Wars of the Irish Kings: A Thousand Years of Struggle, from the Age of Myth through the Reign of Queen Elizabeth I (Paperback)

by David W. McCullough (Author) "AS MONKS IN THE MONASTERIES of medieval Ireland complied their yearly records of what was happening (or what was said to be happening) in their..." (more)
Key Phrases: quicken trees, meane time, valiant champions, Sir Edward, Palace of the Quicken Trees, Dal Cais (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist
Ireland's long history of struggle against conquerors is evident in this fantastical collection of myths, stories, and legends. This is a fascinating mixture of mythology and actual historical events as recorded by monks who determined what they thought were of significance: war and the activities of kings. Figures from early Irish literature--Cuchulain, Finn MacCool, and St. Patrick the snake remover--are among the heroes doing battle against a succession of invaders, from the Vikings and the Scots to the British. The Irish love of storytelling and a real history of resistance to conquerors are woven into these lushly told tales: gods and mortals engaged in petty jealousies and grand revenge, a king foretelling the future by placing a thumb under his knowledge tooth, and enemies disarmed by sorcery. Each section is introduced with historical background information to help the reader sort fact from myth, as much as can be done, but with a decided appreciation of the exuberance of the stories. Lovers of Irish and medieval literature will relish this book. Vanessa Bush
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review
?A fascinating mixture of mythology and actual historical events. . . . Lovers of Irish and medieval literature will relish this book.??Booklist -- Review

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Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Three Rivers Press (February 26, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0609809075
• ISBN-13: 978-0609809075
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 7.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #449,386 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful resource, May 31, 2001

By	Kurt A. Johnson (Marseilles, Illinois, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Wars of the Irish Kings: A Thousand Years of Struggle, from the Age of Myth through the Reign of Queen Elizabeth I (Hardcover)

This book contains stories from a thousand years of Irish kings, as drawn from primary sources. The book begins with the legendary stories of the Book of Invasions, and the stories of Cuchulain, Finn MacCool and Mad King Sweeney, all of which are translated in a clear and compelling style. The stories then continue through to Hugh O'Neill and the Nine Years War. Each section begins with an introduction, and each chapter begins with a preface that introduces the author and what the author is writing about. As an added bonus, this book includes a glossary of common Irish words used in place names (e.g. dun, bally, etc.) and a guide to pronunciation.

This is a wonderful resource. I have read many books on Irish history, and it is great to be able read about select episodes as written about by people who lived closer to the actual events. The stories are easy to read, and are quite entertaining. I recommend this book.

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Thousand Years and Hundreds (It Seems) of Kings, December 7, 2000

By	Ricky Hunter (New York City, NY United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Wars of the Irish Kings: A Thousand Years of Struggle, from the Age of Myth through the Reign of Queen Elizabeth I (Hardcover)

David Willis McCullough has edited and combined many, many original texts of Wars of the Irish Kings (so goes the title) that can be interesting, frustrating, dull or very dull depending on the particular source used. It is a little jarring to go from one of the source writers to another as their styles are often different and the short length of the excerpts does not allow enough time to get used to a particular format or way of expressing ideas before it is time to move on. The flurry of names coming at the reader can be quite daunting, as well. The best and most effective part of the book are the brief introductions before each original source. They are concise, well-written and effectively prepare the reader for what is to come. The book does make me want to read further in Irish history to help fill in some of the gaps left empty by this book.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Irish Enthisiast, September 22, 2005

By	teo (montezuma, CO) - See all my reviews

Well written and informative. A good collection of original texts from Ireland. Especially useful after reading a good ancient Irish History book.