Brian Boru: Emperor of the Irish [Hardcover]

Morgan Llywelyn (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1995

A best-selling historical novelist recounts the life of the legendary Brian Boru, who defended his country against invading Vikings, reconciled Ireland's warring clans, and became the first High King of Ireland. 35,000 first printing.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'A life full of battles, intrigues, alliances and betrayals, which make a stirring tale told in realistic detail.' -- The Irish Times The Irish Times 'Morgan Llewelyn has a tough and compelling style which makes this a really good read.' -- Cavan Leader 'Rare indeed is it to find in such a book a clear sense of history, researched impeccably and written in a style which I can only describe as compulsively readable ... Fascinating details of life in Ireland 1000 years ago are interwoven in an ingenious way throughout the story.' -- Woman's Way Woman's Way 'One of the choices one makes in writing a book about history is that of deciding what to leave out. We all tend to fall in love with our research ... In Brian Boru I tried to tell children what they would like to know about the man and his time. If I have succeeded, when they are older some of them will investigate him further. They will not feel cut off from their past but will think of it as an exciting place and of Brian Boru as a real person.' -- The author writing in Children's Books in Ireland --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Historian and novelist Morgan Llywelyn was born in New York City, but after the death of her husband and parents in 1985 returned to Ireland to take up citizenship in the land of her grandparents and make her permanent home there. After making the shortlist for the United States Olympic Team in Dressage in 1975, but not making the team itself, she turned to writing historical novels exploring her Celtic roots. The most successful of these was Lion of Ireland - The Legend of Brian Boru, which was published in 1980 and has sold into the millions of copies. She received the Novel of the Year Award from the National League of American Penwomen for her novel The Horse Goddess as well as the Woman of the Year Award from the Irish-American Heritage Committee for Bard: The Odyssey of the Irish. The latter award was presented to her by Ed Koch, then-mayor of New York City. Morgan is also the author of , the story of Grace O'Malley, told partly through letters from Granuaile to her beloved son. It is a thrilling tale of adventure that brings this unorthodox and inspiring historical figure to life. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 157 pages
• Publisher: Tor Books; 1st. ed edition (June 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312856237
• ISBN-13: 978-0312856236
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,905,506 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars children's book, January 3, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Brian Boru: Emperor of the Irish (Mass Market Paperback)

this is the children's version of "Lion of Ireland" which it is a good preview of, it is still a good book but leaves out a lot of details. If you liked this book but you want a more complete story read "Lion of Ireland"

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I liked the book because it was action-packed., October 27, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Brian Boru: Emperor of the Irish (Mass Market Paperback)

The author has a way of writing that made me feel concern for the main character. After reading only a few pages I was drawn in. Brian Boru was very brave but he had many problems. After his home was burnt and his mother killed, he vowed to take revenge on the Vikings. When he picked fights to escape from his problems, his father sent him to a monastery where he learned to be a warrior and a scholar. Even so, he was scared when he went into battle. This was an historical book but it read like a novel. I learned about history by getting connected into the lives of the characters. In the end, Brian pays a price for going to war. If you want to find out exactly what happens, you'll have to read this book that I highly recommend.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars outstanding Piece of work, March 19, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Brian Boru: Emperor of the Irish (Mass Market Paperback)

This book is one of the best I have ever read. It will keep you hooked all the way through. The best part was taking truth and turning it into something very exciting. This is coming from someone who doesn't like to read. Brain Boru Fought his way from nothing to high king gathering loyal followers form all parts of Ireland. Quit wasting time reading this and find a copy of the book.