Customer Reviews

Mysterious World: Ireland

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When I opened the package from the mail and pulled out "Mysterious World: Ireland," my jaw literally dropped open! Wait, I could not have ordered a book such as this in paperback form. Then I remembered I had because it is a travel guide. What is the publisher thinking in making a lush coffee table book into a travel guide? You would have to see it to believe its incredible content and beauty. But I blather on.

Even the website (www.mysteriousworld.com) is dedicated to a lush presentation of things mysterious and beautiful about a country. I have never seen anything like this book or website. Publisher Doug Elwell explains in the book's introductory section that MW does not plan to add a print version of their website articles, as print sources end up in old files, old books, and in out-of-sight places. As a librarian, I can attest to the veracity of his statement. Then why do I hold a big, thick, heavy paperback travel guide in my hand? Take a logical guess: travel. Not everyone wants to carry a laptop on vacation. On trips before, I have known friends to leave their guides at the last stop before heading home. Nope, not so for this book. This guide is a souvenir, a memory book of places visited. "Mysterious Places: Ireland" then becomes a new kind a coffee table book. At home leave it out, dog-eared, worn and torn, and guess how many visitors will pick it up? I dare say virtually every one!

Travel writer Ian Middleton begins his tome with the history of the first people of Ireland, Scythians, who descended from Noah's son Japheth through his son Magog. But it was through the oldest son of Magog that the first Gaedelic Celts descended. It is these Gaels who followed the balance of life: between the light and the dark, the natural and the divine--to become the Irish.

The first 300 pages of this 776 page book are dedicated to the Mystery and History of Ireland: invasions, deities and demigods, sea serpents, monsters, beasts, druids, poets, fairies, fairy tales, folk tales, mythical tales, then the History: the coming of the Christians, ancient cultures, and Ireland today. For full enjoyment of the book and your trip, you might consider reading this half before you go.

The travel section kind of unfolds from the history. There is, however, a clear demarcation between the two. Pick up the book and look at the bottom. The mostly white section is the Mystery; the second half with the dark area is the travel section.

Middleton provides the necessary travel information (clothing, monetary exchanges, etc), but much much more. Remember that archway over the two pages? Alongside each each from top to bottom of the page in a dark green rectangle is listed pertinent local information: where to eat, where to stay, costs, pubs, ferry crossings, and more. Then the pages provide information about out-of-the-way places, mysterious sites, and touristy areas. Also, on each two-page spread is at least one photo, map, and/or illustration. The book really is quite astonishing.

"Mysterious World: Ireland" is unlike other travel guides: it is a mini encyclopedia of a country with a focus on its mysterious past. Publisher Elwell says this is the first of a series he and writer Middleton and staff will put together. There is no dearth of people interested in the mysteries of a place, its world and culture.

For more information and updates to the travel guide, please visit http://ireland.mysteriousworld.com and www.mysteriousworld.com.

If you've ever wanted to know almost everything about the oddities of Ireland - its people, its places, its myths, its legends, look no further. "Mysterious World: Ireland" is nearly 800 full color pages filled with photos and information on almost every myth and legend about the small nation. Killer dwarfs and devious leprechauns fill an epic journey to uncover anything and everything enigmatic about the small island. Enthusiastically recommended for armchair travelers and anyone who's planning on going to Ireland and wants to see something a bit weird, "Mysterious World: Ireland" is for you, and should more than earn its spot on any travel shelf in community libraries.

This gives the reader an excellent overview as to why Ireland is often described as mystical!

we used this book all over ireland - looking for sacred sites --
you do need a car - as public transportation does not go all placres - and taxis are expensive

the book worked wonderful

As a descendant of Donegal emigrants, I've had a lifelong interest in Ireland. Even when in grade school, I wanted to visit Ireland more than places like Hawaii and finally had the chance 20+ years ago. Even though there were some good books available at the time, I sure wish this one had been around because none of the others even come close. "Mysterious World: Ireland" is really THREE books in one: one part mythology, another part history and the final part travelogue. They all work hand-in-hand.

The mythological ("Mystery") portion takes up the first 213 pages and is easily the most impressive work I've ever read on Irish folklore. The text goes into great detail on ancient legends and stories and how they can be seen in the many indicators of the past found throughout the island in the form of dolmens, cairns and rounds. The artwork of Jim Fitzpatrick, a Dubliner whose depictions of early Ireland are unmatched, is sprinkled throughout to give an extra sense of the times. A truly outstanding section.

The second "History" section begins with the advent of Christianity and St. Patrick in the 5th Century and takes the reader through future centuries filled with invasions, battles and turmoil all the way through the Revolution of the 1920's and up past the turn of the 21st Century. While not as comprehensive a section as "Mystery," the 142-page "History" gives a fairly concise look at Ireland over a 1400-year period. You'll have a good idea of what formed modern Ireland.

The final 421-page "Journey" portion is a highly personal trip through as many nooks and crannies as author Ian Middleton could visit over his two-month trip through the country. There are photos and sidebars galore, and he does an effective job of giving the reader an idea of the personality of Ireland. While there are plenty of places for lodging, eating and visiting listed throughout this section, it by no means reads like a typical Frommer's travel guide. I've long held that unless you get to know the PEOPLE of a country, you're just visiting a bunch of snapshot opportunities without really understanding where you are and why things are the way they are. Middleton gets that.

Doug Elwell has done a terrific job editing nearly 800 pages jammed with so much content into a readable form. Of all the books I've read on Ireland over the years, none of them has presented such a synthesis of legend, history, places and people like this one. A bonus is its compact (5"x7")size that makes it easy to stash in a suitcase.

Even if you never visit Ireland yourself, "Mysterious World: Ireland" is worth having on your bookshelf. You truly get a sense of the magic of Eire. You'll never find a better all-round book on the country, and it'll seem like only a page's turn apart from being there.

I bought this book in anticipation of my trip to Ireland in 2010. I must say I am thoroughly impressed with it. The amount of information is amazing. The history, the lore, it's really great.

This book is definitely helping us plan our trip, and it has us even more excited to go!