The Man Who Made Ireland: The Life and Death of Michael Collins [Hardcover]

Tim Pat Coogan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1992

A biography of the Irish nationalist credited with liberating southern Ireland from British occupation discusses Collins's role as Commander-in-Chief of the Irish Army, his devotion to the cause, and his undermining of British Intelligence.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A model for other revolutionaries worldwide, Michael Collins (1891-1922) took center stage in Irish history after the Easter Rebellion of 1916. This definitive biography by the former editor of the daily Irish Press traces the political trajectory of the "Big Fellow," as the handsome charismatic Collins was known. As the key figure in the Irish Republican Army's war of independence of 1919-1921, Collins focused on intelligence and counterintelligence activities, using ruthless efficiency to destroy the British secret service network in Dublin. He led the Irish delegation in negotiating the treaty with Great Britain that brought southern Ireland commonwealth recognition. But his failure to wrest full republic status in the negotiations tore the revolutionary movement asunder; angered and disappointed dissidents rallied around Eamon DeValera on a path that led to bitter civil war. While in his native Cork hoping to reconcile with anti-treaty former comrades, Collins was killed by a partisan. Although firmly rooted in facts, Coogan's stirring, frankly biased (i.e., anti-DeValera) study also deals in rumor: Was Collins in New York, disguised as a priest, in 1914? Was Parnell deputy Tim Healy a British mole as early as 1882? Photos. Author tour.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Coogan, an old hand in writing on modern Ireland ( Ireland Since the Rising , LJ 6/1/66), has given us a sympathetic, perceptive biography of Michael Collins. Drawing on an impressive array of manuscript and printed sources, he brings alive the checkered, controversial career of a man who played a key role in founding the Irish Republican Army, served as its first commander-in-chief, and helped to create the Republic of Ireland. Coogan offers one of the finest treatments of this watershed in British history. His study is essential for all collections supporting British studies.
- Jim Casada, Winthrop Coll . , Rock Hill, S . C .
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: Roberts Rinehart Pub; First US Edition, stated edition (October 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1879373238
• ISBN-13: 978-1879373235
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,835,758 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Definitive Biography of the Big Fellow, February 20, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: The Man Who Made Ireland: The Life and Death of Michael Collins (Hardcover)

Tim Pat Coogan's biography of Michael Collins, the legendary Irish rebel leader during the Irish War of Independence, leaves no stone unturned. It traces Collins' rise to prominence from his boyhood in nationalist Cork County through his ten years in England working for the post office and financial firms, his return to Ireland to participate in the Easter Rising of 1916, his increasing influence in Frongoch prison in Wales and in nationalist/republican circles upon his release in 1917. This biography reads more like a riveting novel given the almost mythical qualities of the central character. Coogan conveys not only the facts about Collins and his exploits during Ireland's fight for independence but also his charismatic personality, engaging wit and humor, capacity for ruthlessness, magnetic leadership qualities and passionate devotion to his country and its people. This is also a fascinating textbook picture of a successful guerilla war and intelligence operation led by a man with a genius for conspiracy, the so-called "Dublin Pimpernel", the most wanted man in the British Empire at that time. Highly recommended, particularly for anyone who would like to have a better understanding of the troubles in modern Ireland.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A true tour-de-force, June 25, 2003

By 

Sara (OK, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Man Who Made Ireland: The Life and Death of Michael Collins (Paperback)

Coogan's biography of Collins is often called the definitive one and for good reason: no other author to date has undertaken the sheer level of work studying the life of Collins, period. Coogan walks the reader through virtually every aspect of Michael's life, some good, some bad, some momentous, and some minor. His preface to the American edition alone is phenomenal. His biography (as most tend to do) goes in chronological order, from Michael's birth to his poignant assassination in 1922. We are given the details of Michael's family life, his friends, his comrades, his guerrilla warfare tactics, his temperament, his favorite books, etc., etc. Coogan's chapters are as follows: The Little Fella, Easter 1916, Kicking Down a Rotten Door, The Twelve Apostles, The Year of Terror, The Sky Darkens, Peace Comes Dropping Slow, Settling This Old Strife, Fighting the Waves, Wading Through Blood, Setting up the Six, The Mouth of Flowers, and Honouring the Dead. There are also notes, an appendix, and many b/w photos. Coogan spends a good deal of time on the Easter Rising, the events surrounding Bloody Sunday, and the negotiating of the Anglo-Irish Treaty. He also addresses several of the controversial issues surrounding Michael's life and death, e.g. allegations that Collins was a homosexual, claims that de Valera might have instigated Collins' assassination, and Collins' supposed dalliances. Although Coogan's writing is not what I would particularly call easy or light reading, I do believe this selection could make a good starter book for anyone's investigation of Michael Collins. If you are interested in any way in Collins' life and times, you absolutely must own this book.

5.0 out of 5 stars Ireland's Michael Collins, July 10, 2010

By 

J. Kelly (Feasterville, PA United States) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Man Who Made Ireland: The Life and Death of Michael Collins (Paperback)

If Michael Collins had lived, there would be no "Northern Ireland". That was a foreign word to Michael. Eamon Devalera said that History would treat Michael better than himself. This book does a handsome job of describing that. Tim Pat Coogan does a thoroughly interesting job with this subject. Read It!