Product Description
Ireland conjures up images of nature's majesty: sweeping coastlines, rolling green hills, and secluded peat bogs and marshlands. A place of legendary beauty, it is also a land with a rich natural history. Michael Viney invites us to discover the geologic forces that created the island, peer into the famous bone caves that hold unique clues about animals from long ago, and experience the dramatic scenes of the cliff-lined coast and tempestuous seas.

Viney begins deep in the past, when rivers of molten rock and enormous glaciers stripped the land bare. Soon after the glaciers retreated, the island was transformed into a fresh, new landscape, home to an intriguing variety of plants and animals, and an environment that has cultivated a rich human history and inspired countless myths. Infused with the lyricism of Irish prose, Ireland: A Smithsonian Natural History is indispensable for anyone seeking to understand the natural beauty of the Emerald Isle. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

beautifully written and informative
I enjoyed reading this book, though it isn't my usual 'thing'. I do love Ireland and it's facinating landscape, but I didn't expect the beautiful prose and haunting images. The absent corncrake comes to mind...once so ubiquitous and now gone; this change perhaps a metaphor for many things extant in Irish life. Reading Micheal Viney's words brought to mind the phrase "God is in the details". A really wonderful read. ... Read more

Product Description
The search for stability proved elusive. Nationalist Ireland mobilized a mass democratic movement under O'Connell to secure Catholic Emancipation before seeing its world transformed by the social cataclysm of the Great Famine. At the same time, the Protestant north-east of Ulster was feeling the first benefits of the Industrial Revolution. Although post-Famine Ireland modernized rapidly, only the north-east had a modern economy. The mixture of Protestantism and manufacturing industry integrated into the greater United Kingdom and gave a new twist to the traditional Irish Protestant hostility to Catholic political demands. In the home rule period from the 1880s to 1914, the prospect of partition moved from being almost unthinkable to being almost inevitable. Nineteenth-century Ireland collapsed in the various wars and rebellions of 1912-22. Like many other parts of Europe than and since, it had proved that an imperial superstructure can contain domestic ethnic rivalries, but cannot always eliminate them. "..a substantial and thoroughly crafted study of a very complex period...His virtues as a historian predominate - clarity of thought and style, and a mastery of the telling quotation, which penetrates to the heart of the matter " -
The Irish Times ... Read more

Product Description
The eighteenth-century was the heyday of the Protestant ascendancy. McBride, however, acknowledges that the greatest advance in the history of the time has been the recovery of Catholic attitudes during the zenith of the ascendancy. McBride insists on the continuity of Catholic politics and traditions right through the century, so that the nationalist explosion in the 1790s is seen not as a sudden earthquake, but as the maturing of an underground tradition. This holistic survey cuts past the cliches and lazy thinking that has characterised our understanding of the eighteenth century. It sets a template for future understanding of that time. ... Read more

Product Description
No one will argue with the fact that Ireland is a beautiful, enchanted place. But Ireland has a history more varied, turbulent, fascinating, and terrible than any other. From the first English presence in Ireland in the twelfth century through siege, rebellion, and civil war, to Irish ascendancy, home rule, and the present-day troubles, bestselling author Paul Johnson tells, with remarkable clarity and concision, the compelling story of this most remarkable island. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

TOO concise
Too concise to really offer much illumination. Very brief on the various Irish heroes (Parnell, O'Connell, etc.). In the face of centuries of British destruction in Ireland, the author is somehow anti-Irish. Not worth time or money.

I don't know why I bothered...
I should really have known better than to pick up a book written by this crusty old gentleman.I have never been a fan of Paul Johnson - his periodic op-ed pieces in Forbes magazine never fail to make my blood boil.However, it is his anti-Irish vitriol that really puzzles me.I knew of his bias before I bought this book, but decided to give it a shot anyway.

What a mistake.

This man clearly lives in an era long-since passed.At least, it has passed for most Irish and English people.The mutual distrust, the fatalistic refusal to let go of history and the constant sniping at one-another would all essentially be done, if it were not for old die-hards like Johnson.Perhaps he lacks a target that irks him more than the Irish, or perhaps it is just a matter of geographical convenience for him.Whatever the reason, in this book, Johnson never misses an opportunity to twist the knife in the back of the Irish as a whole.

There are far better written and better thought-out compilations on Irish history without having to suffer through one written by a man who once called for financial sanctions to be imposed on the entire Irish population to compensate for IRA activity in mainland Britain.Perhaps, Mr. Johnson, the Irish people could best respond by speaking your own language - imposing sanctions on pompous old curmudgeons like yourself for years forwarding an agenda of brutal division of the island of Ireland.Or perhaps one of the many gifted Irish authors could simply write a scathing account of the bloody and tainted history of your people.In my opinion, the best response is to do nothing.People of this ilk are almost entirely irrelevant in the modern countries of Britain and Ireland.Perhaps if we just ignore Mr. Johnson long enough, he will disappear into a chasm of his own bitterness and spite.

A strong anti-Irish slant
Anyone who has read other, more balanced histories of Ireland will note a strong anti-Irish slant in Johnson's history.Though his breezy, gossipy style may be fun for other historical topics, it's not helpful in sorting out the complexities of Ireland.

Don't buy this book
It is difficult to write a good book on a subject one dislikes and, clearly, Johnson is not fond of the Irish.

A Clear Portrait of Irish History
This is an eminently readable, informative history of Ireland from the twelfth century up to the late 1970's. Unlike many histories, it is not a list of statistics. Nor is it an appeal to our sensibilities. It is swift, yet comprehensive. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (4)

Recent Irish History
It's not possible to compress the rich history of Ireland into one small book, but this book which spans about two centuries is well written and concise. The book was assigned for a Stanford University Continuing Studies course and was a very interesting overview of recent history. The themes of Irish dissension against the British were well developed.

Good review of Irish history
We are going on an educational trip to Ireland and the book was on a reading list prepared by the guide. Easy read and good background info for the trip

Best Ireland Primer
Robert Kee's "Ireland: A History" is, simply put, a fine introductory overview of modern Ireland. By "modern" I refer to the time from a bit before the Viking invasion (roughly 797 C.E.), through the Free State to the founding of the Republic and into "The Troubles" of today. For my money, the book's major flaw was its brief, superficial treatment of ancient Celtic Ireland. There is so much more to Ireland's Gaelic past than Kee covers that one will need other books to fill this gap. As a dual national -- I'm an Irish and a U.S. citizen -- I did not really "need" Kee's book to learn of modern or ancient Ireland, or the supplementary works I later bought to cover the pre-Viking material his "Ireland: A History" did not; I already knew a fair bit about this as a function of my birth. [A Dublin-born Irishman gave me Kee's book to read while I lived in Cyprus, where English-language books are very dear, and one reads what one may already have read or known to save money.] As a further note, ultra-Republican friends of mine scoff at what they characterize as Kee's "royalist/loyalist" leanings, dismissing out of hand anything he has to say as not quite "shamrock green" enough for a "True Republican" to be citing him as a source on anything Irish. I personally did not find Kee a propagandist for the Crown, so do not subscribe out of hand to this IRA carping. I can grouse, however, at Kee's or his editors' failure to state in which Dublin museum hangs the heartbreaking painting of "The Flight of the Earls," found on page 38 of the book. On one occasion, I'd sought out the painting in the National Gallery in Dublin, only to learn it hung in another museum -- which was closed the day I went after it. Notwithstanding this, in my humble opinion, for those not of Irish extraction or citizenship (or ultra-Republican bent), Kee's book is a good, easily readable, healthy introduction to the Emerald Isle. It is devoid of any blarney-sentimental cliches or slanderous stereotyping of the "glib, gab-gifted, Guinness-gulping" Irishman. And it pulls no punches at Britain's guilt for its arguably deliberate genocide of the Irish in the Great Famine of 1845-49 and those lesser ones that grass-stained starving Irish mouths and blood-stained the 19th century. But it will fill in only so many blanks in one's understanding of that ageless island and its early people, with their lost-in-mists religions, languages, superstitions, culture and monuments. Those wanting more will have to buy other works, such as Peter Beresford Ellis' "The Ancient World of the Celts," for instance. Overall, I found Kee's "Ireland: A History" a good survey course in Ireland, so much so that I bought it as a gift for a friend of Irish extraction, who'd developed a keen interest in tracing his own roots -- and in applying for Irish citizenship. On balance, Kee's book is worth the money and the read.
Anthony O'Neill Miller

Ever wonder what the fighting in Northern Ireland was all about?
A very comprehensive view of the Ireland/England/Great Britain relationship.
Excellent historical perspective over the last 800 years.You can't tell the players without a score card.You begin to believe Senator Mitchell when he said something like venomous statements made by members of either side might reference a happening of yesterday or 400 years ago.Having just done a whirlwind tour of Ireland, it really helped me to understand much better what I saw there. ... Read more

Product Description
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. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A New History of Ireland Volume III
This is a a masterpiece of historical writing. The book covers the period from 1538-1691 and is an outstanding piece of work. It covers what may be the darkest period of irish history documenting a century of religious persecution, wars, famine, plagues, rebellion and ethnic cleansing on an unimaginable scale. Its accounts of the Desmond Rebellion, the Nine Years war, the Wars of the three Kingdoms in England, Scotland and Ireland, the Confederate Wars, the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland, population resettlement, famine and plague; the execution of a king and the ending of the Stuart dynasty, the Battle of the Boyne in 1690 and ultimately the ruination of old Ireland and its Gaelic lords. This is an excellent history of Ireland one that I would urge anyone to read.

A New History of Ireland, Vo.III
Outstanding body of work. Builds on the fine tradition of the Longman series. Much greater detail and definitive in the scope. ... Read more

Product Description
Few countries have such a compelling and stirring history as Ireland. This sumptuously illustrated volume captures all the color of the Emerald Isle, from the earliest prehistoric communities, through centuries of turbulent change and creativity, to the present day. Written by an expert team of scholars--all of whom are Native to Ireland--this book offers the most authoritative account of Irish history yet published for the general reader.
Unlike most single-volume histories, this book emphasizes the paradoxes and ambiguities of Irish history, presenting a more realistic picture. It also examines more familiar themes, such as the shifting patterns of settlement and colonization, the recurrent religious strife, and the establishment of new political entities. And in a special section, it investigates the interaction between Irish history and literature, demonstrating how the importance of language to everyday Irish life has engendered a body of fiction that is virtually a history of Ireland itself.
With over two hundred photographs, a variety of helpful maps, and many beautiful color plates, this history brings to life the conflicts, settlements, and traditions that constitute Irish history, making it wide-ranging and highly readable for anyone fascinated by this colorful island nation. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

One of the worst history books I've read
I bought this book on a whim a few weeks ago and, after struggling to get past the first 50 pages, recently just returned it. In the bookstore I found the book to be interesting due to the great illustrations and accompanying text. But the actual book is another matter entirely. It's divided into several essays written by different authors. I wish I could remember who wrote the first one, because I would warn Irish history enthusiasts to steer clear of that author's other books.

What bothered me was how the book begins by skipping over thousands of years of history to bring the reader into around 500-700 AD, with the clear implication that before the arrival of Christianity, nothing too interesting happened on the island. Beyond that, the first essay reads like a super-boring recitation of place names, people and titles that are barely explained. Awful, just awful.

YAWN
I started reading this book after finishing "A Concise History of Scotland" and this one paled by comparison. The book about Scotland was a masterpiece of cohesion and interesting writing. Unfortunately, the only thing the two books have in common are the great illustrations.

The illustrations in this book about Irish history are the ONLY interesting thing, in my opinion, and the writing never lives up to that quality. It is just one dry fact after another--- so unappealing. Where is the humanity--the people, the cultures, the societies? History should be written in the same vital way in which it occurred.

What a shame--this could have been such a good book if the writing had had any life to it.

monotonous
the writers take it for granted that the reader is already well versed in irish history. if anyone knows of a good book on irish history: please let me know!

Illustrations good, text tedious
If you are looking for a single volume that offers an engaging account of the grand sweep of Irish history, then I would suggest you steer clear of the Oxford Illustrated History of Ireland. The problem is not with the illustrations, which are numerous, nicely reproduced, well described, and interesting overall. The problem is the essays that make up the text of the book, which are dreary illustrations of history presented in its driest and most unappealing form. The first two essays describing the history of the Island from prehistory to the 15th century are a monotonous chronicle of the names of, and rivalries between, the indigenous and foreign notables who claimed and/or controlled various pieces of Irish turf over the centuries. These accounts shed little light on the people who inhabited the disputed territories, on how they lived their lives, or on the family, social and economic structures of their evolving communities. They also fail to offer much insight on the nature and geography of the land itself, and its different regions, which I find is almost always a feature of any good read about the history of a people. Perhaps the remaining four essays in the book may inject more life into what ought to be a colourful story. I'll never know, since the first two run to more than a hundred pages, and I have a personal reading rule that if a narrative hasn't captured my interest, or otherwise shown much promise, in the first hundred pages, then I am at liberty to cease reading it without any self-recrimination. This doesn't happen very often, but such was the case with this text. The only consolation for me is that the art, drawings, photographs and other illustrations in the book are interesting in and of themselves. If the Oxford folks ever contemplate revising this book, I'd suggest they consider jettisoning the essays and enlarging the illustrations. ... Read more

Product Description
Chris Morash's widely-praised account of Irish Theatre traces an often forgotten history leading up to the Irish Literary Revival. He follows that history to the present by creating a picture of the cultural contexts which produced the playwrights responsible for making Irish theatre's worldwide historical and contemporary reputation. This book is an essential guide to the history and performance of Irish theatre. Hb ISBN (2002): 0-521-64117-9 ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Good overview
A book like this has been long waited for. There is much here that is new to me and the fact that Irish theatre has such long roots is interesting. This is a good overview on Irish theatre but it is heavy at times and difficult to read. That is why I give it four stars and not five. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (3)

Very Informative
If you're looking for a comprehensive history of modern Ireland: you've found it! Coogan is thoroughly knowledgeable in this area and any reader who makes it through the book leaves with concrete answers to much of Ireland's modern history. However, Coogan is also a rather tedious writer and the massive book can be a lot to swallow. Incredibly informative but I do suggest digesting the book in bite size pieces!

Complete (modern) history of Ireland to 2003
A thorough, highly detailed account of the current history of Ireland, especially political.While an extremely long book (750+ pages not counting indices) and you have to get used to Coogan's writing style that no sentence shall be less than 50 words long with multiple phrases embedded), this is an excellent account of the evolution of modern day Ireland.Coogan knows the internal political scene well and gives considerable weight to detailing it.This tends to take away somewhat from the readability since as a North American, I'm not familiar with the multitude of names that I'm sure are second nature to an Irishman like Coogan.Nevertheless, I feel that I came away with a better understand of how the Irish situation has developed and it did give me new and better background in which to frame my thinking.Recommended reading but only for true, non-fiction, history buffs.

Complete (modern) history of Ireland to 2003
A thorough, highly detailed account of the current history of Ireland, especially political.An extremely long book (750+ pages not counting indices) and you have to get used to Coogan's writing style that no sentence shall be less than 50 words long with multiple phrases embedded. This is an excellent account of the evolution of modern day Ireland.Coogan knows the internal political scene well and gives considerable weight to detailing it.This tends to take away somewhat from the readability since as a North American, I'm not familiar with the multitude of names that I'm sure are second nature to an Irishman like Coogan.Nevertheless, I feel that I came away with a better understand of how the Irish situation has developed and it did give me new and better background in which to frame my thinking.Recommended reading but only for true, non-fiction, history buffs. ... Read more

Product Description
History is about people, and this outstanding book explores the everyday lives of people of all kinds across the centuries: both the ordinary people, who are the life blood of a nation, and the extraordinary rulers, reformers, rebels, thinkers, scientists and artists who have been the pioneers of change. In compelling narrative, this book charts the great moments of social change, of discovery and invention, from the earliest settlers to the present day. A revised final chapter brings the story right up to date. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great book
A very interesting book, the pictures are beautiful, the texts are easy to read even for foreignerswith an intermediate/hight intermediate level in English.
This book is really useful for the foreign students who learn English civilization. ... Read more

Product Description
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.

Volume VI opens with a character study of the period, followed by ten chapters of narrative history, and a study of Ireland in 1914. It includes further chapters on the economy, literature, the Irish language, music, arts, education, administration and the public service, and emigration. ... Read more

Product Description
First published in 1967 and now updated to cover such recent events as the Good Friday Agreement and the withdrawal of British troops from regular patrols in Northern Ireland, this new edition of a perennial bestseller narrates and interprets Irish history as a whole.Amazon.com Review
Much Irish history is written as a matter of heroes andleaders, of great personalities and sweeping events. T. W. Moody andF. X. Martin's collection of essays by leading historians offers allthose things, but it takes the land itself as its startingpoint. Ireland, they write, has always been poor because of itsungiving soil; always isolated because of its ring of imposingmountains and steep hills--but always open to invasion from the eastacross the calm, narrow Irish Sea, because of which, they write, "ourpresent-day laws and institutions have their origins in England."While taking a long view of events, they manage to compress thousandsof years of history into this fact-filled, highly readable book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (21)

Modern Irish History
A bit one dimensional, not nearly as in depth as would be preferable, but all in all a good book. Shipped fast and was in good condition.

slanted and distorted
A few essays early on are short,but factual.As soon as the English enter the picture,the writngs are packaged as history,but are insidiously pro English inprose and concentration.If you're looking for a history without the slant,there's much better for sale

A bit boring
I bought this book to get a sense of Irish history since I expect to travel there this summer. However, instead of giving an overview of Irish history, this book is mainly essays by Irish history professors written for a Irish audience. So, this is not a good book for people who want a basic working knowledge of Irish history, it is for more advanced history majors. It has taken me months to get through this book.

The Course of Irish History
This is a very thorough history of Ireland. Well compiled with an interesting layout (each chapter is written by a different author). This would be great for someone looking for an easy-to-read, concise introductory Irish history resource.

Poorly written
I purchased this book and have read it for a course on Irish History at the University of Washington. The book is poorly put together. Because there are different authors for each section the book completely lacks continuity.

I don't recommend this book if you are looking for a straight-forward, accessible read. ... Read more

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Product Description
A tiny island in the North Atlantic, Ireland has had astonishingly, powerful impact on the wider world, both at the height of its independent power in early middle ages, as the key exporter of Christianity to much of Europe, and at the depth of its colonial subjugation by Britain, as the primary source of millions of settlers to North America and Australia. A History of Ireland explores the story of Ireland from the twelfth century to the end of the twentieth century. Written chronologically, the religious conflicts across thecenturies, the struggle over Home Rule, and the complex nature of the modern troubles. Covering the main political narratives of the country, A History of Irleand also delves into major economic, social, and cultural events, and offers a fascinating glimpse into Ireland's past. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

an excellent introduction to irish history
I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in irish history. it is an excellent first read on the subject and takes a fair, thorough and well thought out approach to the many difficult issues in irish history. If you are already familar with irish history you will not find any new information here but for the begininer it is excellent.

A History of Ireland is a short but savvy history of the land of Orange and Green in conflict
This 250 page book is one in a series on the history of a European or Caribbean nation published by the English firm of Palgrave Macmillian.
The book is a general survey of the troubled land of Ireland from the twelth century to today's headlines. It's author is Mike Cronin who does a good job in giving a neophyte to Irish studies a broad outline of the important dates,political players and historical situations in the tale of the Eire isle.
We learn from this book that:
a. Ireland was the leader in Christian missionary work and scholarship in the Dark Ages unallied with Roman Christianity. This influence waned due to Vikings invasions.
b. Ireland is a nation torn by religious hatreds. Ever since the Protestants under British King William III won the battle of the Boyne in 1690 this enmity has led to murders, assassinations and religious divisions. Henry VIII was the first British monarch to subdue Ireland and make her part of the nation of Great Britain.
c. The Easter Rebellion of 1916 in Dublin ended with an agreement with the London government to divide Ireland into two separate governments:
The independent nation of Eire and the Northern Irish province of Great Britain. Eire consists of 26 counties and Northern Ireland of six. Efforts to unite Ireland have led to dismal failures and overt violence.
d. There was an Irish Civil War in Eire following the establisment of the new republic in 1922. Eire is a nation of Roman Catholics which is mainly agricultural and conservative though this is changing.
e. Northern Ireland is controlled by the Unionists Protestants though the Roman Catholic minority is making progress in the effort to win civil rights.
f. Eirie was neutral in World War II while Ulster supported the British Empire.
g. Ireland is a small nation of about eight million citizens.
h. The horrible Irish Potato Famine of 1846-51 led to over one million deaths and the emigration of over two million Irish to America, Britain, Australia and Canada.
Ireland has a long and tragic history of religious conflict, poverty, hunger and poor governmental leadership. Hopefully, the lives of the Irish will improve in the new century.
Cronin's book is written in a straightforward style which is informative. The book could be used with profit by students, travelers and anyone interested in learning more about such a complex and troubled spot on the globe as Ireland.

Good, but wrong title
This book is well written but begins too late in Ireland's history to be considered "a history of Ireland." I'd have liked to learn more about the Celts.

Easy read with right amount of detail
My husband and I are planning a trip to Ireland next year, so we wanted to learn about Ireland's history to better understand the country and its people. This book was easy to read and understand, providing the right amount of detail about events and people. Very informative. A great book about Ireland's history that I recommend to anyone with no, or little knowledge of Ireland's past.

A names and dates history
This is a useful addition to a bookshelf as well as a quick read over the complex history of Ireland. If you want to quickly place the "Wild Geese" or Wolf Tone or Cromwell in a historical context it will prove an invaluable tool. Furthermore, the prose is readable and not bogged down with a mass of professional notes. I think that's the key, information is presented in the style and detail of the professional historian but without all the scholarly apparatus. The scholar ,seeking proper reference or in depth character and motivation, must look elsewhere. Be advised that there is weighting toward the nineteenth and twentieth century. There is some discussion of the famine and emigration, but only as part of the historical progression. For that and diaspora study The Great Shame is a better bet. Would I buy this book again? Yes. Why? it is a valuable reference tool. Does it captivate me as some histories do? No. Best advice I can give: decide why you might want it. ... Read more

Product Description
European recorded history north of the Alps begins with the Celts. At their height, they stretched over the ancient world from Ireland and Britain to Turkey and Czechoslovakia, from Belgium and Gaul to Spain and Italy. They sacked Rome, invaded Greece, and even attempted to take over the Egypt of the Ptolemy pharaohs. Yet theirs was an empire without an emperor, a civilization that encompassed the continent but had no central government. To tell its history, Ellis matches his storytelling talents with the firsthand and classical accounts of the Celtic empire. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Very Good Introduction
This book is a good review of a very long period in Celtic History. It covers the origins of the Celts up until they were conquered by the Romans, as well as a chapter on ancient Ireland. Many other reviewers have cited the lack of archealogical evidence, but this book mostly uses ancient literary sources such as Livy and Polybius for its evidence. The only downsides to this excellent book are the author's obvious favor toward the Celts, and his shaky grasp on Greek/Hellinistic History.

1 Star Is Being Kind. Evidence ???
The other 1 star reviews were overly polite. I have read hundreds of books on ancient history in my 80 years. But, this author clearly has multiple axes to grind. In order to re-write history one needs "plenty of proof. You will not find any here!" Read Livy, Polybius, Athenaeus, Herodotus, or Florus. If one wants to believe in the Celts try Barry Cunliffe. If a person wants to learn the truth about our western heritage? They would be wise to read "authentic scholars like David Gress and Michael Grant." I have read five of the authors ranting books, they are all the same. The Celts are the Alpha and Omega of everything. The fact is they are not!

Shallow Fiction. Where Is The Archeological Proof?
This is the worst book I've ever read on ancient history. The author minimizes the negatives of the so-called Celtic culture, while portraying the Greeks and Romans as the destroyers of Western Civilization rather than the FOUNDERS of it. Throughout this revisionist tirade he presented no proof of his claims.

In reversing the archaeological and written records he wants the credulous reader to believe that the various tribes that are lumped together under the false Celtic umbrella somehow built the world we now live in. I don't know how this rubbish got published? I recommend any books by Michael Grant, Adrian Goldsworthy, B.H.Liddell Hart, & John Collis' " Celts: Origins And Re-inventions" as a truthful balance to this nonsense.

Suitable summary and introduction to the material
This is a history of the Celts and their political and military doings (particularly in relation to Rome), not an analysis of Druid mythology or Celtic mythology.If you want that, you'll need to find another book, which Ellis probably authored. The focus of this book is more narrow, and cultural issues are set aside in favor of Roman-Celtic relations. Attention is given to the Celts and their alliance w/ Hannibal, the militarization of Roman society in response to the Celtic frontier, and of course Julius' quests to sieze Gaul and Britain.

We tend to think of the Celts as limited to Northeast Europe (ie Ireland), yet Ellis dispells this pop cultural myth and documents that the Celts were very prominent--and historically influential--in Iberia-Galacia, even Asia Minor.The Galatians were the first Celts to accept Christianity, and Paul's epistle to them is one that greatly influenced early Christian relationship to Judaism and the Torah.The book only lightly touches upon the Irish Celts, but this is still a good book for the Irish-ophile to learn more about the spread of the Celts across all of Europe.

Excellent Book - Expert Author!
This book was excellent and the author is really an expert in his field.I was recently drawn to Celtic spirituality.I read this book slowly to completely understand it, and it was worth every minute! It is very academic and filled with historical information. ... Read more

Product Description
This volume addresses a subject of vital importance to the study of Irish history--literature and politics. Although collective memory and commemoration has attracted much attention from British, French and American scholars, this is the first major study of the relationship between history and memory in Ireland--closing a remarkable gap in the literature, considering the frequency with which Unionists as well as nationalists have invoked the past, erected monuments and observed anniversaries. This book helps define the main concepts and issues in an emerging field of inquiry. ... Read more

Product Description
Founded upon the partition of Ireland in 1920, Northern Ireland experienced 50 years of nervous peace under the rule of a devolved government in Belfast. This government was representative only of the Protestant unionist community and discriminated freely against the minority nationalists. The Protestant fortress held firm until the emergence of the Northern Ireland Civil Rights movement in the late-1960s, following which the province subsided into the civil unrest widely known as "The Troubles". For nearly 30 years, Northern Ireland has been a headline item in the world's newspapers and on its television screens. This book provides a comprehensive history of Northern Ireland. ... Read more

Product Description
For almost three decades the troubles in Northern Ireland raged, claiming over 3,600 lives, with civilians accounting for almost half the fatalities. In this book, Jonathan Tonge examines the reasons for that conflict; the motivations of the groups involved and explores the prospects for a post-conflict Northern Ireland.

The book:

• assesses the motivations and campaigns of the IRA, UVF and UDA and other armed groups
  
• discusses what each paramilitary group achieved through violence
  
• analyses the continuing controversies surrounding the Northern Irelands dirty war
  
• outlines the extent of collusion between British security forces and loyalist paramilitaries
  
• explores how governments and political parties shaped the peace process
  
• scrutinizes prospects for the political development of unionism and nationalism within a devolved power sharing framework
  
• examines whether the sectarian divide is strengthening or weakening
  
• concludes by assessing whether Northern Ireland can move permanently from violence and instability to become a normal peaceful polity, in which the war is merely a historic relic

Written by an acknowledged expert in the field, Northern Ireland combines incisive analysis, original research and a lucid style to provide an important assessment of what has been described as an 800 year old problem. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Northern Ireland, Conflict & Change
A good synopsis of all the issues in Northern Ireland on both sides.Presents a relatively balanced approach, but is somewhat British Loyalist oriented.

Brilliant dissection and analysis
A intense and well written work tediously explaining the situation with North Ireland. A no bias account complete with full documentation gives you a full perspective from each side and why. I would suggest someone unfamiliar with the subject in getting their feet wet on the subject first with some light research, and then jump into reading this book as it is a immense piece of information.

Northern Ireland: Conflict & Change
This is an essentail read for all who study comparative politics, history, public administration and international relations or international law.Professor Tonge provideds an easy to follow, well-written book that will spark your interest for hours. In addition to updated information, Professor Tonge providesadditional references for further investigation.I would highly recommend this book to anyone who has developed a curiousity regarding the events in Northern Ireland or for poli-sci courses that deals with comparative policy/political studies or a course in international conflict.

A must read
This book is absolutely the best book written on the history of the "Troubles."It comes from a very unbiased source who attempts to explain the 300 plus years of conflict to those who have no knowledge of the troubles in the North.It is also enlightening to us who do have knowledge and insight into the conflicts of Northern Ireland.If you ever wanted to know about the "Troubles," or want to know more, this book is a must read.It should be the first book read before anyone takes on any study of the conflicts which shroud Northern Ireland. ... Read more