible.

Adults will be able to recognize this bias and take it with a grain of salt, but if you are planning to give this book to a kid or use it in a classroom, make sure you let them know that this is a complicated conflict, and that history is written by the winners. ... Read more

Product Description
Here's the next best thing to a trip to Ireland. Rich with illustrations and beautiful color photographs, this 416-page volume is a comprehensive survey of that country's history and culture, from the pre-Christian era through the creation of the United Kingdom and into the 20th century, right up to the recent economic boom.There's plenty more, including a dictionary of clans and families, a glorious appreciation of the landscape organized by county, and a selection of classic Irish recipes. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Ireland: History, people, Culture
Well presented and easily understood.As detailed as a text book but quite well presented and accurate in facts. A good introduction into the people and culture of the Irish and the land. Excellent photography and descriptions. A must have for any collection on Ireland.Takes you from province to province in photo and word in a grand tour from past to present. ... Read more

Product Description
Richard English's brilliant new book is a compelling narrative history of Irish nationalism, in which events are not merely recounted but analyzed. Full of rich detail, drawn from years of original research and also from the extensive specialist literature on the subject, it offers explanations of why Irish nationalists have believed and acted as they have, why their ideas and strategies have changed over time, and what effect Irish nationalism has had in shaping modern Ireland.

It takes us from the Ulster Plantation to Home Rule, from the Famine of 1847 to the Hunger Strikes of the 1970s, from Parnell to Pearse, from Wolfe Tone to Gerry Adams, from the bitter struggle of the Civil War to the uneasy peace of the early twenty-first century. Is it imaginable that Ireland might - as some have suggested - be about to enter a post-nationalist period? Or will Irish nationalism remain a defining force on the island in future years? ... Read more

Product Description
Edmund Curtis's remarkable survey of Ireland, from its earliest origins to the twentieth century, is a classic introduction to Ireland's fascinating history. Reaching from St. Patrick's Mission in 432 to the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1922, this authoritative text explores the formative events of Ireland's past and encompasses the Norman invasion, Gaelic recovery, Cromwell's Settlement, the Act of Union and the Great Famine.

Lucid and scholarly, this all-embracing account unfolds the events of Ireland's history and the story of its people, through an examination of their political, religious, social, economic and cultural past. Ireland's unique history is revealed here through the 'moving forces, the deciding facts, and the men who mattered'.

Featuring a chronology of key dates in Irish history and a guideline to the pronunciation of Irish names, this celebrated narrative now includes a new introduction by Sean Duffy. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A chronology of how things came to be
I enjoyed this book from start to finish. It's always been a wonder to me how things perpetually change yet ever remain the same. This book is excellent for understanding the ways things are now were shaped by the way things were hundreds of years ago.It's an interesting read and great resource of Ireland and it's turbulent history. If you're interested in all things Irish this is the book you'll want to build your Irish library on.

A so-so history
This book does not help me with the specific data I was looking for, ie: the famine of 1720s and ancient history.The author totally ignores the famine of the 1720s. He does give me a good sequence of the earlist populations, though very brief. ... Read more

Product Description
Gerald of Wales was among the most dynamic and fascinating churchmen of the twelfth century. A member of one of the leading Norman families involved in the invasion of Ireland, he first visited there in 1183 and later returned in the entourage of Henry II. The resulting "Topographia Hiberniae" is an extraordinary account of his travels. Here he describes landscapes, fish, birds and animals; recounts the history of Ireland's rulers; and tells fantastical stories of magic wells and deadly whirlpools, strange creatures and evil spirits. Written from the point of view of an invader and reformer, this work has been rightly criticized for its portrait of a primitive land, yet it is also one of the most important sources for what is known of Ireland during the Middle Ages. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Good read for class
Interesting primary resource for the 12th century. Had to read this for my history class and of all the books that were on the list, I'm glad I chose this one. Some tall tales and funny accounts but not a bad read to have to do a paper on.

Fascinating
Have you ever seen a medieval map? People had only the vaguest idea of the world they lived in - and when men such as Gerald of Wales set out to gather information they very often had to rely on what local people told them (as did Herodotus over 1000 years earlier). So of course Gerald's History and Topography of Ireland is going to be riddled with factual errors - if you want to find out about the history and geography of Ireland you should look at modern maps, produced by satellites, and modern histories, written by scholars with hundreds of thousands of documents at their fingertips. Books written in the eleventh century tell you what people thought THEN, in the eleventh century, and are as such fascinating journeys into the early medieval mindset. Myths mingle with facts as the locals tell Gerald about things that matter to them, and really brings home history - in a way that reading of battles and kings doesn't. It tells you about daily lives and what people thought - we are really quite amazingly lucky that books such as these have survived a thousand years to tell us what life was like then.

Interesting but flawed medieval account of Ireland
I found the chapters relating ot the topographyof Ireland to be seriously flawed and containing inaccurate descriptions of the rivers and areas of Ireland. However it does give a very good idea ofthe mindset ofthe early Norman invaders in their conquest of Ireland and offers some tomoder day readers humourous rhetorical accounts of native Irish tribalbehaviour. ... Read more

Product Description
Concise, comprehensive and original in approach, this revised edition includes the Belfast Agreement and the years of the Celtic Tiger. Now available in three languages: English, French and German.

Since its first publication in 1994 Richard Killeens Short History of Ireland has been widely accepted as the most accessible introduction to Irish history. It presents the history of Ireland in attractive double paged spreads, which can be quickly read to give an easy overview of the key events of Irish history. It is superbly illustrated with over 150 full color photographs, paintings and drawings.
Over the past 10 years almost 150,000 copies have been sold in English, French and German language editions. This new edition brings the story up to date including the days of the Celtic Tiger and the Good Friday agreement. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

TWO editions
The book was purchased prior to a trip to Ireland.It is a quick read and has some nice photos.However, it is such a quick read, I didn't get a lot more history than I did from the history section in my "Eyewitness Guide to Ireland" book. Additionally....there are TWO editions of this book.The web page makes it seem like the book you order will be the second edition, as that is the one discussed on the page.However, I got the 1994 edition, which omits the Belfast agreement etc.I foolishly assumed I would be getting the product which I was reading about on the page.So, all-in-all, not a bad book, but pretty easy to get the amount of information this book contains in numerous sources.Probably not a lot of new information in the second edition, but I was shocked to get a different product than the one I "ordered."This will not be a book I keep in my library!

History of Ireland
This book is a very quick read and extremely interesting. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to get a quick and comprehensive history of Ireland.

EXCELLENT BRIEF HISTORY
A REALLY GOOD BOOK TO GET THE GENERAL HISTORY OF IRELAND FROM A MORE OR LESS IMPARTIAL SOURCE.PROVIDES A VERY GOOD UNDERSTANDING OF THE SHAPING OF IRELAND'S PAST AND HOW IT INFLUENCES THE PRESENT.

A fine first step into the subject.
I was just beginning to read about Irish history, and was looking for a good book to start with, when I saw someone buying this handy little introduction.I promptly bought & read it myself, and wasn't in the least disappointed.I finished the book in a day, and yet, when I was done, I knew 10 times more about the subject than I had previously, enough to completely revise what I thought were my opinions.

This is a concise, well-written, and readable summary of the general course of Irish history.It's not quite "in-depth," but it's too thorough to be dismissed as a rough outline or anything similar.It's a sound elementary primer on a complex subject, and the perfect starting point for further, more detailed learning. ... Read more

Product Description
The Everything® Irish History & Heritage Book takes you back to the old country and the distinctive personalities, places, and events that have made this country unique. From its breathtaking scenery and architecture to its celebrated saints and scholars, few places on earth match Ireland's romantic attraction and historical fascination. The Everything® Irish History & Heritage Book walks you through Ireland's 1,600 years of history and acquaints you with the music, literature, food, and sports that have helped shape its inspiring legacy. Features authoritative information on:

• Celtic mythology and ancient folklore
• The Irish literary tradition-from The Book of Kells to Ulysses
• The potato famine and the Great Hunger
• The Irish in America and the immigration experience
• The Troubles and the road to peace
• Religion and family life

Amy Hackney Blackwell graduated from Duke University with degrees in history and medieval and renaissance studies. She received her M.A. in early modern European history from Vanderbilt and is the author of Mythology for Dummies. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

I expected more!
I enjoyed parts of the book, but I felt it could of been more informative about the country, and told more exciting bits of the folklore of Ireland. It talked more about the History than anything else, and I feel skipped many points of interest and excitement that we could of been reading instead. If the History is what you expected, it would of been informative, but the other aspects were dissapointing.

Easy Overview
This book is good for giving you a basic understanding of the chronology of events of Ireland's history.It's a nice easy read that gives you a basic understanding before you try to read some harder and more specific books on Irish history or politics. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an updated edition of John O'Beirne Ranelagh's short history of Ireland, covering the full sweep of Irish history from the earliest times up to President Clinton's second visit to Ireland in 1998, in the wake of the Omagh bomb and the surrounding peace initiatives. Throughout, the author's aim is to cast light on the people and the events that have contributed to present-day Irish society, in both North and South. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A Brilliant Book
For anyone who wants to understand the war on terror and its Irish formulation, this is essential and fascinating reading.Ranelagh is remarkably balanced and fair-minded, while at the same time providing the necessary information and facts without burdening the reader with excessive and obfuscatory detail.He deals with Irish prehistory quickly and interestingly, giving more space to the modern age and its complex of idealism, heroism, nationalism, murder and terror, explaining the motivations and historical prisons so many people in Ireland have endured, coming right up to the present North and South.It is a Short History.More detail would make it something else.But as a short history that is satisfying, well-written and authorative, it cannot be bettered.A remarkable achievement.

So much history so close to home
Ranelagh does a fantastic job of condensing a couple thousand years of history into a readable couple hundred pages.This book is a first-rate shortened version of Irish history.

At times, one thinks more and deeper connections could have been drawn (such as the resurrection, by twentieth century hunger-strikers, of Brehon Law-era practices like fasting for the redress of grievances) and more discussion fostered on particularly hard-hitting aspects of Ireland's past and present.But this is, after all, a SHORT history, and a remarkable one at that.

There is good coverage of Ireland before the arrival of the English, in a way that touches on both historical developments and cultural ones.Likewise, the era of Cromwell and the disastrous run-up to and aftermath of Black 1847 are given good detail.One comes away feeling a bit as though more recent history (say, 1916 and on) has been slighted, but this feeling is probably just the product of years of weighted emphasis on the twentieth century; Ranelagh does well to bring a historical balance to the overall sweep of Ireland's development into what it is today.

And what it is today is, for Ranelagh, closely invested as well in the question of what England is and no longer is."A Short History of Ireland" may disturb those who view England as a still-unwelcome visitor into Irish history and culture, but Ranelagh concludes convincingly that the story of Ireland from the 13th century on is intimately related to its evolving relationship with its slightly larger neighbor and one-time persecutor/antagonist.Ranelagh quite usefully and realistically departs from other histories of the Emerald Isle in asserting that the England/Ireland relationship can, for a slew of reasons that he points to, only ever be one of co-dependence. ... Read more

Product Description
Compiled by a team of leading historians, this is a wonderfully rich, lavishly illustrated history of England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. The reader is taken on a journey from prehistoric times to the present day, examining such topics as the spread of literacy, the development of transport, and the evolution of country houses on the way. British cities are brought to life in artwork reconstructions that take the reader back to the Dublin of the 18th century or London in the 1850s. Scholarly yet accessible, this is the ideal introduction to British and Irish history. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Basically, an excellent historical atlas
This is not a narrative history as the title might suggest.It is really a historical atlas with good accompanying commentary and illustrations.As a historical atlas, it is superb.

Excellent History book!
This history book is simply excellent.It is well laid out, clearly and passionately written, and is the absolute basis for British History in our home-schooling program.The maps and diagrams are well done, very interesting to investigate, and illustrate well the subjects covered.It is up-to-date, detailed, and the chapters are short and outlined well.Definitely the best British History book I could find, and I looked a lot! ... Read more

Product Description
In In Search of Ancient Ireland, published by Ivan R. Dee in 2002, Carmel McCaffrey traced the history, archaeology, and legends of ancient Ireland from 9000 B.C. to the Norman invasion. Now, in an engaging sequel, Ms. McCaffrey tells the story of the struggle between English and Irish aspirations in the centuries since the first English incursions into Ireland in the 12th century. This is a narrative history filled with powerful personalities and families who fought in battle and through constitutional means to free Ireland from English control. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

In Search of Ireland's Heros
Easy to read.Hrd to put down.I learned a great deal about my Heritage.I highly reccommend this book to any one intrested in Ireland.

To truly understand
I have always wondered what the deal was between Great Britain and Ireland.This book will tell you.

Good overview, slightly slanted
This is a simple overview of modern Irish history, told from the perspective of the invadee, not the invader.The book has a slight hint of this viewpoint, but does a great job of telling Irish history for the general reader without resorting to myth and legand.

The focus on heroes makes for a lively documentation indeed
There've been plenty of books on Irish history but none quite so vivid and accessible as In Search of Ireland's Heroes: The Story of the Irish from the English Invasion to the Present Day. IN SEARCH OF ANCIENT IRELAND was published in 2002 as a companion to the PBS series of the same name: this is actually a sequel to that book, standing solidly both as a companion volume and as an innovative history by itself. Here the struggle between English and Irish in the centuries since the first English invasion of Ireland in the 12th century are documented, filling the gap with a powerful narrative history documenting the personalities and people who fought on behalf of Ireland's freedom. The focus on heroes makes for a lively documentation indeed, making this a strong pick for both Irish history holdings and especially for general-interest public libraries.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

Captivating Irish History
That rare publishing event where the sequel is even better than the original.McCaffrey uses original documents to illustrate Irish history from the English invasion through today. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more