The Macmillan Atlas of Irish History [Hardcover]

Sean Duffy (Editor), Gabriel Doherty (Contributor), Raymond Gillespie (Contributor), James Kelly (Contributor), Colm Lennon (Contributor), Brendon Smith (Contributor)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1997

Explore the story of Eire, Ireland, a nation and people of powerful independence, pride, and culture. Forty-five double-page spreads frame all major events in the island's history with authoritative but accessible text, period art and photos, and definitive maps.

From Celtic times to the Viking Wars to Cromwell to the Great Famine, Ireland's distinctive past comes alive on these pages. For the 40% of Americans (106 million people) who trace their ancestry to Ireland, here is the one atlas that captures the spirit and geography of the Irish republic. Published to coincide with a PBS series on the Irish in America, as well as the 100th anniversary of the founding of the United Irish League.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Macmillan General Reference (November 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0028620119
• ISBN-13: 978-0028620114
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 7.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,352,107 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #95 in Books > Education & Reference > Atlases & Maps > Historical

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent brief, graphical overview of irish history., September 15, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Macmillan Atlas of Irish History (Hardcover)

For the price, this is probably one of the finest graphical summaries of Irish history. The Atlas starts with the Irish origins from pre-Celtic times to modern Ireland of the 1990's. By far the most rewarding attribute of the Atlas are the excellent thematic maps that accompany each important phase of Irish history. Also included with the well-written text are wonderfully clear illustrations. This is a must for any European/Irish history or geography buff!

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A fine, worthy addition to your Irish library, July 26, 2001

By 

David Dillon (Westford, MA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Macmillan Atlas of Irish History (Hardcover)

Editor Sean Duffy's Atlas of Irish history is a fine, worthy addition to your Irish-related library. Whether you're a newcomer to Irish history or a card-carrying gaelophile, this atlas has much to offer, covering several thousand years of Irish history in a concise, highly readable, and strikingly visual manner.

The concept of the Irish Atlas is simple yet highly effective. Generally one page of text is followed by a thematic map. For example, a chapter on the Viking wars of the 8th century is accompanied by a helpful map that reveals the exact location in Ireland of Viking raids, settlements, and more. In another later chapter, The Ulster Question, a fine overview of this critical and longstanding issue is followed by a map that reveals the distribution of Protestants and Catholics in Ulster, 1911. Other chapters include, but are by no means limited to, the 1798 Rebellion, the pre-famine economy, World War 1 & the Easter Rising, and 1990s Ireland.

While some readers might quibble with the rather limited text, it's important to remember this is an atlas. The text (solidly written, by the way) is meant as an overview to these pivotal events in Irish history. It should be used as a gateway to more detailed writings. (The atlas concludes with a two-page "further reading" section.) As for the maps, editor Duffy concedes they "show facts rather than influences or ideas..." But this reader found the maps instructive and creative, a fine complement to the text.

Kudos to Mr. Duffy and his collaborators on the Irish Atlas. It does indeed go "some way to explain the story of this unique and fascinating place."

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Useful tool for studying Irish history, December 30, 2005

By 

Mark Klobas (Tempe, AZ, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Macmillan Atlas of Irish History (Hardcover)

There are many ways to study history and atlases provide one of the best tools for doing so, offering a visual portrait of the changes that a group, a country, or a region undergo. This book, the first full-color atlas covering the span of Irish history, provides a graphic portrait of the island's past from Celtic times right up through the 1990s. Accompanied by explanatory texts, the maps depict such events as the Viking Wars, the Cromwellian plantation, and the Great Famine, offering insight into the various developments and their impact on the island.

Though the texts provided give only a cursory overview of their various subjects, the value of the book lies in the maps themselves. Clear and detailed, they provide some of the best geographic representations of Irish history available. Each one provides a wealth of information about the social, religious, economic, and cultural developments that took place within Ireland, and are supplemented by graphs and photos. Overall the book itself is a useful tool for studying Irish history and a valuable complement to a larger text or course on the subject.