Irish History and Novels About Ireland
This narrative tells the story of how Europe evolved from the classical age of Rome to
the medieval era. Without Ireland, this transition could not have taken place. Irish
monks and scribes maintained records of Western civilization and brought their
uniquely Irish world-view to the task.
From the Publisher
From the fall of Rome to the rise of Charlemagne—the "dark ages"—learning,
scholarship, and culture disappeared from the European continent. The great heritage of
western civilization—from the Greek and Roman classics to Jewish and Christian
works—would have been utterly lost were it not for the holy men and women of
unconquered Ireland. In this delightful and illuminating look into a crucial but little-
known "hinge" of history, Thomas Cahill takes us to the "island of saints and scholars,"
the Ireland of St. Patrick and the Book of Kells. Here, far from the barbarian
despoliation of the continent, monks and scribes laboriously, lovingly, even playfully
preserved the west's written treasures. With the return of stability in Europe, these
Irish scholars were instrumental in spreading learning. Thus the Irish not only were
conservators of civilization, but became shapers of the medieval mind, putting their
unique stamp on western culture.
From The Critics
New Yorker
When Cahill shows the splendid results of St. Patrick's mission in Ireland...he isn't
exaggerating. He's rejoicing.
Boston Globe
Cahill's lively prose breathes life into a 1,600 year-old history.
Richard Eder - Los Angeles Times
A lovely and engrossing tale...Graceful and instructive.
Publisher's Weekly - Cahners\\Publishers_Weekly
With the fall of the Roman Empire in the fifth century, Ireland, according to the author,
"had one moment of unblemished glory"-when Irish monks copied almost all of
Western classical poetry, history, oratory, philosophy and commentary. But this book
is more than the story of monks preserving manuscripts; it is an irreverent look back at
how Ireland came to be. Celts who had traversed Europe, Irish warriors and their
women were primitive and blatantly sexual. Next came a taming of the land with the
help of St. Patrick, who hated slavery and loved scholarship. Patrick was followed by
St. Columcille, a great lover of books who became embroiled in a war and, as penance,
exiled himself to the island of Iona, off Scotland. It was here that Ireland became
"Europe's publisher," as other warrior-monks followed Columcille's example and began
to colonize barbarized Europe. They put Ireland in the vanguard of intellectual
leadership, a position the Irish would not surrender until the Viking invasion of the
11th century. Cahill (A Literary Guide to Ireland) has written a scholarly, yet cheeky,
book that will have strong appeal to Celtophiles.
Publisher's Weekly
An account of the pivotal role played by Irish monks in transcribing and preserving
Classical civilization during the Dark Ages. (Mar.)
Aspiring Writers
England's attempts to subdue its island neighbor are a sorry tale at best, but no
invasion or repression could have done the incredible damage of the 1846 potato
blight. For five years thereafter, the crop failure forced the Irish to flee their land in
any way they could. Scott recites the horrific saga of their trials and travels, often in
tones of underlying fury, yet mostly with a compassionate voice that underscores
the terrible occasions described in Laxton's somewhat dry words. The work is
episodic, random and, at times, repetitive, but Scott's sensibility and ability to bring
to life the stilted tone of the era make this a worthwhile listening experience. S.B.S.
cAudioFile, Portland, Maine
From legends retold around the peat fire to modern stories of psychological
terror, the Irish have always had a fascination with fear. Drawn from 200 years of
short story writing, this book includes 24 powerful Irish tales with more than
enough material to set pulses racing: satanic figures, ghosts, and hapless victims
fleeing from their inescapable dooms. Writers includes such giants of classic
horror fiction as Bram Stoker, Sax Rohmer, and Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu; masters
like George Bernard Shaw, John Millington Synge, and Dorothy Macardle; and
such modern exponents of the genre as Brian Cleeve, Jack Higgins, and Neil
Jordan.
From the Publisher
In this chilling collection, banshees howl, graves open, unnamed horrors lurk in
the shadows, and victims flee in terror from a doom they cannot escape.
There is much more to the Irish experience than a good song and dance and a
well-told story. As evidenced by the more than 40 million U.S. citizens who
currently lay claim to having ancestral roots in the Emerald Isle, the Irish in America
have been making significant historical and cultural contributions to this country
since the seventeenth century when the first Irish immigrant ships began arriving on
our eastern shores.
To celebrate those accomplishments, and to commemorate the 150th anniversary of
the potato famine in Ireland, which led to one of the largest migrations of a people in
history, this lavishly produced book brings to life the full and rich saga of the Irish in
America.
Filled with hundreds of illustrations and photographs, The Irish in America is
enhanced by more than two dozen original essays penned for this project by some of
America's foremost Irish-American writers, historians, and personalities. Included
among the contributions are works by Frank McCourt, Peggy Noonan, Pete Hamill,
Denis Leary, Mary Higgins Clark, Malachy McCourt, Thomas Flanagan, Terry
George, Peter Quinn, T. J. English, and Jason Robards. Featuring a Foreword by
former congressman Joseph P. Kennedy II and an Afterword by best-selling novelist
Maeve Binchy, this vibrant history is told through chapters whose themes are taken
from the most important institutions of Irish life: the Great Famine, the Parish, the
Precinct, the Work, the Players (show business, sports, literature), and the New
Irish.
This lively and inspiring reader is designed to bring out the Irish in everyone!
Synopsis
A companion book to a PBS documentary that, besides giving an overview of the
Irish immigrant experience in the United States, includes original essays by Frank
McCourt, Pete Hamill, and other prominent Irish Americans.