Product Description
We hear their chants in the Stone Circles. We listen to the heaven-inspired utterances of the Archdruid, as he stands on the capstone of a cromlech, in the eye of the sun, surrounded by the white-robed throng. We see the golden sickle reverently cutting off the sacred mistletoe. We look under the old oak at the aged Druid, instructing disciples in mystic lore, in verses never to be committed to writing. Should we credit the Druids with the introduction of Sun worship, Serpent reverence, and the adoration of Idols? Or were they new comers, arriving subsequent to the establishment of these various forms of paganism, and merely known a little before the rise of Christianity in Erin? Chapters include: WHO WERE THE DRUIDS?, WELSH OR BRITISH DRUIDISM, IRISH DRUIDISM, ST. PATRICK AND THE DRUIDS, OPINIONS ON IRISH DRUIDS, IRISH BARDS, ISLE OF MAN DRUIDISM, FRENCH DRUIDISM, GERMAN DRUIDISM, DRUIDICAL MAGIC, NEO-DRUIDISM, DRUIDICAL BELIEF and DRUIDICAL MYSTICISM. ... Read more

Product Description
This was a transformative period in English history. In 1783 the country was at one of the lowest points in its fortunes, having just lost its American colonies in warfare. By 1846 it was once more a great imperial nation, as well as the world's strongest power and dominant economy, having benefited from what has sometimes (if misleadingly) been called the "first industrial revolution." In the meantime it survived a decade of invasion fears, and emerged victorious from more than twenty years of "war to the death" against Napoleonic France. But if Britain's external fortunes were in the ascendant, the situation at home remained fraught with peril. The country's population was growing at a rate not experienced by any comparable former society, and its manufacturing towns especially were mushrooming into filthy, disease-ridden, gin-sodden hell-holes, in turn provoking the phantasmagoria of a mad, bad, and dangerous people. It is no wonder that these years should have experienced the most prolonged period of social unrest since the seventeenth century, or that the elite should have been in constant fear of a French-style revolution in England.

The governing classes responded to these new challenges and by the mid-nineteenth century the seeds of a settled two-party system and of a more socially interventionist state were both in evidence, though it would have been far too soon to say at that stage whether those seeds would take permanent root. Another consequence of these tensions was the intellectual engagement with society, as for example in the Romantic Movement, a literary phenomenon that brought English culture to the forefront of European attention for the first time. At the same time the country experienced the great religious revival, loosely described under the heading "evangelicalism." Slowly but surely, the raffish and rakish style of eighteenth-century society, having reached a peak in the Regency, then succumbed to the new norms of respectability popularly known as "Victorianism." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

SUPERBLY WRITTEN HISTORY
As expected from this imprint and of this series - detailed, well thought out, and quite readable. When this seller says like new they really mean it.

A disappointing addition to a great series
All too many surveys of history start with soaring language that stresses how the period being examined was one of great change.Refreshingly, Boyd Hilton's contribution to the New Oxford History of England series does not do this, focusing instead on the continuities of English history from the late eighteenth to the mid nineteenth century.While acknowledging the dramatic demographic growth of this period and the economic transformations it spawned, he argues that the political revolutions of the late eighteenth century fueled an embrace of neo-conservative ideologies that proved remarkably enduring throughout the period.

Hilton's argument shapes not just his interpretation of English history during this period, but his presentation of it as well.Arguing for a "politicization of society" during this period, he provides more political narrative than previous authors in the series have for their volumes.These chapters provide an insightful analysis of the period, particularly with regards to the political ideologies of the period.He supplements this with a superb bibliography at the end, one that offers a stimulating analysis of the historiography on the period.

Yet judged by the standard of the series, the book is something of a disappointment.The predominance of the political narratives crowds out other aspects of the era, most notably the dramatic technological changes so critical to it; these are usually addressed only in their consequences, and incompletely even then.A more persistent problem, however, is the author's presentation of historical arguments in the text.Often Hilton presents the varying interpretations of a topic or a personage with little sense as to his own opinion on the issue.While some may value the opportunity to make their own assessments, Hilton's effort at even-handedness deprives the reader of the sort of informed judgments that have made the series such a valuable tool for understanding English history. ... Read more

Product Description
Compellingly written and evenhanded in its judgements, this is by far the clearest account of what happened through the years in the Northern Ireland conflict, and why. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Great primer on the Troubles. Excellent book. But...
When buying this book I had no previous knowledge on the Troubles, except some general info gathered from the internet. As an Israeli activist for peace in the Middle East, I felt it was very important to learn about the conflict in NI, especially given the many similarities between the 2 conflicts.
McKittrick and McVea's book provides the reader with plenty of information, quotes and figures and IMO does reflect different viewpoints. The timeline at the end of the book is really useful, as are the statistics of the casualties, breakdown by religious group, etc. However, I did find this book lacking in some aspects:

1. The historical background is IMO less than adequate for anyone not familiar with key events in Irish History, such as the Union with England, the 1916 Rising etc. Although the book does focus on the so-called Troubles themselves (that is 1960's-1990's), more background could have been useful.
2. The book is not very much up-to-date. The timeline ends at 2001, and recent events are not covered.
3. There are no pictures inside the book. Pictures could have helped understand much of the Zeitgeist of the conflict, and some of the events themselves. Murals, demonstrations, parades, aftermath of bombings and key persons - pictures could have added so much to the portraying of the Troubles in this book!

Making Sense of the Troubles: The Story of the Conflict in Northern Ireland
I recently read A FARTHER SHORE by Gerry Adams and MAKING PEACE by George Mitchell, both very interesting but hardly comprehensive regarding the challenges faced in creating a sustainable peace for the population of Northern Ireland.MAKING SENSE OF THE TROUBLES provides the background on the circumstances and the individuals that laid the foundation for the challenges faced by the peace makers.I wish I had sufficient depth of knowledge to advise the level of neutrality in this book.However, I do not.That said, it makes a major contribution to providing an understanding of how complex and long standing this conflict was and how it entrenched the psyche of a divided population.It helps one to understand how each set of players saw the conflict through the prism of their own beliefs and needs and how even relatively minor actions could serve as tender boxes that elicited dramatic responses.

Making Sense of the Troubles : The Story of the Conflict in Northern Ireland
Grateful for quick shipping.

A great account, but some are let off lightly
I throughly enjoyed this book - most likely because I spent the majority of my life in Northern Ireland. Unfortunately a good unbiased viewpoint is very hard to come by, so I relished the opportunity to fill in a few gaps in my understanding. The flip side of this is that it appears that the authors let a few characters off lightly, on both sides.

The issue I believe is that the situation is very fluid in that part of the world, and events often come to light that change perceptions of various characters. The famous 'They haven't gone away' remark from Mr Adams isn't mentioned for example, and this casts him in a rather different light than is presented in the book.

I do applaud the authors however for not glossing over the lowpoints of Northern Ireland's recent history. Whilst sometimes painful to read, it does help dispel the fairytale fancy of those who have been led to regard murderers as 'freedom fighters'. I just wish that the authors hadn't given their apologists such a light hand.

All in all, if you are new to the area I'd highly recommend this one. This book is a great startpoint but shouldn't be your last read on the matter.

Excellent, balanced overview
I read this before a trip to Northern Ireland this summer, where I met with politicians, community leaders and artists.After reading the book, I felt very comfortable with the main themes and events of the Troubles, and several people commented that I seemed particularly well-versed in the history of the conflict (I knew next to nothing even a year before my trip).The book is well-written and balanced, and gives a thorough introduction to the troubles.I recommend reading it after a brief overview of general Irish history (such as "Modern Ireland: A Very Short Introduction") and, of course, as much Joyce as time allows. ... Read more

Product Description
The Troubles in Northern Ireland have proved to be one of the most intractable conflicts in Europe since the Second World War, consistently attracting international attention, particularly from the United States.This highly readable exploration of the central issues and debates about Northern Ireland sets them in the historical context of hundreds of years of conflict. It introduces all the key figures and organizations involved in current violent and political conflicts and tackles many questions, such as: What accounts for the perpetuation of ethnic and religious conflict in Ireland? Why has armed violence proven so hard to control? Who are the major figures and issues in the conflict? Can we expect more "Northern Irelands" in the future? A concise, reliable introduction to the historical and current situation, this book is ideal reading for anyone wanting to know more about the political climate of Northern Ireland. ... Read more

Product Description
It's history with the nasty bits left in! Want to know: Whose head was put in a pot and pickled? Why the mayor of Dublin put his mum in prison? Which Irish King led his men to battle ...from his bath? Plot your path to the past with the frightful full-colour map - picnic with pirates at St Stephen's Green and creep around the cruel cathedrals. ... Read more

Product Description
This completely updated and expanded second edition of the wide-ranging and accessible Routledge History of Literature in English covers the main developments in the history of British and Irish literature with accompanying language notes exploring the interrelationships between language and literature. Highly praised for its readability and narrative style it charts the principal features of literary language development and highlights key language topics. With a span of over a thousand years, from AD 600 to the present day, it emphasizes the growth of literary writing, its traditions, conventions and changing characteristics, and includes literature from the margins, both geographical and cultural. ... Read more

Product Description
This impressive survey covers the early history of Ireland from the coming of Christianity to the Norman settlement (400 - 1200 AD). Within a broad political framework it explores the nature of Irish society, the spiritual and secular roles of the Church and the extraordinary flowering of Irish culture in the period. Other major themes are Ireland's relations with Britain and continental Europe, and Vikings and their influence, the beginnings of Irish feudalism, and the impact of the Viking and Norman invaders. Splendid in sweep and lively in detail, it launches the newLongman History of Ireland in fine style. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Not only an engaging read...
...but very well recieved in the scholarly community. This is a reliable, well written resource on what can be a very tricky time and place to do research in. Top marks!

A Great Resource
O Croinin's book is an accessible and exciting source of information on Gaelic culture - a must read for anyone interested. ... Read more

Product Description
More than 20 million Americans claim some sort of Irish heritage. But how much do you really know about this amazing country? Forget about shamrocks, leprechauns, and all that blarney--this book is a concise and authoritative guide that dispels the myths and tells the true stories of the Irish. Highlights include:

• Who St. Patrick really was
• The story behind "Sunday Bloody Sunday"
• Scandals in the Irish church
• Coming to America and the real gangs of New York
• The spooky truth behind changelings, leprechauns, and fairies

Complete with an Irish language primer and pronunciation guide, this book is an informative pot of gold for everyone who loves the Irish! ... Read more

Product Description
Patrick Weston Joyce (1827-1914) was a native Irish speaker educated at a hedge school. Joyce started work in 1845 with the Board of National Education. He produced many works on the history of Ireland and other works such as On the Old Celtic Romances, Irish Grammar, and the English Language in Ireland. His most enduring work is the pioneering The Origin and History of Irish Names of Places. He was President of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland from 1906 to 1908. Joyce was a key cultural figure of his time. His wide interests included the Irish language, Hiberno-English, music, education, Irish literature and folklore, Irish history and antiquities, place-names and much else. Amongst his other works are A Smaller Social History of Ancient Ireland (1906). ... 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

Product Description
This fully-illustrated collaborative volume deals with all aspects of Irish military history, but especially the relationship between armies and soldiers in Ireland with Irish society in general. It covers Irish soldiers, armies and battles in eighteen clearly-organized chronological chapters, ranging from the middle of the first millennium AD to modern times. As a whole it brings a new and exciting dimension to Irish military history, which has concentrated hitherto on battles and tactics. The text is illustrated throughout by over 120 pictures and maps. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

A Complete Reference
This is a complete, detailed reference on the military history of Ireland.While very technical discussions can be undertaken at times, the book is accessible to the average reader, although some basic knowledge of Irish history contributes greatly to understanding, as limited background information is provided.

5 stars for the Irish historian
I have only read the first five chapters of this book, as I'm interested primarily in Medieval Irish Military history, but I must say that the book is very well-researched and well-written.The complicted Celtic names bog it down for the non-Irish reader, such as myself (and thus for the "lay" researcher, I only gave the book 4 stars).I found this book to be full of great information, but it's very academically minded and, therefore, best for the serious enthusiast.
The editors wrote in the preface that they sought to focus, not solely on combat, but on the social history of the military as well - a perspective which I found to be interesting and innovative.Check out the Table of Contents and you will see how comprehensive this book is.

The standard work on Ireland's military traditions.
In "A Military History of Ireland" editors Thomas Bartlett and Keith Jeffery brought together some of the best essays on Irish military history available to the modern reader. The authors discuss the early and medieval military traditions of the Irish and trace these traditions into the modern era. Those looking strictly for information on battle tactics etc. will be disappointed however. Throughout the book the focus is on the formation of bands of Irish fighting men and the evolution of this process in Ireland to the creation of modern military regiments and armies, and includes extensive information about the formation and nature of British army regiments in Ireland. The first few essays on the medieval Gaelic and Norman Irish military traditions however, makes this book worth getting, especially now that it's available (for $29.95!) in softcover. ... Read more

Product Description
The History of Ireland is a fascinating story of struggles and heroism.

This superbly illustrated book tells you all about the people who have made Ireland the country that it is today. It is the ideal introduction to Irish history for children aged 6-12. ... Read more

Product Description
History of Interior Design provides a comprehensive survey of architecture, interiors,
furniture, and accessories from ancient civilizations through the twentieth century.
While primarily focusing on Western civilizations, the book expands on traditional
studies and includes design histories of African, Eastern, and Indigenous cultures.
Drawing on her experience as an instructor, Ireland covers not only social and technological
influences but also specific characteristics of each of the periods and styles.
The world has become a global community and though much is the same, much is
different. Interpreting history can lead to a better understanding of the past, furnish
a greater appreciation for the present, and inform the very future of design. This text
provides the tools for designers to understand the differences across history and
across the contemporary world and how to interpret history to complete their design
projects successfully. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

awesome pics, simple to read!
The pictures in this heavy book are absolutely beautiful.I like the way it is written, large font, and easy to read and understand, it doesn't get as overly academic as some of the other history texts I have had for other classes.She does a nice job of introducing nearly everything, and touches on architecture from all over the world. ... Read more

Product Description
Charles Carroll of Carrollton is most often remembered as the sole Roman Catholic signer of the Declaration of Independence. In this monumental study of the Carrolls in Ireland and America, that act vindicates a family's determination to triumph without compromising lineage and faith.

Ronald Hoffman peels back layer after layer of Carroll family history, from dispossession in Ireland to prosperity and prominence in America.Driven to emigrate by England's devastating anti-Catholic policies, the first Carroll brought to Maryland an iron determination to reconstitute his family and fortune.He found instead an increasingly militant Protestant society that ultimately disenfranchised Catholics and threatened their wealth and property.Confronting religious antagonisms like those that had destroyed their Irish ancestors, this Carroll and his descendants founded a fortune--and a dynasty that risked everything by allying with the American Revolutionary cause.

Meeting each crisis with a tenacious will to survive and prevail, the Carrolls earned an esteemed place in the new nation.Hoffman balances private lives against their contentious public role in American history.The journey from Irish rebels to American revolutionaries shaped and shattered the Carrolls--and then remade them into one of the first families of the Republic. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Good history book
Purchased this book for my Grandmother.Apparently we are related on her side of the family.Thought she would enjoy reading.I purchased one years ago when my daughter had to do a report on someone famous in your family.I found the book very interesting and informative.

A history of continuities
This is perhaps the most pleasurable "academic" history I have come across. Although it provides an extensive account of life in the Chesapeake through the lives and business dealings - and there are plenty of those enumerated - of the tenacious Carroll family, I was also struck by Ronald Hoffman's major theme of family continuity, of purpose driven by recollection and ambition that the Carrolls had in spades.The very tightly researched accounts of the family history in Ireland, and of all the other families like them in the chaos of the 17th century, is little short of astonishing.I'll admit to an enduring interest in Irish history, but this one illustrates why Carrolls and others left their broken aristocracy. That continuity touches on my own forebearers, one of whom was a first cousin of Charles Carroll of Carrollton's.She married another Irish immigrant Marylander and set out in 1796 to populate the then frontier in Kentucky with other Catholics, I am sure at direction of one of their neighbors in Upper Marlborough, MD, Fr. John Carroll, first Catholic bishop in America and also Charles' first cousin.A great read on many levels.

How to build an Aristocrat?
Traditional patriotism demands that we believe that the founding fathers of America were all great democratic idealist.Although this may have been true for some, many others had no problem with the idea of an elite ruling class, so long as they were considered the elite.Thus the victory over England can be viewed as less of an American Democratic Revolution and more of a power transition from the English crown to the new American aristocracy.

A primary example of this American elite class was Maryland representative Charles Carroll of Carrollton.A signer of the American Declaration of Independence, Charles of Carrollton was a wealthy planter and businessman who became such not by his own doings but primarily through the inheritance and molding of his father, Charles Carroll of Annapolis.Ever mindful of his Irish and Catholic roots and the persecution therein by English aristocrats, the elder Charles did everything in his power to equip his son to fend off those who would attempt to cripple him politically and economically.In so doing, the elder Charles created a mindset of elitism within his son.

This irony is highlighted by Ronald Hoffman in his book, "Princes of Ireland, Planters of Europe," in which he examines the Carroll family and traces how a persecuted family from Ireland in 1500 came to be one of the prominent families in America by the time of the American Revolution

Eye-Opening History of Colonial and Revolutionary Maryland
Ronald Hoffman is an excellent historian who has brought great knowledge of Chesapeake social and cultural history to this biographical work that places three generations of the Carroll family within their colonial context.It is a wonderful biography that gets the reader into the minds and lives of these three Charles Carroll's. But for me the best thing was the number of times it made me think, "Oh, that's how it was." I have read enough colonial history to know that there were lots of tenant laborers and not just slaves in the region, to know that Catholic Maryland quickly became Anglican Maryland, and to know that the Revolution was not just about ideas but also about social change.Ronald Hoffman's narrative, however, really brings these facts home.His book is not about any one of these issues in particular, but in telling the story of three generations of Carroll's in Maryland he brings home the greater circumstances of the colony better than many historians who have set out to make a case for one of the above arguments, or many of the other fascinating takes on early Chesapeake society contained in this highly readable book.I have not read any book lately that I enjoyed more.

Rigorous Analysis Yields Engaging View of Colonial Life
I was originally attracted to this book out of a simple curiosity about the last surviving signer of the Declaration of Independence (Charles Carroll outlived Adams and Jefferson by about six years, or about 56 years after 1776!).On a deeper level, I hoped to learn more about the kind of early capitalist that would be attracted to signing on to the American Revolution in general.What this book helped me discover was a family that had over time become focused, almost obsessed, with making a buck under fairly adverse circumstances (namely, continuing in their Roman Catholic faith that made it difficult for them to thrive, even in an enclave as seemingly sympathetic as colonial Maryland, with its relatively large Catholic population).But when the time came for this family to rise above its simple wealth building and to champion the cause of the Revolution, it did indeed rise to the occasion, however brief and painful the process might be.(Hoffman attends to both the private and public lives of the Carrolls.)The history of the Carrolls is a part of the history of the magic that was the American Revolution. It is not surprising that the book ends abruptly with the death of Charles Carroll's father and his wife, about 10 days apart from one another in 1782 (though there is a brief summing up of Carroll's remaining 50 years and the attention attracted by his death in 1832).The story is told, the dynasty pretty much complete.

What's the book like?At times it seems downright willfully prosaic, and the story proceeds much like a carefully written doctoral dissertation - all conclusions fully supported and made in as logical a context as possible, all contentions politically correct for our time.Hoffman's goal is of course to be scholarly and thorough, not to be entertaining or controversial.Thus the sweep of this history must emerge and coalesce in the mind of the reader.Leave being beaten over the head with the broader conclusions inherent in the narrative to more popularly written histories.

Suffice it to say, if you're a municipal library and you need to beef up your Revolutionary War material, this is a prime buy.If you're a true history buff, this would be an excellent choice to work into your reading list. It has the effect of immersing you into the spirit of the times and providing you with detail you could not have imagined you would find interesting (but you do).If you're a casual reader, just be advised - this is heavy stuff.It's not an easy read, but it is ultimately a rewarding one. ... Read more

Product Description
An explosive exposé of how British military intelligence really works—from the inside. This book presents the stories of two undercover agents: Brian Nelson, who worked for the Force Research Unit (FRU), aiding loyalist terrorists and murderers in their bloody work; and the man known as Stakeknife, deputy head of the IRA’s infamous "Nutting Squad," the internal security force that tortured and killed suspected informers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Spy Thriller
This provides a detailed,fantastic portrayal of intelligence operations conducted by the British Army in Northern Ireland .It shows the brilliance of British Intelligence in recruiting and preserving a mole at the highest ranking level within the IRA.It details the skilland the disturbing moral questions in doing so.It also describes the skill and ruthlessness of the IRA.The one problem with this book ,is that it does not list any evidence to back up its main theme and various allegations,we can only infer that it is credible,so becuase of the way that Scappaticci was exposed oto the British media

REVELATORY
I wish I could give this book 6 or 7 stars, it's simply explosive, even revelatory.

Stakeknife is coauthored by Martin Ingram, the pseudonym of a former case officer from an ultra-secret British military intelligence unit referred to as "FRU," for "Force Research Unit," who describes how Britain in it's decades long dirty war with the IRA gave it's agents literally a license to kill.

Many spy novelists make too much use of the spying as chess analogy, however in the case of FRU's most prized agent Fred "Scap" Scappaticci this notion is most apt. He was the executive officer (XO) of the IRA's counter-intelligence unit or "knutting squad,"as it was responsible for "knutting" or putting bullets into the heads of suspected informants. And it was in this position that his case officer's at FRU allowed him to abduct, brutally torture, interrogate, and execute upwards of 50 other informants of lessor importance than himself, to build his credentials and keep him in place. In addition, to using Scap as the head witch hunter in divisive mole hunts that helped demoralize the organization by feeding paranoia to the paranoid, his other duties included vetting all new recruits to the IRA which meant that the IRA ceased to be a secret organization.

Stakeknife is also the story of FRU agent Brian Nelson, who as the head of intelligence for a Protestant terror group at war with the IRA was given intelligence dossier's by his FRU handlers that he used to brief hit teams who then assassinated IRA member's. This "collusion," a type of state sponsored terrorism, previously unheard of in a western democracy demonstrates that the British government was not above using tactics previously thought to be the lone preserve of totalitarian dictatorships and central American death squads.

Although British military intelligence broke the law by giving criminals like Fred Scappaticci and Brian Nelson literally a license to kill, FRU's actions certainly weakened the IRA militarily, and dissuaded it from it's stated goal of a united Ireland through force of arms, and thus brought about the Good Friday agreement and a cessation of hostilities.

Stabbed in the Back by a... Stakeknife
I've read better written books, but what made this one hard to read was not being familiar with the situation in Northern Ireland.It took me half the book to finally figure out which groups were Protestant and which were Catholic - I couldn't tell the players without a program!

Britain spent a lot of intelligence resources to penetrate not only the IRA but also the loyalist groups.As to Stakeknife in particular, it didn't matter how many innocent people, including British soldiers, civilians or other agents were murdered as long as their well positioned asset in IRA Internal Security was safe.The British used their informants, and when they were through, just discarded or abandoned them, most usually leading to their deaths.

It is interesting that Martin Ingram is one of the few intelligence operatives who believes the end does not justify the means.I'm sure one of the main reasons for that is the intelligence organizations usually identify this type early and don't put them in the system.

This book is worth reading just for the individual stories alone.

A valuable contribution to the subject matter.
Other reviewers have been very critical of this work, citing the author's lack of impartiality on the topic. I found the work to be well written and intriguing to say the least. I have long been interested in the "Informant War" waged between the IRA and the British intelligence and this book is an important part of that history. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the work was the detailed look at the IRA's "Nutting Squad" (because they put a bullet through an informer's head or "nut" after interrogating them). To date, this is the most relevant work about the Nutting Squad and its deputy commander, Alfredo Scappaticci or codename "Stakeknife", who the author of this book convincingly exposes as an agent for the British. If you want to learn about the intelligence war that raged hot between the competing factions of The Troubles, and specifically the IRA's efforts to squash informants in it sranks...this is the book. I learned a lot from it.

A credible author should have written this book
This book could have been great, sadly it was written by a self agrandizing propogandist, who is obviously trying to cover up the massive failings of the British Army against the IRA.

The book details one of the few members of the IRA (Freddie Scappatici) who British intelligence actually managed to turn into an informant against the IRA, (According to military analysts, some 70% of IRA informers were exposed and executed by the IRA's Internal Securities Units).

Scappatici (code name: Stakeknife) was the second in command of an IRA Internal Securities Unit, but made a habit of playing both sides of the field. According to the book, he passed information about IRA operations to British Intelligence, but also killed IRA informers, British Soldiers and Loyalist paramilitaries at the same time.

The British and Irish Governments have disputed much of what is in the book, even though it tends to be "Pro British", one should consider that when thinking of buying it. The writer of the book goes by the name Martin Ingram (a false identity). He is supposedly a former British Army intelligence agent, but this claim has been disputed by the British Army and MI5. The book deatils "Stakeknifes" contrabutions to helping Britian finally get a handle on the IRA in the early 1990's, but also admits that the IRA's infamous "cell structure", allowed it to continue highly successful operations, including the extensive bombing of British economic sites from 1990-1997. In the end the book admits that the British Army and Loyalist Paramilitaries were unable to defeat or substantially degrade the IRA's military capability, thus leading to the Irish peace accords of the late 90's, and the GFA agreement in 1999.

The book isn't horrible, but it could have been much better in the hands of a credible author. ... Read more

Product Description
The Irish potato famine of the 1840s, perhaps the most appalling event of the Victorian era, killed over a million people and drove as many more to emigrate to America. It may not have been the result of deliberate government policy, yet British 'obtuseness, short-sightedness and ignorance' - and stubborn commitment to laissez-faire 'solutions' - largely caused the disaster and prevented any serious efforts to relieve suffering. The continuing impact on Anglo-Irish relations was incalculable, the immediate human cost almost inconceivable. In this vivid and disturbing book, Cecil Woodham-Smith provides the definitive account. 'A moving and terrible book. It combines great literary power with great learning. It explains much in modern Ireland - and in modern America' - D.W. Brogan. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (19)

Excellent scholarly account
Cecil Woodham-Smith's judicious account of the potato famine in Ireland contrasts sharply with the angry tone of Thomas Gallagher's Paddy's Lament.Nevertheless, the two books complement each other very well.Although Woodham-Smith does not neglect the suffering of the Irish people, the main focus of her book is on the British government's response to the famine.She shows how the British administration was constrained by a narrow laissez-faire ideology and an inadequate administrative structure in Ireland, especially in the remote western counties.Although she never oversimplifies, Woodham-Smith patiently compiles a devastating indictment of British policy in Ireland. The main strength of Gallagher's book is his vivid description of life during the famine. He occasionally drifts into fictional methods in order to make his story more personal and immediate.Woodham-Smith is the better historian, but Gallagher packs a larger emotional punch.

The reason why atrocities happen
How equipped are our governments to deal with emergencies? Supposing a worldwide epidemic, which many scientists forecast, or even a tornado, were to strike, would there be an effective support system with adequate funds to spring immediately into action? Do we want this to happen? Have we learnt anything from the past?

Cecil Woodham-Smith wrote a book in 1962 called The Great Hunger which implicitly asks these question. She had shown how slow the British Government was to learn from the mistakes made in the Irish famine in her book The Reason Why (1953), which details how administrative failure and ignorant leadership were able to destroy the British Army in the Crimea in the 1850s without the Russians having much to do with it. In The Great Hunger Woodham-Smith shows how doctrinaire adherence to laissez faire economic theory, ignorance of conditions in Ireland, hatred of the Irish and unchecked colonialism applied to what was officially part of Britain led to the deaths of more than four million men, women and children in Ireland, and the emigration of two or three million more, many of whom died on their journey, in the period 1845-49. (A note about figures: everything is ambiguous, none more so than statistics. A census of Ireland in the nineteenth century was impossible. Many districts could not be reached because of inadequate roads. The poor were often not counted. During the famine records could not be kept because of administrative breakdown. It is not known accurately what the population of Ireland was at the time of the famine, nor is it known how many died. Stick to official estimates if you want to downplay the tragedy, double those figures if you want to exaggerate it).

It started with bad weather, unseasonably damp and humid, the perfect conditions for the newly arrived potato blight to spread. A simple crop to grow, in Ireland the potato had become the staple food of the nation and was at the mercy of the weather: there had been regular shortages for many years, during which the people went without. Now in 1846 the fungus phytophthora infestans, hitherto unknown in Europe, completely destroyed the Irish potato crop. The bulk of Irelands conservatively estimated 8 million people (possibly as high as 12-14 million as the western counties were never adumbrated effectively) had no food of any kind. This was just the beginning.

The whole of Europe was affected by an economic recess; food supplies were short across the continent and none available to help Ireland in her hour of need. Following starvation came fever, typhus and others. There was no effective way of dealing with widespread sickness in Ireland, and thousands and then millions died untreated and in some cases unburied. The humid summer was followed by one of the coldest winters on record, and people who had had to sell their clothes to feed their children died of exposure. Complete poverty meant that the Irish had no funds to buy seed for the following spring, widespread lack of education meant they had no knowledge of other crops or efficient cropping methods. In 1847 the weather was good and the crop of potatoes healthy, but only a tiny fraction of what it needed to be to feed the people. Then in 1848 the blight returned, destroying the entire crop for that year.

Ironically, Ireland is a fertile country. During the famine, farm produce which might have fed most of the starving was leaving Ireland for England in a steady stream. As Woodham-Smith explains, this anomaly had its roots in the system of land tenure, which goes back to Elizabethan times. Elizabeth I, Cromwell and many other British leaders followed a policy of dispossessing Irish nobility and awarding their lands to their own followers. Ireland was a plundered country, with no thought taken to integrate it with the rest of the nation or build its economy. Over the centuries the estates were broken down to smaller lots, but the revenues from them were spent in England by absentee landlords. Many of these became impoverished but remained improvident. Soon the only way to attract investment for produce was to sell competitively in foreign markets, hoping to squeeze income for establishments in Britain from the proceeds. Nobody worried about the Irish. They grew the food and sold it to pay their rents. They ate potatoes and lived in hovels. Nobody asked about crop failure.

The key figure in the way the Irish famine was dealt with in Britain was Charles Trevelyan, permanent head of Treasury. Others were Charles Wood, Chancellor of the Exchequer and Lord John Russell, Prime Minister. These men could be said to be responsible for what has been described emotively as genocide in Ireland. Of course they did not create the problem, which had existed for centuries and was a condition of Englands conquest of Ireland: it was a powder keg awaiting someone to throw a match.

Trevelyans contribution was to ignore the problem. Though there was a food shortage throughout Europe in the mid 40s, no planning or forecasts were made for the fragile economy of Ireland. Though the system of poor relief had been shown over many years to be underresourced and impossible to operate, reliance was made on it in the crisis. Throughout the famine Trevelyan was reluctant to send aid to Ireland because that would prohibit market forces from operating and be destructive for the economy (a doctrine of laissez faire Trevelyan rigidly adhered to, as did the government of which he was a part). The fact there was no market, and no economy after 1846, was ignored, along with the stream of reports which detailed the breakdowns in every system of administration in the country. If there was a problem in Ireland, Trevelyan thought, it was the fault of the Irish people, and it was up to them to fix it. The fact that Britain governed Ireland was effectively ignored in the process. Trevelyan was a true bureaucrat, and dealt with many problems merely by calling for further reports on them.

Through convoluted reasoning Trevelyan thought the people responsible for the mass of starving Irish were the landlords, who refused to fund relief funds. He caused rates to be levied, which the bankrupt landlords couldnt pay, and their response was to clear the land, evicting tenants by police and military aid and demolishing their dwellings. The starving were thus forced on the parish and the poorhouses, which were also bankrupt and unable to cope with millions of new applicants for assistance. The British government did provide some slight assistance for poor relief, but as they thought that too was the responsibility of the landlords, they eventually withdrew it. The problem passed from hand to hand, and people died.

Perhaps this is one way tragedies happen. People who dont know what to do do nothing, and ask, What problem? Theres no problem!

One of the saddest stories in Woodham-Smiths book is that of the nationalists, the Repeal Association, the Young Ireland party and the revolutionary group lead by Fintan Lalor. With the passing of the great Daniel OConnell the nationalist movement in Ireland was in the hands of leaders who knew less about the condition of the Irish than the British did. Breathing fiery rhetoric about driving the despoiling English from the land, they strove to organise forces of rebellion from starving men who only gathered in dozens, and mainly for food. But the British, which meant effectively Trevelyan, used this so-called rebellion as a further reason for withholding aid.

Woodham-Smiths book has been criticised as simplifying the problem, and as anti-British. The same complaints have been made against her masterpiece The Reason Why. The Great Hunger tries to be objective. Woodham-Smith uses statistics a lot, refrains from judgmental remarks, quotes from a wide range of existing sources. But she does have a prejudice, against the entropy in large organisations and the tragedies they inflict. She says emigration to Australia was negligible (over one million came to Australia from Ireland), that this was because of the expense of the passage (there were several systems of assisted passage) and that there was no network of Irish to welcome them if they did arrive (there were many earlier Irish migrants, not to mention the convicts) so her information on Australia is deficient. Otherwise her uses of source material is impressive.

Inappropriate administrative procedures, rigid adherence to beliefs inapplicable to the situation encountered, racial prejudice, refusal to see problems arising or deal with them when they arrivethese methods kill as effectively as the gas chamber. Malthusian economists even forecast the deaths of millions of Irish people and saw it as a reasonable solution to the problem of overpopulation.

Today the worlds population is approaching seven billion. Crises involving millions of people are more likely to happen now than they were in 1845 in Ireland. Have the responses we are likely to make learnt from the past?

Probably the last word on the subject
THE GREAT HUNGER by Cecil Woodham-Smith.

The extremely detailed and probably definitive story of the tragic and catastrophic Irish potato famines of 1846-9. The author--while critical of the British govt, puts paid to the Irish black legend that the famine was a planned genocide perpetrated by Great Britain. The famine was rather a series of disasters that happened all within a short period of time.The Irish land policies, an extremely bad winter and damp summer, the ignorance of the Irish peasant in regards to agriculture and his dependence on a single food, the fact that the potato blight struck Europe who then proceeded to outbid England for food imports from America, a plague striking all coupled with the two great disasters--the final nails in the coffin--- that made the tragedy a foregone conclusion.
Liberals seized power in England and then in Ireland.
In the first year of the famine, the Tories under Robert Peel sent relief to Ireland and no one perished but the following year the Liberals under Sir John Russell got in and decided the famine would be a SMASHING time to implement societal reform and change using the famine as the impetus to force the Irish to live as they wanted them to.And a million Irish died of starvation and disease. Another two million immigrated to America.
And then in Ireland--a radical group of atheistic Irishmen broke away from the peaceful Christian party called Old Ireland and calling themselves Young Ireland tried to bring about a rising against the British. Incompetent and not taking into consideration that the populace was starving, all the radicals managed to do was alienate the British who had been sending relief to Ireland privately and who promptly closed up shop and left the ungrateful Irish--in their view--to shift for themselves.More suffering and death followed.......................
Sad story. Good book.

Looks Great..!
=///////===============> -I've pretty much got to quit reading the Book I'm on to read all of This One, but from what I've seen, It "Has Teeth"...Thank You.G-G

Revealing
A revealing and unbiased look at the events that changed Ireland's (and subsequently the USA's, Australia's and New Zealand's) history for ever. ... Read more

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The first history of women in Ireland, 1500-1800 examining the impact of key events in Irish history on women.

• An original analysis based on primary research into many different aspects of women¿s lives in Ireland
• Documents women¿s role in key events such as the Ulster plantation, the 1641 rising and the 1798 rebellion
• Assesses the attitude of the Catholic and protestant churches to women
• Colonisation brought English and Scottish settlers to Ireland while urbanisation revolutionised the Irish economy, this book looks at the contrasting roles and status of women in the new as well as the old communities of early modern Ireland
• Explores the engagement of women with some of the key changes of eighteenth century Ireland: the booming economy, patriot politics and emergence of the Volunteers and later the United Irishmen

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