Medieval Ireland: The Enduring Tradition [Paperback]

Michael Richter (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 15, 1996 | ISBN-10: 0312158122 | ISBN-13: 978-0312158125

Medieval Ireland is an extended essay on Irish society from the coming of Christianity in the fourth century to the Reformation in the sixteenth. Seen in wider European context, medieval Ireland emerges as exceptional and her contributions to the shaping of Europe, outstanding.

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English, German (translation) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Michael Richter studied History and English at the Universities of Marburg, Berlin and London, obtaining his doctorate in 1968. After further research, he was lecturer in Medieval History at University College Dublin from 1974 to 1986, with a short spell as visiting Professor at Vienna University between 1981 and 1982. Since 1986, he has been Professor of Medieval Constitutional History at the University of Konstanz. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 226 pages
• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan (February 15, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312158122
• ISBN-13: 978-0312158125
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #303,366 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brief but not superficial, April 13, 2003

By 

Historian "malgos2" (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Medieval Ireland: The Enduring Tradition (Paperback)

The book is a brief history of medieval Ireland. It covers the times from the prehistoric times to the fifteenth century. However, brief does not mean superficial. The author chooses some subjects he is interested in and discusses them trying to be impartial - from many different points of view. He does not try to describe the past in detail, but rather to point out the most important moments, problems and aspects in Irish history. Richter also poses some questions significant from the point of view of a contemporary person some of which remain open.
The book is suitable for beginners as it is quite short and written in a comprehensible way as well as for people truly interested in the matter thanks to reliable bibliography record and references. It helps to understand the unusual political organization and the complicated and quite uncommon social structure of the Island in the middle ages. Obviously, history of medieval Ireland was greatly determined by the history of church, that is why the book deals mainly with the church's history, which was not less interesting in Ireland than political history. It is a very good book for a great start.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brief but not superficial, June 30, 2002

By 

Historian "malgos2" (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Medieval Ireland: The Enduring Tradition (Paperback)

The book is a brief history of medieval Ireland. It covers the times from the prehistoric times to the fifteenth century. However, brief does not mean superficial. The author chooses some subjects he is interested in and discusses them trying to be impartial - from many different points of view. He does not try to describe the past in detail, but rather to point out the most important moments, problems and aspects in Irish history. Richter also poses some questions significant from the point of view of a contemporary person some of which remain open.
The book is suitable for beginners as it is quite short and written in a comprehensible way as well as for people truly interested in the matter thanks to reliable bibliography record and references. It helps to understand the unusual political organization and the complicated and quite uncommon social structure of the Island in the middle ages. Obviously, history of medieval Ireland was greatly determined by the history of church, that is why the book deals mainly with the church's history, which was not less interesting in Ireland than political history. It is a very good book for a great start.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Concise and enjoyable account of Medieval Ireland, March 10, 2011

By 

A. Berke "chemist" (Madison, WI) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Medieval Ireland: The Enduring Tradition (Paperback)

A brief book, Medieval Ireland still manages to cover all that one would expect it to, particularly as it relates to the
influence of and on Christianity by the Irish (certianly a book on the history of Ireland cannot skip Colum Cille, Patrick, and
the traditions that lead to famous illuminated manuscripts like the Book of Kells). I much appreciated the books treatment of
the effect Ireland had on, and the consequences of that influence on, continental Europe, Latin (as a language), and
Christianity (especially monasticism). In the sections covering these topics, the book is a delight to read and tells a
fascinating story.

The political organization sections were a harder, though no less informative, slog. I think this is not necessarily a fault of
the book, though, and is more tied to the (appropriate) use of proper people and place names. The pronunciation guide in the
back of the book on Gaelic words is of little help to 'the layman' picking up this book out of curiosity in Irish history. In
addition, Ireland had a quite complicated political makeup, as evidenced in several of the maps in the book. A few important
families come up constantly, but the sheer volume of major and minor rulers in the island's history certainly keeps the reader
on his toes!

This book is well worth the time for anyone curious about Ireland and its influence on Europe during the Middle Ages. It is
concise and enjoyable.