May the Road Rise to Meet You: Everything You Need to Know About Irish American History [Paperback]

Michael Padden (Author), Robert Sullivan (Author), Jr. Robert F. Kennedy (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1999 | Age Level: 1 and up

When one speaks of "the Irish" in America, many images come to mind -- beautiful music and stirring legends passed down through the ages, a sense of humor that never fails to bring a laugh, and a stubborn tenacity combined with a legendary passion for life which has spawned the phrases "the fighting Irish" and "getting your Irish up". But where did these ideas originate, and what is the true history behind the stereotypes?

In a lively, accessible question-and-answer format, "May the Road Rise to Meet You" covers everything from the Irishman who discovered America (no, Christopher Columbus was not Irish) to contemporary Irish-Americans making their mark in the world. Readers will get a fascinating portrait of the entire Irish-American experience, covering history, politics, the arts, sports, religion, and much more! A perfect book for sons and daughters of the auld sod.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 1 and up
  
• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Plume Books (March 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0452278538
• ISBN-13: 978-0452278530
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.7 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,461,490 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars May the Road Rise to Meet You, February 17, 2001

By 

Tim Clifford "tclif" (St. Thomas, USVI United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: May the Road Rise to Meet You: Everything You Need to Know About Irish American History (Paperback)

For accuracy, this book is a disaster! [It was] said she was "completely immersed in Irish History". That can not be or she would have realized this book was researched in a few pubs, but never in any reliable source! It contains so very many inaccuracies it at first appears to be a diversionary tactic for some other intent. After reading about half, anyone that has actually studied Irish History seriously will feel insulted, angry and frustrated at the nerve of these two "wanna be" historians. Example 1. There was never a "land bridge" with any other part of Europe. An ice bridge, hence mammals crossed, but no reptiles did. Ireland was originally two small valcanic islands in the south Atlantic, and through Tectonic Plate movement have arrived "off the coast of western Europe". Read: "Where Ireland Came From" for more on this. Example 2. Brian Boru is the only man to ever completely unite all of Ireland (two Clans,one in the north, and one from the west opted not to join Brian, but kept away also), and on Good Friday of 1014, his combined armies defeated the Vikings and their Irish allies at the famous Battle of Clontarf. His success cost him his life in the afternoon at the age of about 74! (some think 64, either way he was very old for the times). These authors are so unfamiliar with Irish History's actuality that they give Ireland's greatest leader less than one paragraph in their sorry little book. There are some wonderful books on Irish history that will teach you plenty. If you like your history in novelized form to add pleasure to your lessons, seek out books by: Walter Macken (always 5 stars - deceased) Morgan Llywelyn (another consistant 5 star writer-living) A good book on the Easter Rising on 1916 is: "Agony at Easter" Save your money on this worthless rag!

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must have..., January 24, 2000

By 

Inga Parsons (Massachusetts) - See all my reviews

This review is from: May the Road Rise to Meet You: Everything You Need to Know About Irish American History (Paperback)

If you don't laugh out loud reading this book better check your pulse. At a minimum, write ten things down from it and pass it along to a friend--they'll thank you for it. Even before I knew that I had a small smattering of Irish blood in me (my great grandmother was a Fitzgerald), I have always appreciated the dignity and wit of Irish writers and envied the Irish people for their enormous capacity for life--both the joy and sorrow of it. In May the Road Rise Up to Meet You, Padden & Sullivan have come up with a book that's perfect for all us quasi-Irish and non-Irish. If you "don't know much about Irish history" it is a must read. It's part trivia, part humor, and part history lesson and it won't cost you a pot of gold. At the Amazon price, it's worth buying a bunch to give as gifts. I highly recommend it.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Gift!, January 11, 2000

By 

[e-mail] (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: May the Road Rise to Meet You: Everything You Need to Know About Irish American History (Paperback)

I received this book for Christmas, and could not put it down Christmas day (much to the dismay of family!). What a treat to get all the answers about my heritage in readable form for guys like me who have only a few minutes here and there to read. Frank McCourt is quoted as saying that this book is as satisfying as a pint of Guinness or a Connemara sunset. For once, a readable book that gives me stories to tell my grandchildren about the rich heritage of the Irish.