Ireland: A History
Product ID: 299155241
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Ireland has rarely been out of the news during the past thirty years. Whether as a war-zone in which Catholic nationalists and Protestant Unionists struggled for supremacy, a case study in conflict resolution or an economy that for a time promised to make the Irish among the wealthiest people on the planet, the two Irelands have truly captured the world's imagination. Yet single-volume histories of Ireland are rare. Here, Thomas Bartlett, one of the country's leading historians, sets out a fascinating new history that ranges from prehistory to the present. Integrating politics, society and culture, he offers an authoritative historical road map that shows exactly how – and why – Ireland, north and south, arrived at where it is today. This is an indispensable guide to both the legacies of the past for Ireland's present and to the problems confronting north and south in the contemporary world. Review: heavy tome for foreign reader - I managed to read a whole book from cover to cover. When you finish you hardly remember first parts of the book. Neverthless it is a very well written book and a must for everyone who wants to understand history of Ireland a little bit. I would not dare to travel to Ireland without first reading a book. If you want to have some idea about: - catholicism in this country through the centuries and relations with protestantism - bloody historic events that led to partition - character od politicians and ordinary people - and celtic tiger till great financial crisis, then take a time and digest this tome. It is a heavy, exausting read especially for me who live tousand miles away and I am not germanic or celtic, but it is worth it. For me the most shocking item was unbelivably rapid decline of Irish catholic Church and secularization of society. And beside you must take into account that Ireland never had communist regime and has weathered second world war rather well. So I hardly understand that society transformed itself so rapidly without political repression in last 50 years as a pure product of western materialism. That is my impression that I got from this book. I never was in Ireland but I intend to visit it. I hope it would be as interesting as content of this book. Review: Entertaining - Great overview, generally quite entertaining, but a bit uneven. For example, it takes 80 pages to get from 1572 to 1772, but the following 80 pages only get us as far as 1802, with far too much detail on the run-up to Union. The style also varies, from punchy, light-hearted and almost comic at times to academic and a little long-winded at others, as if chunks had been imported from other earlier work by the author. Excellent generally on the Troubles. Maybe the overview of 21st century Ireland could have highlighted the good degree of political and social cohesion, with little of the polarisation evident in other advanced societies (although the publication date means the author wouldn't have been in a position to witness the relative absence of a populist right - and the unusual presence of populist left - in Ireland).
| Best Sellers Rank | #1,256,506 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #13,270 in European History (Books) #137,587 in Reference (Books) |
| Customer Reviews | 4.5 out of 5 stars 200 Reviews |
I**N
heavy tome for foreign reader
I managed to read a whole book from cover to cover. When you finish you hardly remember first parts of the book. Neverthless it is a very well written book and a must for everyone who wants to understand history of Ireland a little bit. I would not dare to travel to Ireland without first reading a book. If you want to have some idea about: - catholicism in this country through the centuries and relations with protestantism - bloody historic events that led to partition - character od politicians and ordinary people - and celtic tiger till great financial crisis, then take a time and digest this tome. It is a heavy, exausting read especially for me who live tousand miles away and I am not germanic or celtic, but it is worth it. For me the most shocking item was unbelivably rapid decline of Irish catholic Church and secularization of society. And beside you must take into account that Ireland never had communist regime and has weathered second world war rather well. So I hardly understand that society transformed itself so rapidly without political repression in last 50 years as a pure product of western materialism. That is my impression that I got from this book. I never was in Ireland but I intend to visit it. I hope it would be as interesting as content of this book.
V**D
Entertaining
Great overview, generally quite entertaining, but a bit uneven. For example, it takes 80 pages to get from 1572 to 1772, but the following 80 pages only get us as far as 1802, with far too much detail on the run-up to Union. The style also varies, from punchy, light-hearted and almost comic at times to academic and a little long-winded at others, as if chunks had been imported from other earlier work by the author. Excellent generally on the Troubles. Maybe the overview of 21st century Ireland could have highlighted the good degree of political and social cohesion, with little of the polarisation evident in other advanced societies (although the publication date means the author wouldn't have been in a position to witness the relative absence of a populist right - and the unusual presence of populist left - in Ireland).
A**0
Wonderful overview of Irish history - even-handed and beautifully written.
This is a tremendous one-volume history of Ireland, from St Patrick through to the present day. It serves as a great introduction to Irish history and should whet the appetite for further reading. Professor Bartlett is scrupulously fair and well-balanced. He writes with an easy style and with frequent flashes of humour. Highly recommended.
B**N
The Best One-Volume History of Ireland I Have Found
This history of Ireland is complete, reliable, and sometimes surprising. It is also entirely readable. Where there is a choice between repeating familiar legends and setting out the facts, it always chooses that latter option. That means it does not tell us more about ancient Ireland than we actually know and does not simply repeat any of the romantic myth that often pass for modern Irish history.
N**A
Mum loved it
Bought this as a present for my mother. She loved the book.
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