101 Things You Didn't Know About Irish History: The People, Places, Culture, and Tradition of the Emerald Isle (101 Things You Didnt Know Abt) [Paperback]

Ryan Hackney (Author), Amy Hackney Blackwell (Author), Garland Kimmer (Author)

Book Description

Series: 101 Things You Didnt Know Abt | Publication Date: December 14, 2006

Over 20 million Americans claim some sort of Irish heritage. But how much do readers really know about this amazing country? Forget about shamrocks, leprechauns, and all that blarney, "101 Things You Didn't Know About Irish History" is a concise and authoritative guide that dispels the myths and tells the true stories of the Irish. Its highlights include: lives of the ancient Celts until the British invasions; famous Irish including Michael Collins, Charles Parnell - and Bono; the potato famine and immigration (were there really gangs of New York?); Irish music and dance; and, folklore, faeries and leprechauns. Complete with a Irish language primer and pronunciation guide, "101 Things You Didn't Know About Irish History" is a informative pot of gold for everyone who loves the Irish!

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Garland Kimmer received his Ph.D in Irish Studies from Chapel Hill. He currently lives in Massachusetts.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Adams Media (December 14, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1598693239
• ISBN-13: 978-1598693232
• Product Dimensions: 6.2 x 5.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #200,977 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #21 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Reference > Fun Facts > Trivia
  • #91 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > History > World > General

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not what I expected, March 15, 2011

By 

Jeremy Aldrich (Harrisonburg, VA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: 101 Things You Didn't Know About Irish History (101 Things You Didnt Know Abt) (Kindle Edition)

With a title like "101 Things You Didn't Know", I was expecting a list of fun facts and trivia items that could be pulled out on St. Patrick's Day during conversation. That's not what this is. Instead, it's a collection of 101 mini-essays (each of them several paragraphs long) going chronologically through the history of the Emerald Isle from prehistoric times to the present day. It's fairly light reading and is useful for the typical general interest reader who knows next to nothing about the Celts, the Book of Kells, or Bloody Sunday.

It is arranged into four sections: Ancient Ireland, Arrival of Christianity and the British, Preserving Irish Culture and History, and Emigration to Modern Life. There are also two appendices: one on Irish Gaelic pronunciation with a few basic phrases, and another with a very short collection of Irish proverbs and blessings.

After reading "101 Things You Didn't Know About Irish History", you will know a lot more about Ireland than a book of random fun facts could have taught. Sometimes it's good to have your expectations broken!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting facts, presented in a lighthearted way, March 17, 2011

By 

SingleEyePhotos - See all my reviews

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This review is from: 101 Things You Didn't Know About Irish History (101 Things You Didnt Know Abt) (Kindle Edition)

When I was in school, I studied Medieval history, with an emphasis on England, and it astounded me when I read this book to realize how little I really knew about Ireland and Irish culture and history! I liked the format of this book - many (101, to be exact!) very short chapters, only 2-3 pages at most - that were easy to read and didn't overload on the facts. Most of the items were presented in chronological order, though there was some overlap, especially during tumultous times in Irish history. The tone was very light, and there were a few times where I thought it was a bit TOO light, but not to the point of being offensive. Factual information was given, but not in a way that made you feel you were reading a scholarly book. I did find it a bit tedious as the chronology approached modern times, but that's most likely just me, since modern history isn't my interest - the writing and style did not change.

I was very glad to have a chance to partially fill in what turned out to be a huge gap in my knowledge, and finished the book with a much greater respect for the Irish and their history and culture. I would recommend this to just about anyone. It won't replace any scholarly works on Ireland and the Irish, but it's an excellent beginning book for someone who is casually interested in Irish history. For what it is - a quick, light, factual read - it's just right.

Note on Kindle formatting: Excellent. I found a few instances of incorrect punctuation throughout the book, all which could easily have been found in a print version as well. There was nothing that impacted ease of reading.

12 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Be careful...., June 8, 2008

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S. Bucek - See all my reviews
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This review is from: 101 Things You Didn't Know About Irish History: The People, Places, Culture, and Tradition of the Emerald Isle (101 Things You Didnt Know Abt) (Paperback)

I have a book by the same author called "The Everything Irish Book," and it's pretty much the same. So if you have that one, don't get this one too! Great books though.