Michael Collins and the Women in His Life [Paperback]

Meda Ryan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1998

The first book to examine the crucial role played by women in the personal and working life of Michael Collins, who grew up in an overwhelmingly female household in West Cork. Susan Killeen. (his first girlfriend), Sinead Mason (his loyal and intrepid personal secretary), and Madeline (Dilly) Dicker (vivacious, talented, acting as a secret agent) feature in this book. Moya Llewylen Davies and Lady Hazel Lavery are shown to have been conduits between Collins and the British Establishment and participants in his work of espionage. The true romantic passion between Collins and Kitty Kiernan is also illuminated.

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Irish Amer Book Co (October 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1856351661
• ISBN-13: 978-1856351669
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,345,426 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Women Who Helped a Great Man, March 28, 2002

By 

Sara (OK, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Michael Collins and the Women in His Life (Paperback)

Meda Ryan proves that indeed if a man is great, he must have great women in his life. The love life of Michael Collins has been the topic of everything from serious historical pursuit to fanciful gossip and Ryan attempts to shed accurate light on what Collins's love life was actually like. Ryan begins with Michael's childhood. Collins was raised mostly by women. His father died when Michael was only six and the young Collins was cared for by his mother, grandmother and sisters. When Collins went to England to work at a postal savings bank and gain business experience, he lived with his sister Johanna and was given valuable advice by his sister Hannie who had worked in a postal savings bank herself. Ryan introduces us to Susan Killeen, Collins's first real girlfriend. He met Susan while in London and his cousin, Nancy O'Brien (the cousin who copied countless files for him), noted that Michael was rather popular with his female co-workers. Ryan also discusses Collins's relationships with Sinéad Mason, a friend and secretary, and Madeline Dicker, another girlfriend. Ryan addresses the rumors that Collins had affairs with Lady Hazel Lavery and Moya Llewelyn Davies. The most notable relationship Collins had was with his fiancée, Kitty Kiernan, and Ryan covers the details of their love in a fairly thorough manner.

If you are looking for a traditional biography of Michael Collins, an introduction to Collins's life and times, or any type of conventional history text, this book is probably not for you. This is the type of book that will likely appeal to those already basically familiar with Collins's story but who are interested in learning more about his personal life. If you already have a good sense of the history of the time and want to know the stories behind the many women who assisted Collins both personally and professionally, this would be an excellent selection.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Let's hear it for the ladies!, May 18, 2000

By 

Alexa Raven "Volunteer" (San Diego, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Michael Collins and the Women in His Life (Paperback)

Did you know that his cousin was a secretary for an officer in the Dublin Castle? She would copy her notes and smuggle them out in her clothing. Did you know that he had a girlfriend long before he met Kitty Kiernan? She was one of his many helpers in the long struggle. Did you know of the many roles women played in his life? I didn't, until I read this book.

Meda Ryan isn't a stranger to the life and times of Michael Collins. Her previous book, The Day Michael Collins Was Shot, concentrates on the final days of the man. This effort, Michael Collins and the Women in His Life, spans his lifetime and concentrates on the women in his life. They range from his mother, whose life of toil and devotion had a profound effect on him as a boy, to Kitty Kiernan, whose zest and love of life distracted his mind from his many trials and troubles.

Some of the names will be familiar to readers of Irish history, most will not. All demonstrated the courage and zeal that Ireland needed during her fight for freedom. While this book may not appeal to the "professional scholar", I found that it was a good introduction to Michael Collins' life and supplements other biographies about the man.