Customer Reviews

A Concise History of Ireland (Illustrated National Histories)

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4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

If there's a better overview of Irish history out there, I'd like to see it!

The book is in 'school' format, for want of a better word, that is to say very generously illustrated. Don't let that give you the impression that the book is superficial. This man and wife team know their Ireland inside out and are both topnotch writers. Maire MacEntee is one of the most eminent, if not the most eminent, Irish language poets alive, and her husband is very well known as a scholar and essayist.

Read and enjoy!

This is a brief and impartial account of the history of Ireland from 3000 BC up until 1994 . There is no in depth analysis of the historical figures involved but just a simple yet concise narative of the important events that shaped this country .

It is after England's brutal conquest of the native Irish , and the protestant plantations that followed , that this book comes into it's own , as it gives the reader a clear understanding of the political dynamics at work that would eventually lead to a divided Ireland .

The book has a generous amount of illustrations and photographs that compliment the very readable text . I'd recommend this book as a starter to anybody who is interested in finding out about the tragic history of Ireland , or as an overview to more in depth books for the discerning reader .

This is actually a fairly easy to read and short book, due in part, to the many illustrations. If you are looking for a deep, scholarly tome on the history of Ireland, buy something else. If, however, you are planning on a trip to Ireland and want some basics with regard to the culture and politics of IE, give this a read. I read this along with the historical-fiction novel, "Trinity" to prepare for my trip and felt the balance between the two was a nice way to learn the highlights of Irish history.

A mixed bag, this. Good for a brief exposure to some of the more renowned moments and movements in Irish history, but hard to follow at many spots. The early chapters seem to have been written by a different hand than the later. The language of the earlier ones is hard to follow and no coherent picture formed in my mind about that time. The later ones are easier because they're more "newsy" in style. You're only going to get the highlights of the times (up until mid-1984) and even those are at times disjointed, or strung together with facts the reader is presumed to already be familiar with.

I borrowed this from the library. I'm glad I read it, and I'm glad I didn't buy it.

This is truly one of the most lacking of the general histories of Ireland available on the market. Conor Cruise O'Brien and Maire O'Brien provide a rather pourous account of the history of Ireland and manage to not quite even skim the surface. Leaving out many of the events that would embarass the author or not promote his own political agenda, this book is at best a waste of time. There are many, many better accounts available.