The Irish in America [Hardcover]

Michael Coffey (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 13, 1997

The companion volume to a PBS television series, a compendium of essays, photographs, and illustrations explores the social, cultural, and political history of Irish Americans through contributions by Pete Hamill, Frank McCourt, Peggy Noonan, and others. TV tie-in."

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The Irish in America was created, in part, as a companion to the PBS documentary series of the same name that was first aired in January 1998. Journalist Terry Golway's text provides a solid backbone to the book: she tells the usual story of Irish involvement in American politics and also sheds light on contributions that the Irish have made to American industry and culture. Golway's text is interspersed (sometimes a bit confusingly) with hundreds of illustrations, as well as with many brief essays by Irish American notables, including historians, novelists, comedians, musicians, and politicians. Two of the most enlightening are historian Ellen Skerrett's essay on the Irish American penchant for building cathedrals and Maureen Murphy's look at how Irish immigrant girls found upward mobility in America. Other essays aren't as strictly historical, but the matching of writer and subject makes them irresistible. For example, a lively contribution by novelist Thomas Flanagan on Irish Americans as portrayed in John Ford's films raises serious issues while still being entertaining (much like Ford's films). Despite a few other inclusions that may make some readers scratch their heads or roll their eyes (such as Denis Leary's essay, which contains something guaranteed to offend almost everyone), The Irish in America is a worthy effort, one that offers valuable insight into American history and the distinct role played by the Irish.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion; 1st edition (October 13, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786863447
• ISBN-13: 978-0786863440
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 9.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,479,167 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful book, well done and full of facts., June 11, 1998

By 

John P. Rooney "John" (Massachusetts) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Irish in America (Hardcover)

As a person of Irish descent, I was very happy to see "The Irish in America". This book is full of colorful illustrations showing what the Irish have accomplished in this country. I am referencing the book in my MA, History Thesis, this Autumn.

On page 57, however, the editors have made an understandable error. They attribute the founding of Manhattan College (1853), De La Salle University (1863) and St. Mary's (Moraga, California, (1863) to the Irish Christian Brothers. As a 1965 graduate of Manhattan College, I can tell you that these three colleges were founded by the French Christian Brothers, also know as the De La Salle Brothers. This teaching order was founded in Paris by St. John Baptist de la Salle, and predates the Irish Christian Brothers by almost two hundred years. To my knowledge, the only college founded by the Irish Christian Brothers in the U.S. is Iona College (1940) in New York. Personally, I enjoyed the book, found new facts about the Irish in America, and would recommend it to any Irish or Irish-American person.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Famous Irish offer engrossing overview of culture in USA, April 12, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Irish in America (Hardcover)

Coffey and Golway give a wonderful overview of the experiences of Irish men and women in the United States. Coming to the U.S. as a result of political an religious oppression, as well as a result of the potato blight in the mid-19th century, the Irish worked hard to gain respectablity and political voices as American citizens. In many cases, especially in the early 20th Century, to be Irish was to be a second class citizen in the U.S. Today's attitudes prove that the Irish have come a long way in American society from being judged as such to becoming a very proud and celebrated nationality in our country.

Coffey and Golway use numerous anecdotes, excerpts, and other quotations from famous and not so famous Irish Americans. Included in this book are Denis Leary, Frank McCourt, and a forward by Patrick Kennedy. Reflections of these Irish-American personalities on their grandparents' or parents' lives and hard work, as well as memories of Catholic school, and other aspects of Irish-American life. Glossy photographs accent each passage beautifully and add to the overall attraction of the book. Contributions by all the authors provides a celebration of Irish ethnicity and heritage in the United States that is portrayed as humorous, melancholy, but overall proud. This book accents the PBS Documentary by the same name very nicely. After reading this book, I wished in a sense, that I had some Irish heritage.