The Irish File: Images from a Land of Grace [Hardcover]

Jon Michael Riley (Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 6, 2002

While Ireland has always been a perennial favorite among travelers, with some 6 million visitors last year, Irish culture has a stronghold in the United States: of the 70 million people of Irish descent worldwide, 44 million are American. Ireland-its landscape, religion, history, arts, and eternal romance-are all an integral part of the American imagination.

Jon Michael Riley's The Irish File contains stunning imagery of this beloved country packaged in an elegant format that includes five decorative vellum pages. From a lone, thin tree swaying in a fierce sea wind to a statue of St. Patrick solemnly watching over a tiny, ancient cemetery, from a white enamel bowl tinged by dim afternoon light flowing through lace curtains to a Connemara mare slowly ambling through a barren field with her newborn foal, Riley's work captures the many facets of Ireland: its mystical nature, beautiful landscape, and rich historical and religious culture.

Just as Riley reveals the majesty of Ireland through photography, so too does best-selling author Nuala O'Faolain unveil its subtle poetry. With an introduction by O'Faolain as well as literary excerpts from well-known Irish writers, this sublime volume is a visual and literary treasure that is as captivating as the country it portrays.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Jon Michael Riley has produced award-winning images for major corporations, advertising agencies, and design firms. His work is syndicated world-wide in print and on the Internet. His fine-art photography-imaging work has been shown in galleries across the country and on his web site www.irishimage.com. He lives in Fletcher, North Carolina.

Nuala O'Faolain is the author of Are You Somebody?, which was published to considerable acclaim in 1997; a best-seller in Ireland, the United States, and Australia, it has been translated into five languages. Her novel My Dream of You was on the New York Times best-seller list in its first week of publication in 2001. She divides her time between the west of Ireland, Dublin, and New York City.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 176 pages
• Publisher: Rizzoli (April 6, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0847823857
• ISBN-13: 978-0847823857
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 8.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,881,732 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely Beautiful!, February 12, 2003

By 

shoutgrace "savedbyhisgrace" (Charleston, WV United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Irish File: Images from a Land of Grace (Hardcover)

The Irish File is the strikingly beautiful photographic works of Jon Michael Riley. Riley lives in North Carolina has done award winning works for numerous magazines and other publications. On his journey to the Emerald Isle, Riley incorporate in his photos a conjoining of dramatic elements.

The photographs are so absolutely beautiful it gives the viewer a sense of a Victorian era painting. The artist gives you the feeling of haunting sounds of music and gentle breezes. The sounds so lovely and celestial like an ethereal song-as he describes his visit in Co. Kerry at the gate entrance of St. Senan's Holy Well. The place inspires the spirit of the breezes tumbling about the metal pipes of the gate [on the front cover]. It's looking at the land with a sense of grace and prefection. Not seeing it as a picture postcard snapshot. Like a scene out of a cinema graphic still with soft overtones. He gives his images a vintage look yet bringing out the realness of their simplicity.

Nuala O'Faolain's author of 'Are You Somebody: The Accidental Memoir of a Dublin Woman', poetic words in the introduction expresses the photogrpher's broader ego to the spirit of the place. This would make a beautiful coffee table book for lovers of breathtaking photography and those who want to reminisce their travels to Ireland.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stunning photography!, April 18, 2002

By 

Woodward + Rick Photography, Inc. (Swannanoa, NC United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Irish File: Images from a Land of Grace (Hardcover)

If you want to know the soul of Ireland then sit in a quiet spot with "The Irish File" and let the images show you an Ireland you probably never knew. As a photographer I am not easily impressed with "photography" books but Jon Riley's images in his book are absolutely stunning! Well done Jon and thank you!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Book, October 26, 2003

By 

Chuck West (San Marcos, TX United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Irish File: Images from a Land of Grace (Hardcover)

I suppose Jon Riley's Irish File could be classified as a travel book. However, that description falls short of the true value of this book. This is a travel book with spirit and soul. Riley doesn't just look "at" Ireland, but looks "into" the spirit of Ireland. The photographs and the words, both Riley's and O'Faolain's, give the viewer a sense of, not only seeing images of Ireland, but feeling, hearing and almost smelling the countryside. This is a beautiful book- beautifully photographed, written, and designed- worth owning for those reasons alone, even if you don't have a specific interest in the Emerald Isle.