Read Ireland Book Reviews
Issue 387 - 18 August 2007
The Williamite Wars in Ireland, 1688-1691 by John Childs
Hardback; 60 Euro / 90 USD / 45 UK; 440 pages
The comprehensive defeat of the Jacobite Irish in the Williamite conflict, a component within the pan-European Nine Years’ War, prevented the exiled James II from regaining his English throne, ended realistic prospects of a Stuart restoration and partially secured the new regime of King William III and Queen Mary created by the Glorious Revolution. The principal events – the Siege of Londonderry, the Battles of the Boyne and Aughrim, and the two Sieges and Treaty of Limerick – have subsequently become totems around which opposing constructions of Irish history have been erected.
In this book the author argues that the struggle was typical of the late 17th century, principally decided by economic resources and attrition in which the ‘small war’ comprising patrols, raids, occupation of captured regions by small garrisons, police actions against irregulars and attacks on supply lines was more significant in determining the outcome than the set-piece battles and sieges.
People and Place: A Census Atlas of the Republic of Ireland edited by James A. Walsh
Large Format Hardback; 50 Euro / 70 USD / 35 UK; 340 pages, with full colour illustrations, photos, maps & charts throughout [Add To Basket]
Using data from the 2002 and previous Census of Population, this Census Atlas provides unique perspectives on the demographic and socio-economic profile of the Republic of Ireland at the dawn of the 21st century. Statistical data for over 3000 small area units have been used to produce over 200 maps that display in colour key trends and patterns in an extensive range of topics that include population change, age profiles, family types, immigration and inter-county migration, male and female labour force participation rates, employment patterns by occupation and industry, the social class structure, educational attainment levels, access to the internet, commuting distances and times, and cultural attributes such as frequency of speaking Irish, and religious affiliations.
People, Politics and Power: From O’Connell to Ahern by Stephen Collins
Paperback; 12 Euro / 16 USD / 8 UK; 220 pages
Politics in Ireland is something of a national obsession. Despite a decline in voter turnout in recent general elections, politics still attracts huge interest and controversy. Powerful political figures like Charles Haughey, Eamon de Valera, Charles Stewart Parnell and Danlel O'Connell dominated Irish politics at different times over the past two centuries and defined their eras. The great election campaigns waged by these politicians, and the controversies in which they were involved, have left a deep imprint on all aspect of Irish life, from law to literature; from economics to family life. This book gives us a concise overview of Irish political life, from the Act of Union to the present day.
The Orange Order: A Contemporary Northern Irish History by Eric Kaufmann
Hardback; 45 Euro / 65 USD / 32 UK; 372 pages [Add To Basket]
Based on unprecedented access to the Order's internal documents, this book provides the first systematic social history of the Orange Order - the Protestant association dedicated to maintaining the British connection in Northern Ireland. Kaufmann charts the Order's path from the peak of its influence, in the early 1960s, to its present-day crisis. Along the way, he sketches a portrait of many of Orangeism's leading figures, from ex-Prime Minister John Andrews to Ulster Unionist Party politicians like Martin Smyth, James Molyneaux, and David McNarry, and also includes the highly revealing correspondence with adversaries such as Ian Paisley and David Trimble. Packed with analyses of mass-membership trends and attitudes, the book also takes care to tell the story of the Order from 'below' as well as from above. In the process, it argues that the traditional Unionism of West Ulster is giving way to the more militant Unionism of Antrim and Belfast which is winning the hearts of the younger generation in cities and towns throughout the province.
The Orange Order by Mervyn Jess
Paperback; 12 Euro / 16 USD / 8 UK; 280 pages
Born out of bloodshed, sustained by sectarianism and shrouded in secrecy, the Orange Order is one of the most abiding and controversial religion-based organisations in Europe, if not the world. A Catholic cannot join: its doors are open only to those who profess Protestantism. BBC journalist Mervyn Jess, who has written extensively on Orange issues, strips away the mystery and myths of the Order and traces its origins and defining moments spanning three turbulent centuries. This book is essential reading for anyone interested in finding out what "the Orange" is all about.
Every Dark Hour: A History of Kilmainham Jail by Niamh O’Sullivan
Paperback; 15 Euro / 20 USD / 10 UK; 245 pages, with an 8-page black-and-white photo insert
Kilmainham Jail is perhaps the most important building in modern Irish history. A place of incarceration since its construction in the late eighteenth century, it housed a succession of petty criminals, including sheep rustlers and, during the Famine, people who committed crimes with the sole aim of being imprisoned there: even the meager rations offered at the jail were better than what was available in other parts of the country. It was a powerful symbol of British rule on the island of Ireland; its residents over the years included the bold Robert Emmet and, of course, it was also the place where the 1916 rebels were taken and executed.
Every Dark Hour is a colourful and entertaining telling of the history of the jail, in which O'Sullivan brings her comprehensive knowledge of all the sources relating to the building, from the official records to the graffiti on the walls, to bear. Perhaps most strikingly, she presents her personal impressions of the jail and its colourful cast of residents over the years - as well as vivid accounts of the heroic men and women who gave freely of their time and energies to restore the jail to its former grandeur when it was on the verge of being reclaimed by the elements.
A Journey into Ireland’s Literary Revival by Rodd Felton
Trade Paperback; 20 Euro / 28 USD / 14 UK; 160 pages, with full colour illustrations throughout [Add To Basket]
A great tide of literary invention swept through Ireland between the 1890s and the 1920s. This engrossing, illuminating, and beautifully illustrated guidebook explores the personal and professional histories of writers such as W B Yeats, Lady Gregory, John Millington Synge, and Sean O'Casey and examines their relationships with the people, culture, and landscapes of Ireland. From Galway and the Aran Islands, to County Mayo and County Sligo, and from Dublin to Wicklow, this guide to the places that inspired Irish Literary Revival showcases the locations where many of Ireland's finest writers shaped an enduring vision of the country.
The Making and Remaking of the Good Friday Agreement by Paul Bew
Trade Paperback; 18 Euro / 24 USD / 12 UK; 140 pages [Add To Basket]
From 1994 to 2007, Paul Bew has been an avid and perceptive chronicler of the Northern Ireland peace process. He has interviewed all the leading figures involved in the Good Friday Agreement and provided incisive first-hand commentary on the negotiations for the major broadsheets on both islands. In this volume, which collects some of his most topical and prescient essays, he discusses the many crises which have afflicted the implementation of the Agreement since 1988 and which have paralysed the power-sharing institutions since 2002. He also deals in detail with the recent attempts to revive these institutions under the hegemony of the DUP and Sinn Fein. The book concludes with an insightful discussion of the future of Northern Ireland in the context of the elections of March 2007 and the historic agreement for power-sharing between these two long-standing political adversaries.
The Miracle of Fatima Mansions: An Escape from Drug Addiction by Shay Byrne
Paperback; 11 Euro / 16 USD / 8 UK; 250 pages [Add To Basket]
The Miracle of Fatima Mansions traces a young man's terrifying descent into a life of drugs, crime and prostitution, against the backdrop of the cultural and sexual revolution of the 60s and 70s. Drawn by the bright lights and emerging drug-scene of `Swinging London', Shay Byrne left his native Dublin to immerse himself in his new found-freedom. Drifting between the vibrant squats in Hampstead Heath, he soon sank into a life of drug addiction and petty-crime. Returning to Ireland, his life took a dramatic turn when he narrowly escaped death during a violent attack at the city's squalid Fatima Mansions estate. Fatima Mansions represented a leap into a brighter future for the city's working class. But the dream was short-lived, and by the late 60s it had become synonymous with extreme social depravation, drugs and urban decay. This would be the unlikely location of an epiphany that would transform Shay's life. Slowly rebuilding his life, the author had to deal with the physical and mental damage caused by long-term drug abuse. The Miracle of Fatima Mansions reveals the true legacy of the 1960s drug culture.
The Rector Who Wouldn’t Pray for Rain by Patrick Semple
Trade Paperback; 15 Euro / 20 USD / 10 UK; 224 pages [Add To Basket]
What happens when a devout believer who answered his vocation in the Church of Ireland, questions and then loses his faith in the supernatural or miraculous aspects of the life of Jesus Christ? Patrick Semple writes about the backdrop against which he grew up and became aware of the world and his questions about God and religion. This gripping memoir is his story: the story of a Church of Ireland clergyman who no longer believes the basic doctrines of Christianity and has found new insights in the teachings of modern astrophysics. "The Rector Who Wouldn't Pray for Rain" is also a picture of religious life in Ireland over the last sixty years, from an outsider's view of the Catholic triumphalist days of the 1940s, to the problems and benefits of the liberal secular society of today, told by a man who understands, and has lived through, both sides of the story.
Irish Travellers by Michael Hayes
Trade Paperback; 24 Euro / 30 USD / 15 UK; 320 pages [Add To Basket]
The "Traveller question" has been a major source of debate in Irish society for decades, centuries even, and appears no closer to being answered today. For as long as Travellers have roamed the roads of Ireland, they have been subjected to, at best, a sort of mythic, romanticised patronisation, and at worst, vilification and outright hostility - but always as the "other" of Irish ethnic identity. Micheal O hAodha closely examines how images of Travellers have been created and distorted over the centuries, from the nineteenth-century "gipsilorists" to late-twentieth-century anthropological studies. In particular, O hAodha focuses on the 1952 "Tinker Questionnaire", conducted by the Irish Folklore Commission, which remains the most comprehensive account to date of "settled" Irish people's attitudes to Travellers. The author concludes by reflecting on today's complex mixture of equality-driven calls for rights and respect with the largely media-driven stereotype that persists. Where, in all this, does the ever day reality of the Traveller community fit?
Sea Angling in Ireland by John Rafferty
Trade Paperback; 20 Euro / 28 USD / 14 UK; 210 pages, with full colour illustrations throughout [Add To Basket]
The introduction gives a basic analysis of how the oceans work and when and where it is best to catch fish. The book then moves on to cover safety at sea, the dos and don'ts and use of basic common sense while at sea. It describes what type of grounds fish well for different species and the best ways of fishing the different types of grounds. Individual species are described, often with an accompanying photograph, and a basic description of how they live in their habitat. All the top species associated with the Irish coast are covered in great detail including their maximum weight, current record, habitat, when to fish for them and what tactics and traces work best for catching them. It also discusses all the top baits for sea fishing, how and when to collect them yourself and what species each bait will catch. Rods, reels, line, hooks and the top traces are briefly examined and the author concludes with listing the best locations in Ireland that he has fished for different species and where he has found the best fishing.
101 Things You Didn’t Know About Irish History by Ryan Hackney
Paperback; 11 Euro / 16 USD / 8 UK; 240 pages [Add To Basket]
Over 20 million Americans claim some sort of Irish heritage. But how much do readers really know about this amazing country? Forget about shamrocks, leprechauns, and all that blarney, "101 Things You Didn't Know About Irish History" is a concise and authoritative guide that dispels the myths and tells the true stories of the Irish. Its highlights include: lives of the ancient Celts until the British invasions; famous Irish including Michael Collins, Charles Parnell - and Bono; the potato famine and immigration (were there really gangs of New York?); Irish music and dance; and, folklore, faeries and leprechauns. Complete with a Irish language primer and pronunciation guide, "101 Things You Didn't Know About Irish History" is a informative pot of gold for everyone who loves the Irish!
Please note: Prices were correct at time of original posting but are subject to subsequent change without notice.
Gregory Carr, Independent Bookseller
Read Ireland
392 Clontarf Road
Dublin 3
Ireland
Tel + Fax: +353-1-853-2063
Customer Services Comments, Criticism and Questions
Subscribe to Read Ireland Book News - Our Free Weekly Email Newsletter