Michael's War: A story of the Irish Republican Army [Paperback]

Daniel Ford (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 12, 2003

When he set out on his road to rebellion, Michael Ford only wanted to keep the foxes out of Hannon's Glen. But before he was done, he found himself exchanging rifle fire with the British army, with an unlikely ally in the form of Annabel Love, the squire's daughter. "Michael's War" tracks the course of revolution and civil war that rended Ireland from 1916 to 1923. It ends with its hero escaping to America-but what sweetheart will he ask to join him in the new world?

Editorial Reviews

Review

"MICHAEL'S WAR is a serious literary work. It is also a page-turner, an exciting adventure yarn and a warm-hearted love story and a sound perspective of the tangled history of the Irish struggle for freedom. The characters are memorable and believable and like so much Irish literature, the narrative sings. Finally, it is the heritage of Daniel Ford, its author. In a word, I loved it.

"The story is set in the period 1917-23 when the Irish Republicans fought, with minimal resources, the arrogant British domination and made their mark, only to be tricked and betrayed so that in the end it was brother fighting brother. Equally important, this is a personal history of Michael Ford, a stubborn farmer, as he grows from boyhood to a commander of men, who ultimately escapes death by Irish luck and lives to look at his own gravestone before his departure for America.

"DON'T MISS THIS BOOK! -Paul Estaver"

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

From the Author

"Michael's War" is a fiction, though its hero bears some resemblance to my father, Patrick Ford, born 1899 in the County Cork, died 1977 in Arizona-one of the wild geese who populated the far reaches of the world, for the most part to the world's great benefit. Toward the end of his life, Dad wrote a recollection of his youth in Ireland, and I referred to it constantly while writing my novel. He lived through much of Michael's life story (though he never, to the best of my knowledge, had an affair with the squire's daughter). The rest was experienced by other people, whose stories I adapted.

The heroines bear less resemblance to my mother, Anne Crowley, though Mom did serve in the Cumann na mBan-easier to pronounce than to spell!-and once or twice tucked blasting caps into her cleavage. She was a more forgiving person than my father, and she wouldn't be at all troubled to learn that her great-granddaughters carry British as well as American passports.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 206 pages
• Publisher: iUniverse; 1st edition (October 12, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0595297331
• ISBN-13: 978-0595297337
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,645,740 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Daniel Ford has spent a lifetime reading and writing about the wars of the past hundred years, from the Irish rebellion of 1916 to the counter-guerrilla operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. He is best known for his history of the American Volunteer Group--the 'Flying Tigers' of the Second World War--and his Vietnam novel that was filmed as 'Go Tell the Spartans', starring Burt Lancaster. Most recently, he has turned to the invasion of Poland in 1939 by Germany and Soviet Russia. Most of his books and many shorter pieces are available for Amazon's Kindle ebook reader. He lives and works in New Hampshire. (Photo by Liz Handy, London)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't miss this book!, November 27, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Michael's War: A story of the Irish Republican Army (Paperback)

MICHAEL'S WAR is a serious literary work. It is also a page-turner, an exciting adventure yarn--and a warm-hearted love story--and a sound perspective of the tangled history of the Irish struggle for freedom. The characters are memorable and believable--and like so much Irish literature, the narrative sings. Finally, it is the heritage of Daniel Ford, its author.

In a word, I loved it.

The story is set in the period 1917-23 when the Irish Republicans fought, with minimal resources, the arrogant British domination and made their mark, only to be tricked and betrayed so that in the end it was brother fighting brother.

Equally important, this is a personal history of Michael Ford, a stubborn farmer, as he grows from boyhood to a commander of men, who ultimately escapes death by Irish luck and lives to look at his own gravestone before his departure for America.

DON'T MISS THIS BOOK!

-- Paul Estaver

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good story, solid history!, November 3, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Michael's War: A story of the Irish Republican Army (Hardcover)

'Michael's War' is a very fine yarn about the Irish Republican Army, complete with the mandatory love affair between the Irish farmer and the squire's daughter. (Think of Tom Cruise & Nicole Kidman in 'Far & Away'!) I especially liked the way Mr Ford, an American, caught the cadence of Irish speech.

The story closely follows the course of Ireland's separation from England, from the Easter Week 'rising' in 1916 to the surrender of the IRA 'diehards' in 1923. At the end of all, as Michael would say, he sells the farm and sets out for America, leaving behind a country full of hate & suspicion as a result of civil war.

The seeds of the IRA 'troubles' of the past half-century were sown in Cork & Kerry in the early 1920s. Mr Ford coats the history lesson with a satisfactory romance and an exciting tale of guerrilla warfare. Good job! (reviewed Nov 2003 by Terence Quigley)

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good story, solid history, November 3, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Michael's War: A story of the Irish Republican Army (Paperback)

'Michael's War' is a very fine yarn about the Irish Republican Army, complete with the mandatory love affair between the Irish farmer and the squire's daughter. (Think of Tom Cruise & Nicole Kidman in 'Far & Away'!) I especially liked the way Mr Ford, an American, caught the cadence of Irish speech.

The story closely follows the course of Ireland's separation from England, from the Easter Week 'rising' in 1916 to the surrender of the IRA 'diehards' in 1923. At the end of all, as Michael would say, he sells the farm and sets out for America, leaving behind a country full of hate & suspicion as a result of civil war.

The seeds of the IRA 'troubles' of the past half-century were sown in Cork & Kerry in the early 1920s. Mr Ford coats the history lesson with a satisfactory romance and an exciting tale of guerrilla warfare. Good job! (reviewed Nov 2003 by Terence Quigley)