The Great Irish Potato Famine [Paperback]

James S. Donnelly Jr. (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2008

This is an account of the Great Irish Potato Famine of the late 1840s, a famine which resulted in the death of about one million people and was also largely responsible, in conjunction with British government policies, for one of the great international human migrations of British history—the mass exodus of some two million people from Ireland, mostly to North America, in the years 1845–1855. This book combines narrative, analysis, historiography, and scores of contemporary illustrations. This work aims to provide an insight into the misery of the famine and the nightmare of mass evictions that followed.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

The Irish Potato Famine of the 1840s, one of the major human catastrophes of modern times, has been popularly perceived as a genocide attributable to the British government's actions and failures to act. In professional historical circles, however, such thinking was dismissed for many years, as evidenced by the scathing academic response to Cecil Woodham-Smith's 1963 classic, The Great Hunger: Ireland, 1845-49, which, in addition to presenting a vivid and horrifying picture of the human suffering, made strong accusations against the British government and its officials. Donnelly (Irish history, Univ. of Wisconsin) has written an intelligent, thought-provoking, and well-written book that, among other things, is a very useful survey and synthesis of the current debates about and researches into the origins and causes of the famine. Donnelly supports Cecil-Woodham's charges of British governmental sins of both omission and commission in the famine but puts those charges in a broader context, including discussion of class and regional influences on the famine in Ireland itself. The chapter notes, indexing, and bibliography are of good quality. This book would be an excellent choice to accompany and update The Great Hunger. Highly recommended for both academic and public libraries. Charlie Cowling, Drake Memorial Lib., SUNY at Brockport
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

'This is unquestionably the most comprehensive single account of the Irish catastrophe...' Professor Peter Gray, Queen's University, Belfast ' ... many historians have written excellent books about the great Irish famine ... Donnelly's is the best and most comprehensive of them all.' Kerby Miller, Middlebush Professor of History, University of Missouri, Columbia 'James Donnelly's book is likely to become the classic account of the Great Famine, and the first port of call for both students and general readers.' Professor Peter Gray, Queen's University, Belfast

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: The History Press (September 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0750929286
• ISBN-13: 978-0750929288
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #517,231 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

James S. Donnelly, Jr. (born 1943) is a modern British and Irish historian. Donnelly is a Professor Emeritus of History at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. One of the most prolific and wide-ranging historians of Ireland, he has also been a leading figure in the promotion of Irish studies in North America. Donnelly is a former president of the American Conference for Irish Studies, and a current co-editor of the journal Éire-Ireland. His first book, The Land and the People of Nineteenth-Century Cork, was awarded the Herbert Baxter Adams Prize of the American Historical Association.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Was it Famine or Genocide?, September 13, 2006

By 

J. Guild (Toronto,Canada) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Great Irish Potato Famine (Hardcover)

Although many have heard about the "Patato Famine" in Ireland in 1845-1847; they actually know and understand very little about what happened during those few years and more importantly the effects it had on Ireland right up till the end of the 19th Century.

To understand what happened ,it is imperative that one understand the history of Ireland for at least 100 years before and know that Britain ruled totally all aspects of life in Ireland. All the laws,all the land ownership,all the imports and exports,schooling,religion,policeing,social services,government,military,and thus was responsible for things whether physically or with the people,rich,poor or in between;being the way they were when the potato crop was affected with Phytophthora Infestans in 1845 and 1846 and subsequent years.

No other disease in Europe has been written about more than this "Famine" other than The Black Death of the 1350's.As the Black Death changed forever the way of life in Europe,the "Famine" had a similar affect on Ireland.

This book attempts to cover all aspects of the "Famine" and particularly tries to resolve the question of whether the death and devastation had to be as bad as it was; whether Britain was content to allow the country to be ravished,or even if Britain's actions atually magnified the problem.In more blunt words ;"Was there really a Famine or or was it Genocide on the part of Britain?

The book contains a great amount of data,but then again the source of the information is from government controlled records.

One must read between the lines and realize that it was not the wealthy,government officials,the landowners,and the Anglo Irish,that died in huge numbers,lost their land,and emigrated to America;while Britain looked on.

Many other books on this subject leave the question still unanswered.However;that is not the view of many who have concluded what the answer really is.

Donnelly mentioned "The Great Hunger" by Cecil Whoodham-Smith.I have read that book and written a Review on October 26,2003. It is an excellent book and I highly recommend it.

While Donnelly's book has a great amount of data and facts;it also has a large number of excellent drawings of the period.These line drawings and colored reproductions of paintings depicting life at the time.Of the several other books I've read on the Famine;I can't recall one that is so wll illustrated.

Donnelly doesn't really conclude whether it was a Famine or Genocide--he presents the facts,issues,etc.,and leaves the conclusion to the reader.

Overall,a well researched and written book and an excellent overage of the Famine years and the results it had on Ireland.

14 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Reads like an economic text book, April 1, 2007

By 

T. Walker "ktracy26" (Olney, MD United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Great Irish Potato Famine (Paperback)

I just finished reading Mr. Donnelly's book. Admittedly it is my first one on this subject so I am not sure how it compares to others. The book it well researched, organized and written however, it wasn't what I was looking for. I thought it was interesting, however, that the British government did anything at all to help however, it was not enough, way too late, too eratic and not for long enough with disastrous consquences.

Chapter after chapter there are statistics and percentages for this county or that county and then the same thing is compare to pre-famine years then post famine years and sometimes year by year through out the famine period for instance, the importation of grain products. Too much! If you are looking for personal narratives or local stories or historical consequences around the world, Britain and Ireland this is not your book.