Customer Reviews

The Encyclopedia of the Irish in America

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

 

 

I purchased this book as a researcher to assist me in my work and serve as a tool to both speed-up processes and use as a source to back-up my findings. One would imagine that the publishers would have provided accurate information. I found several errors in the information provided which demonstrates a lack of research and sloppiness in proofing of material contained within it. For instance; Judy Garland (a well known Irish American with very public information) is listed as the granddaughter of a FITZGERALD she was a FITZPATRICK ( big difference when you are using the information for research and genealogy and want a reliable source document for footnotes or bibliographies! the errors can result in un-substantiated work and wrong information. There are other errors less obvious but are too numerous to list. In short, this book was a waste of money and time on my part being of no help at all. I question all the data contained in it. The publisher has not provided a correction of the page as requested by me.

This weighty volume will appeal to holdings with strong Irish history interests: it is compiled by a panel of scholars drawn from various nations and details the Irish people in Ireland and America. The inclusion of listings by state and area allows students to narrow their studies to local Irish history, while the listings include notable individuals, events, and social and religious topics affecting the Irish. A comprehensive and important addition to any serious Irish history collection.

"Encyclopedia Of The Irish In America", Edited by Michael Glazier. University of Notre Dame Press, 1999.

At almost a thousand pages, this is a big book, listing, alphabetically, many, many Irish Americans, from the very famous to those know only to historical specialists. Further, there are subject sections that are very interesting. For example, from pages 275 to 292, the section, entitled, "Ethnic Relations", gives a concise summary of the history of how the Irish in America dealt with the Blacks, Germans, Italians, Jews and Poles. There is also a state by state examination of the history of the Irish immigrants; some sections are only a few pages (e.g.. Montana), while other state sections (New York, New Jersey) are necessarily larger. If you are interested in which state had the greatest collection of Irish-born, take a look at the table on pages 461-462.

You could spend many a night going alphabetically through this excellent reference, and you will be surprised with the achievements of the Irish-Americans, ranging from their many different occupations to the many awards the Irish-Americans have garnered. Page 635: Audie Murphy, most decorated soldier in World War II. Page 369: Andrew Greeley, priest, sociologist and novelist (his books are listed on Amazon). Page 601: Thomas Francis Meagher, Civil War General and editor. If you wanted to know more about the Irish in America, this book is a good place to start.

This encyclopedia is a wonderful source of information that is delightfully synthesized into one volume. The beauty of this book is that it acts as a source of historical information and provides hours of leisure entertainment in one volume. From Bing Crosby to Eamon De Valera, the Irish American relationship is well embraced and honored wonderfully. With reference to the Irish influence in virtually every state, this book provides a unique look at the history of these hard-working and successful immigrants. A must have in any Irish-American household.