Read Ireland Book Reviews
Issue 435
6/7 December 2008
Great Birds of Britain and Europe by Jonathan Elphick and David Tipling
Large Hardback; 36 Euro / 48 USD / 24 UK; 256 pages, with full colour photographs throughout
For the first time, a book of superb bird photographs has been created to give pleasure - and fascinating information - to nature lovers and birdwatchers alike. Concentrating on 200 really special birds of Britain and continental Europe, from Swans to Buntings, "Great Birds of Britain and Europe" is a marvellous celebration of the beauty of birds through the lens of dedicated and highly skilled photographers. The stunning images, although apparently spontaneous, are often the product of hours - even days - of patient fieldcraft and pure determination and stamina on the photographer's part. They capture the excitement of the birds - the thing that anyone watching them closely would find most compelling: a black-tailed Godwit performing its balletic display, two Golden Eagles fighting in mid-air.The text - a 300-word mini-essay on each bird - evocatively catches the key characteristics of each bird and, with the help of thumbnail colour maps, pinpoints its distribution and rarity status. For each species shown the author always offers fascinating facts that even a keen naturalist or birdwatcher might not already know. Most of the birds chosen are ones that enthusiasts are particularly pleased to see - whether because they are elusive, because they are special to their habitat or region, or simply because they are supremely beautiful.
The Island That Dared: Journeys in Cuba by Dervla Murphy
Hardback; 22 Euro / 30 USD / 15 UK; 420 pages [Add To Basket]
Take a three-generation family holiday in Cuba in the company of Dervla Murphy, her daughter and three young granddaughters and you have a Swallows and Amazon like adventure in the Caribean as they trek into the hills and along the coast as a family, camping out on empty beaches beneath the stars and relishing the ubiquitous Cuban hospitality.
But this is no more than the joyful start of a fully-fledged quest to understand the unique society created by the Cuban Revolution. For Dervla returns alone to explore the mountains, coastal swamps and decaying cities, investigating the experience of modern Cuba with her particular, candid curiosity. Through her own research and through conversations with Fidelistas and their critics alike, The Island That Dared builds a complex picture of a people struggling to retain their identity in the face of insistent hostility of the government of the United States.
The Irish Pub by Turtle Bunbury and James Fennell
Large Format Hardback; Publishers Recommended Price: 40 Euro. Read Ireland Special Price: 32 Euro / 42 USD / 21 UK; 200 pages, with full colour illustrations throughout
This nostalgic and entertaining tour of Ireland's most individual hostelries presents the historic pubs that epitomize the country's essential charm. They range from the richly decorated Victorian bars of Belfast and Dublin to country shop bars that double as grocery stores, where the decor consists of shelves laden with tins of fruit and packets of tea. Each pub is covered in four or six pages, with about 1,000 words of colorful description, history and anecdote, and atmospheric photographs that capture its interior and ambiance.
The Glenstal Book of Daily Prayer
Small Hardback; 15 Euro / 20 USD / 10 UK; 240 pages [Add To Basket]
In 2001 The Columba Press published a book that became the publishing phenomenon of the year. A simple prayerbook, prepared by the Monks of Glenstal Abbey, went on to sell 140,000 copies, becoming one of the biggest-selling hardbacks in the history of Irish bookselling. Now, at last, the long-awaited sequel this new book will comprise a two-week cycle of Morning and Evening Prayer. This will be followed by three sets of Prayer Stops, and Compline. Like the first book, this will be bought by everyone who wants to pray and needs a little inspiration, as gifts for friends, baptisms and other events, and to celebrate any number of religious and non-religious events.
The Fenian Anthology by Joe Ambrose
Hardback; 25 Euro / 38 USD / 19 UK; 350 pages
This title contains quotes, quips, extracts and speeches from some of Ireland's greatest patriots. While the original Fenians were a secretive republican organisation founded by John O'Mahony, this volume seeks to broaden that moniker and to reclaim what for centuries has been used by oppressors and occupiers as a term of abuse to demean those who believe in a free Ireland. It is also an attempt to give readers a taste of the literary talent of our finest patriotic writers.From speeches in the dock and poems to extracts from memoirs and moral novels, Irish patriots produced some of the finest Irish writing. At once a record and a cultural history, "The Fenian Anthology" features excerpts from the speeches of many of Ireland's political heroes including Pearse and Emmet and extracts from such classic texts as "Knocknagow" by Charles Kickham and "The Felon's Track" by Michael Doheny.
An Garda Siochana and the Scott Medal by Gerard O’Brien
Hardback; 35 Euro / 50 USD / 25 UK; 205 pages, with an 8-page black-and-white photo insert [Add To Basket]
This book recounts in detail each of the incidents in respect of which members of An Garda Siochana, even today an unarmed police force, were awarded the Scott Medal, a uniquely Irish gallantry decoration. Based on a range of published and unpublished sources, along with the personal recollections of still-serving Gardai and including outline career details for each medal recipient, it is the first compilation of its kind in respect of Irish police bravery awards. It represents not only a fitting tribute to those named therein but is also an important contribution to the history of the Force and to the social history of the Irish state.
Vitali’s Ireland by Vitali Vitaliev
Trade Paperback; 17 Euro / 24 USD / 12 UK; 280 pages [Add To Basket]
Vitali Vitaliev is a vastly experienced travel writer and a man who understands exile and displacement. His portrait of Ireland is affectionate and slightly perplexed. He does not hesitate to note the litter, the lousy food in many places, the shabbiness and lack of grooming, the ridiculous expense of simple things. He also finds much kindness, stunningly beautiful scenery, evidence of new hope and prosperity everywhere. In short, "Vitali's Ireland" is a job lot of a country, a place very obviously in transition. It knows it is being carried along on a tide of change but is unsure of the destination. Behind some of the new swagger, he detects great uncertainties.
Sunday Miscellany: A Selection from 2006-2008 edited by Cliodhna Ni Anluain
Trade Paperback; 18 Euro / 26 USD / 13 UK; 410 pages [Add To Basket]
In this latest RTE Radio and New Island collaboration, a selection of writing broadcast by the popular Sunday Miscellany programme is showcased. From essays, reportage, poetry and travel writing to personal accounts of events and happenings, "Sunday Miscellany" is one of the prime forums for new and established writers today. With contributions in both Irish and English, this collection of writing for radio is a celebration of the diverse and multi-faceted nature of Irish life.
Make Em Laugh: A Golden Age of Theatre in Ireland by Declan Hassett
Trade Paperback; 17 Euro / 24 USD / 12 UK; 280 pages, with black-and-white photos throughout [Add To Basket]
In the early twentieth century theatre was the great escape in Ireland, whether drama, pantomine, farce or musical. Here, playwright, author and critic Declan Hassett celebrates some of the great moments of theatre in Cork from the 1940s onwards. In conversation with him the stars themselves recall a golden age and bring to vivid life, from stage to page, many great moments and reflect on changing trends in theatre. Join him on this journey through the mysterious world of rehearsal venue, dressing-room fever, back-stage drama, and the intoxicating anticipation of the opening curtain. Personalities featured range from Micahel Twomey and Frank Duggan of Cha and Miah fame to Joe Lynch, Danny La Rue and Dick Emery. Welcome to a world of fascinating tales of men dressed up as women, first-night nerves, actors lost on tour, going on stage at the wrong time in the wrong costume, often stressed out after work or with the flu. With its photographs this evocative melange brings to life a period of rich creative energy.
Anyway, Where Was I? By Geoff Hill
Trade Paperback; 15 Euro / 21 USD / 10 UK; 302 pages [Add To Basket]
'You see, for me, travel is like love. When I go away for a few days, every six weeks or so, it gives me that feeling you get when you fall in love: when you wake every morning with a song in your heart, fling back the shutters and go walking through the rain-washed streets with a spring in your step' - Geoff Hill. Equipped with notebook, pen, boundless enthusiasm and a knack of meeting the most interesting local characters, Geoff Hill travels the world in this collection of the very best of his travel writing. With his taste for the absurd - yodelling, llama trekking and dormouse hunting - and his sense of adventure - Saharan charity treks fuelled by Tayto crisps, microlight trips to the Shetlands and wolf-hunting in Sweden - this is no ordinary travel guide. Hold on tight and brace yourself for an unforgettable trip - from Azerbaijan to Zagreb, via China, Donegal, Romania, Tunisia and everywhere in between.
More Overheard in Dublin: Dublin Wit
Paperback; 7 Euro / 10 USD / 5 UK; 182 pages [Add To Basket]
This book is the perfect stocking filler for all ages. A right de-bollicking! I work in a veterinary clinic and I answered a phone call one day: Woman: 'I need to have my dog's stitches out'. Me: 'Okay, what did your dog have done?' Woman: 'Oh, what's this you'd call it...I suppose he was de-bollickated. Is that what you'd say?' Me: 'Well, I'd say neutered...' No, the feathered 2 legged type! At a table quiz in work. Quizmaster: 'Name the bird of peace?' Random shout from a table - 'Mother Teresa'.
Ireland’s Garden Birds by Oran O’Sullivan and Jim Wilson
Flexicover; 17 Euro / 24 USD / 12 UK; 186 pages, full colour photographs throughout [Add To Basket]
Whether you are an avid gardener or just like feeding birds in your garden, this guide is an essential companion. This illustrated guide to Ireland s garden birds and wildlife gardening, provides information on the 60 birds most likely to be seen from the window, how to attract them into your garden and how to care for them. Part one features all the main gardening issues and highlights planting schemes to make your garden a haven for wildlife. Up to 60 bird species that can be seen anywhere from your windowsill and around the garden are featured in part two. Each species is described in a style designed to appeal to all, providing the hard facts of identification, status and abundance, feeding habits, songs, call and breeding season facts. The species descriptions are backed up throughout with photographs of the highest quality
Birdwatching in Ireland by Eric Dempsey
Large Format Hardback; 25 Euro / 36 USD / 18 UK; 230 pages with full colour photographs throughout [Add To Basket]
"Birdwatching in Ireland" covers the whole process of appreciating birds on a generic level to the specific methods of identifying different species of birds. It is illustrated throughout with stunning full-colour images taken by some of Europe's leading bird and wildlife photographers. Part one covers many subjects from choosing the right binoculars to a more advanced understanding of how birds use their feathers and beaks. It looks at Ireland as a bird-watching country, and examines the different Irish seasonal migrations.It explains how and why birds communicate, their various nesting strategies, why Ireland has lost some birds and gained new ones, and examines the concept of what makes a species a species. Part two begins with 'Eric Dempsey's Ten Steps to Bird Identification'. This is Eric's own original, tried-and-tested method for the identification of Ireland's birds. It provides the best techniques to identify all the species you might encounter, from garden birds to ducks and geese, from owls to warblers and gulls. Written in a relaxed and easy-to-read style, and rich with breath-taking photographs, "Birdwatching in Ireland" is the book for anyone who has an interest in Ireland's birds.
Surfing Britain and Ireland by Chris Nelson & Demi Taylor
Paperback; 20 Euro / 28 USD / 14 UK; 264 pages, with full colour photographs throughout [Add To Basket]
Surf writer/photographer team Chris Nelson and Demi Taylor have been back on the road to bring you the only comprehensive guide to surfing in Britain and Ireland. Fully revised and updated, this guide includes all the essential break information, plus tips from Britain’s top surfers and local experts, board advice from the UK’s best shapers, and all the details on surfer-friendly places to eat, sleep, and drink. With stunning full-color photography and detailed and accurate mapping and swell forecast charts, this is the only companion to help you find that perfect wave.
Emergency: Irish Hospitals in Chaos by Marie O’Connor
Trade Paperback; 15 Euro / 22 USD / 11 UK; 330 pages [Add To Basket]
Have you - or anyone you know - ever waited for an operation? Queued in casualty? Had a baby in hospital - or on the side of the road? Been denied access to care because you couldn't afford it or because of where you live? Or maybe you are on the other side, working at the front line. If so, this passionate, provocative polemic is for you. "Emergency" asks: why are our hospitals riddled with superbugs? Why do you need a licence for a car wash but not for a hospital? Lucidly written and impeccably researched by health analyst and longstanding activist Marie O'Connor, "Emergency" gets behind the spin, exposing a sprawling, chaotic, dysfunctional system, riven with vested interests and warring hierarchies. The trolley waits in A&E, the waltz of medicine with litigation, the assembly line in the labour ward, the heart of darkness that was the Lourdes Hospital: it's all here in our 'world-class' health service, where the power of organised medicine is paralleled only by the pervasive cancer of bureaucracy, where the overarching influence of corporations is equalled only by the supine weakness of the state.
With verve and humour, O'Connor interrogates the agendas that are driving privatisation and centralisation, the twin peaks of government policy today. Why are we building a four-speed Ireland? Why should a vote - or a life - in a non-urban area be worth less than one in a city? Why should medical care depend on the size of your wallet? In a tough and uncompromising yet compassionate and understanding look at our hospitals, O'Connor asks: how did we get it so wrong and how can we put it right?
County Antrim: Chasing the Light by Steven Hanna
Oblong Paperback; 20 Euro / 28 USD / 14 UK; 120 pages, with full colour photographs throughout [Add To Basket]
"County Antrim: Chasing The Light" portrays the raw beauty of Ulster's most photogenic county. This stunning book showcases world-renowned tourist attractions, such as the Glens of Antrim, the Elephant Rock, Ballintoy Harbour and the Giant's Causeway, but also spends time uncovering many of the county's hidden gems. Antrim varies from sweeping landscapes with beautiful Glens, to serene forest parks, and a rugged coastline that spans over eighty miles, wrapping itself along the north and east of the county."Chasing The Light" is also the personal journey of photographer Steven Hanna. It covers areas that hold special memories for him, and charts the many hours spent, waiting to capture them in that perfect moment. The majority of the photographs have been shot early in the morning or late in the evening, during 'the magic hours', when the sun hangs low in the sky and produces a certain light that skips across the landscape. The results are often surprising and always unique. Prepare to see County Antrim in a new light.
Wicked Irish Wit by Aubrey Malone
Hardback; 12 Euro / 18 USD / 9 UK; 208 pages [Add To Basket]
They say if you kiss the Blarney Stone, the legendary Stone of Eloquence, you'll never again be lost for words. Maybe it's something they put in the Guinness, maybe it's their gift of the gab or craze for the craic, but with wits like George Bernard Shaw, Oscar Wilde and Flann O'Brien, the Irish have a heritage of humour that's unmatched. This book is packed with witty one-liners that will tickle your shamrock and turn your beer green. It's St Patrick's Day every day with Irish Wit, to be sure.
The Devil is an Irishman by Eddie Lenihan
Paperback; 10 Euro / 14 USD / 7 UK; 160 pages [Add To Basket]
This is a collection of stories recounting Irish encounters with the Devil.Take a night-rambler (Jack Murt in "Jack o'the Lantern"); a fisherman (Sean O Duinn); a gambler (Martin the Cards in "The Two-Rooted Briar") or a plain ordinary farmer (Larry in "Larry and the Devil"). There are certain things no one should do, certain conventions that must be obeyed, such as not fishing on Good Friday or talking to spectral figures in graveyards in the dead hours of the night. But sadly, common sense does not always rule. The only trouble is that when the cause of trouble is the Devil, the consequences for the luckless victim are very serious indeed - unless he has the presence of mind to beat the Evil One...
The Feckin Book of Irish Love by Colin Murphy and Donal O’Dea
Gift Hardback; 13 Euro / 18 USD / 9 UK; 130 pages [Add To Basket]
There’s been a rule of thumb in Ireland the last thousand years - if it’s something you enjoy, it’s a sin. And if it’s anything to do with SEX, it’s a mortal sin. Here, in one uncensored package, is everything you’ve ever wanted to know about sex and love in Ireland but were afraid to ask for fear of a clatter on the ear – From Abstinence to Virginity via Confession, Clingfilm, Croke Park and the Ballybunion Bachelor Festival ... what more could you ask? Find out who shouldn’t have, but did; why there were lots of ‘fallen women’ but no ‘fallen men’; and the extreme measures taken to stop us thinking about our wobbly bits and return to singing about the Famine.
Slanguage: A Dictionary of Irish Slang 3ed by Bernard Share
Large Format Trade Paperback; 20 Euro / 30 USD / 15 UK; 412 pages [Add To Basket]
Drawing on a rich heritage of Irish, English, Ulster Scots, Shelta, Hindustani, Swahili and many other linguistic resources, Hiberno-English has retained both its inventiveness and its vigour in a country which now plays host to some 167 languages, suggesting that Ireland will continue to make new words for old in the spirit of its own highly distinctive idiom. From the reviews of previous editions 'This is worth its weight in gold-dust, for at last we have a proper, and often improper, dictionary of Irish slang.' - Hugh Leonard, "Sunday Independent".'Joyce would have loved it.' - John Boland, "The Times" (London). 'The book can take its place on the shelf beside the great Eric Partridge himself and there is no greater tribute.' - Sean McMahon, "Irish Independent". 'Slanguage is an exceptionally well researched work of reference.' - John Slevin, "RTE Guide". 'Much of the book is a joy to read.' - Brian Griffin, "International Journal of Lexicography". 'This is quite simply an outstandingly brilliant piece of Sherlock-Holmesing, characterised by both authenticity and wit.' - Aubrey Malone, "Books Ireland".
The Tain translated from the Old Irish by Ciaran Carson
Paperback; 10 Euro / 14 USD / 7 UK; 222 pages [Add To Basket]
The kingdoms of Connacht and Ulster are preparing to do battle with each other. Medb, the sly and envious Queen of Connacht, is on a mission to steal the fabled Brown Bull of Cooley from the men of Ulster. The Ulstermen, crippled by an ancient curse, face defeat from her armies, until a hero emerges in the shape of the warrior Cu Chulainn: a man of superhuman strength and supernatural powers. Through guerrilla tactics and great chariot fights he manages to defend his province and hold off the Connacht army - until Medb tricks him and it seems victory may come at a bitter price.
Please note: Prices were correct at time of original posting but are subject to subsequent change without notice.
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