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Customer Reviews (1)

Delivers on its title: archival research galore
Critics and historians tend to peddle the same few incidents from the Limerick boycott, the election of IRA supplier Bob Briscoe as Dublin's Lord Mayor, the Irish-born president of Israel, Chaim Herzog, and of course, the fictional Leopold Bloom who's not even Jewish according to "strictly confessional criteria, of course." (205) Professor ÓGráda, known for his "Black '47 and Beyond" Famine study that plowed through economic and demographic data meticulously, does the same excavation into the archival and testimonial undergrowth so far unearthed by previous scholars. As with his previous book, here he also challenges facile anecdotes and puts to rest weary factoids.

While much of this study fills pages with charts only statisticians will delight in, the author takes pains to explain his findings in clear prose. One shortcoming is the skimpy illustrations, in an era that must have possessed many engravings, cartoons, and photos. Only a few photos of drab house exteriors are included. Also, the refugee crisis later in the 20th c. may be outside the immediate vantage point assumed here, but whether the far too few who escaped the Nazis for shelter in North or the Free State settled in with previous Jews or whether they found refuge elsewhere in Ireland is not addressed here at all. While the bibliography is excellent, these are two areas that could have been granted brief attention, for the panorama extends beyond Bloomsday across the rest of the past century, thanks to oral history and interviews.

Admittedly, particular chapters did cause me to skim rather than slow down due to their rather thickly clotted amassing of records. But, many others who read this valuable study may find these the most engaging sections. For me, interested in Irish Jewry from a literary and social context (my humble chapter on "The Jews in Ireland" in editor Seán Duffy's "Medieval Ireland: An Encyclopedia" escaped mention in an otherwise extensive list of works on the subject, and I admit my little entry may have been beyond the scope of this focused and thoughtful analysis on late 19th and early 20th c. Ireland), the comparisons escape the dutiful catalogue that Joyceans recite endlessly of references to Bloom's purported progenitors.

Instead, and refreshingly so, Ó Gráda carefully sifts through the facts from Ireland and places them alongside diaspora studies of Jewish immigration, to show where the Irish encounter differed and where it matched that of American, British, Commonwealth, and even an occasional Latin American emigré's tale from a century ago. He finds that hygiene, education, literacy, occupations, and communal standards differed often between the native Irish and the newcomers-- usually Litvaks less likely fleeing pogroms or conscription and much more probably (despite family lore?) coming as economic migrants to a more welcoming Western Europe. Why a few, perhaps less than one in every hundred winding up in New York or London, came to Ireland raises intriguing questions.

Generally, the Jews came because others had preceded them, and inevitably a few disembarked in Cork, Belfast, or Dublin as British ports that remained relatively affordable. They often benefited despite the discrimination in their Russian homeland by considerable advantages. Ó Gráda notes that although in the Pale the Litvaks numbered 18.7% of the workforce, they comprised over half of civil servants and 91.5% of those in trades and finance. So, those who chose to leave greater Lithuania already likely possessed much higher rates of literacy, health, and stability than their Gentile counterparts. They missed the old country little if at all, he finds, but did in letters express a yearning for the people left behind in their ancestral shetl or village. Nostalgia, unlike for the Irish emigrant, expressed itself not in a longing for the beauty of a landscape, but for the ties that bound them to a culture and a religious tradition that they sought to duplicate in portable fashion elsewhere. This proved the key to late 19th and early 20th c. success for many Jews.

The chain of "landsmen" led other friends and neighbors to leave for the same places as those who preceded them. While the numbers to an overwhelmingly Catholic interior kept miniscule, the opportunities in Irish cities for sellers of holy pictures, for moneylenders, for peddlers, for commercial sales and shopkeeping, and then for professionals and civil servants among their children and grandchildren enticed a few Litvaks to settle. They rarely competed in the jobs they found with the natives, and tended to keep to themselves for religious observances, kosher meals, and social interaction, so friction, Ó Gráda cautiously suggests, was kept for the most part far more minimal than others have suggested. For example, he criticizes Ronit Lentin's claim that the Irish Jews constituted "the archetypal 'others' of Ireland's national Catholicism" (qtd. 210) and Ó Gráda finds that the suffering of Irish Jews "was relatively mild."

The 20th century provided the community with its success and its decline, as many Irish Jews emigrated to marry within the community. Their triumphs in schooling, property, and business marked the few thousand as having made it in Ireland, but the stagnation that the nation endured for much of the past century meant that the future often beckoned elsewhere in the diaspora or in Israel more brightly. The outlying, provincial nature of Irish Jews also followed global trends towards assimilation; the vulnerability of marginal minorities continues in Jewry today outside a few urban centers, and only a tenth of the those in Dublin today, Ó Gráda estimates, attend services. Their counterparts in Cork have all but vanished, and those in Belfast continue to dwindle. While numbers in Dublin recently may have stabilized, there are no neighborhoods as Jewish as was once Lower Clanbrassil St, and the incomers from Israel, the EU, or the United States may be a temporary sign of the fluctuating boom of the past few years in Ireland rather than a long-term indicator of recovery. ... Read more

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A Traveller's History of Ireland gives a full and accurate portrait of Ireland from its prehistory right up to the present. The story opens with mysterious, early Celtic Ireland where no Roman stood, through Saint Patrick's mission to Ireland which began the process of making it "an island of saints," to the legendary high King Brian Boru and his struggle with Viking and Irish enemies alike.

It moves on through the arrival of the Norman "Strongbow" in the twelfth century, and the beginnings of the difficult and tragic Anglo-Irish relationship. Great historical figures like Hugh O'Neill, Oliver Cromwell, and Jonathan Swift figure, as well as ordinary people like the Londonderry "apprentice boys" who helped change the course of Irish history. The book then moves into modern times with the great revolts of 1798, the horrors of the potato famine, and the careers of the leading constitutional nationalists, Daniel O'Connell and Charles Parnell. The book ends with a description of modern Ireland, and of its two separate Catholic Nationalist and Protestant Unionist traditions. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Not a traveler's history, but OK
This interesting little book is a history of Ireland, pure and simple - there is nothing particularly different for the traveler than any other Irish history book. As a history book, I did find this book to have a good deal of information, covering everything from prehistoric Ireland to the contemporary scene.

Now, as already said, this book has nothing in particular to offer the traveler, so if you are looking for that, you will be disappointed. As a history book, this book is somewhat disappointing because the author does not maintain objectivity about his subject. For example, when discussing the massacres of Protestants in 1641, the author minimizes the claims of losses and challenges the objectivity of the witnesses. But, when he comes to the massacres committed by Oliver Cromwell in 1649 he does not similarly challenge the historic record.

Well, am I saying that this is a bad book? No, in point of fact, I did find this to be a highly informative and interesting read. The author does a good job of covering Irish history in a smooth and interesting manner.

So, if you are looking for a good history book for the traveler, then don't get this book. If you are looking for an objective and clear-eyed book on Irish history...then don't get this book. But, if you are looking for a short, but highly informative book on Irish history, then you will enjoy this book. Just know what you are getting.

Needs less history, more travel
Starry-eyed and with a deep-seated love of the history of the place even before I had set foot there, I travelled to Paris after graduating university, armed not only with the obligatory budget guide to hostels and el-cheapo cafes, but with a last-minute find: "A Traveller's History of Paris". It was fabulous. Not only could I bore my travelling companion to tears photographing every angle of every building, but I could also talk her ear off from Notre Dame to the Louvre, recounting the historical anecdotes and trivia that went with each site.

I was looking forward to much the same when I ordered "A Traveller's History of Ireland". And from the point of view of history, this book certainly strives for thoroughness. However, in the end I left this one at home because it told me very little about specific histories of specific sites that I intended to visit throughout Ireland. Certainly it makes an effort, with the historical gazetteer at the back, to link the history to the geography; however, as a traveller, I much prefer to have the *places* enumerated and detailed than the periods.

As a history of Ireland, this book is not even that inspiring. Rather dry and sometimes pedantic, it lacks the lyrical energy that so informs the Irish love-affair with the written and spoken word. To get a sense of the flavour of Ireland's history, you'd do far better to read such personal accounts as Frank McCourt's deservedly popular memoirs, or the alternately funny and heart-rending novels of Roddy Doyle. For the romantic, browse Yeats' poems; for the ancient, explore the rich Irish folklore and mythology. Any of these will give you a better feel for the country and its spirit than this book, detailed and scholarly as it is.

I recommend this book mostly for that detail and scholarly approach. The title is misleading, though - this is not a book written with the traveller in mind. ... Read more

Product Description
Originally published in 1903.This volume from the Cornell University Library's print collections was scanned on an APT BookScan and converted to JPG 2000 format by Kirtas Technologies.All titles scanned cover to cover and pages may include marks notations and other marginalia present in the original volume. ... Read more

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Winner of the1999 James S.Donnelly Sr. Prize awarded by American Conference for Irish Studies (ACIS).

Based on extensive research in family and state archives in Ireland, England, and the United States, Professor Keogh studies the influx which followed the Russian pogroms and the establishment of enlarged Jewish communities in Dublin, Belfast, and Cork.The author contrasts the general rise of anti-Semitism and the background to the Limerick pogrom of 1904, with the world of Dublin Jews as personified by James Joyce's "Leopold Bloom", and the contribution of the community to the professional, academic, social, and political life of the country.

The book focuses on the relationship between the Jewish community and the Irish State under William T. Cosgave in the 1920's, and Eamon de Valera between 1932 and 1948.Professor Keogh lays particular emphasis on the role of Chief Rabbi Isaac Herog and his work on building up the community.He also examines the thinking of senior officials towards the admission of Jewish refugees in the late 1930's and charts de Valera's reponse to the Holocaust.

This is the first book to offer a critical reassessment to this difficut period in Irish international relations.It will be of interest to those concerned with Jewish history, the study of intolerance, the international reaction to the Holocaust, and to the history of inter-war refugee policy ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Another winner
I am a huge fan of Anne McCaffrey's work. This is an excellent novelette that gives a little insight to the beginning of PERN.

An intimate history of Irish Jewry from 1880 to now
Dermot Keogh has presented an excellent picture of Irish Jewry from 1880's to the present time.His extensive researchgives the reader an insight into the socio-economic climate prevailing in rural and urban Ireland. The Irish are seen as a tolerant and accepting people.However, the 1904Limerick pogrom highlights the distrust and ignorance that pervaded thegeneral population of rural Ireland.Sparked by the preaching of Fr JohnCreagh of the Archconfraternity of the Holy Family, a Catholic Order - heincited the local people of Limerick to boycott the Jewish traders of thecity.His main attack was against the "weekly men" - who soldgoods on credit and collected a small amount each week until the amount waspaid off.He maintained these traders were unscrupulous often chargingexcessively for inferior goods. Although the Catholic Church is not seentosupport his vilificationof the Jews, it does little to stop himeither.This lingering anti-Semitism underlies the general feelings of thepopulation throughout the book - even up to the present time.As theSecond World War approaches, De Valera and his Fianna Fail partyis ingovernment with the only Jewish member of parliament Robert Briscoe.Keogh uncovers behind the scenes official policies aimed at stemming thetide of refugees of central and eastern Europe from entering the Free State(Ireland).The argument behind De Valera's government policy was thatthere were too many "of our own people" out of work in thecontext of a mainly agrarian working population.Also, the governmentfeared that allowing in more Jews would further aggravate anti-Semitism inthe country.The bureaucracy was not immune from overt anti-Semitism atthe highest level.Keogh cites the Irish envoy to Berlin, Charles Bewley -he was eventually recalled and resigned from the department of ExternalAffairs. The Jewish community within the Free State numbered 3,900, themajority living in Dublin and organised by the Jewish RepresentativeCouncil (JRC). Although the JRC made representations to the Government onindividual cases, its success in getting Jews into the country was limitedto just a few.InApril 1995, the then Taoiseach John Bruton said: "We in Ireland have not been immune from the bigotry and theindifference, which manifested themselves in Europe this century."Heacknowledged that official Irish archives had revealed that Ireland's doors"were not freely open to those families and individuals fleeing frompersecution and death."

Keogh highlights the great contribution theJewish community has made to the country - in the arts, medicine, law andgovernment.He recounts numerous individual stories about the experiencesof Jewish men and women in a country that is 97% Catholic. ... Read more

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For decades, the British and Irish had 'got used to' a situation without parallel in Europe: a cold, ferocious, persistent campaign of bombing and terror of extraordinary duration and inventiveness. At the heart of that campaign lies one man: Gerry Adams. From the outbreak of the troubles to the present day, he has been an immensely influential figure. The most compelling question about the IRA is: how did a man who condoned atrocities that resulted in huge numbers of civilian deaths also become the guiding light behind the peace process? Moloney's book is now updated to encompass the anxious and uneasy peace that has prevailed to 2007. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

MUST READ___CRITICALLY!!!!
Great to be the first to review this important, but very biased "History".I forgive the author for not being an objective historian---but---Why,I asked myself are the Brits publishing this? Read it,as you must if you have an interest in the subject matter,but don't miss the aim of the author in regard to Gerry Adams.Then read as much more as you can find to get a balanced perspective.Many people died,and not too long ago,so many have bones to pick as this author clearly does.Do not expect objective history about Ireland ever!! Saoirse! ... Read more

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When it comes to Irish America, certain names spring to mind Kennedy, O'Neill and Curley testify to the proverbial footsteps ofthe Gael in Boston. However, few people know of Sister Mary AnthonyO'Connell, whose medical prowess carried her from the convent tothe Civil War battlefields, earning her the nickname the Boston IrishFlorence Nightingale, or of Barney McGinniskin, Boston's first Irishcop, who proudly roared at every roll call, McGinniskin from the bogsof Ireland present! Along with acclaim or notoriety, many forgottenIrish Americans garnered numerous historical firsts. In Hidden History ofthe Boston Irish, Peter F. Stevens offers an entertaining and compellingportrait of the Irish immigrant saga and pays homage to the overlooked,yet significant, episodes of the Boston Irish experience. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Outstanding Information on the Irish in Boston
Great Read once you start you just want to keep going.Gives you some good information on the Irish from Boston.If you are doing some reasearch on the Irish in Boston this book will give you some insites. ... Read more

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Written by James Stephens in the same year as the famous Easter Rebellion in Ireland.Stephens explains the reasons for the rebellion and a day by day description of a insurrection which eventually brought about a free and independent Ireland.Stephens is also well known for his fictional writings and his friendship with James Joyce. ... Read more

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The Mouse That Roared
James Stephens writes an excellent history of the Easter Rebellion, a short and bitter battle which was credited with transforming political attitudes in Ireland, leading to the the Irish Free State.With a tiny group of Irish volunteers going against the might of the British Empire, this indeed was a case of the the mouse that roared. ... Read more

Product Description
Originally published in 1903.This volume from the Cornell University Library's print collections was scanned on an APT BookScan and converted to JPG 2000 format by Kirtas Technologies.All titles scanned cover to cover and pages may include marks notations and other marginalia present in the original volume. ... Read more

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In Northern Ireland, the conflicting claims and aspirations of Catholic and Protestant, nationalist and unionist, republican and loyalist grate against each other, at each turn escalating the potential for renewed death and destruction. Hope for a peaceful future is not enough to contend with history. In Ulster, history has vanquished hope so often that it seems an act of folly to expect it to be otherwise.

Until recently, the crisis in Northern Ireland was deemed a problem without a solution. Now that the major antagonists have agreed to work for peace and democracy, it is time for an authoritative assessment of "the troubles" that have plagued Ulster for more than a quarter century.

A Belfast product of mixed Catholic and Protestant heritage, Jack Holland is both of and above the fray; he is the writer who has stayed close to the terrorists and antiterrorists of every persuasion since 1966. In this cogent and balanced history, he unravels the complex and often misunderstood story of "the troubles," offering an insightful look at the past, a thorough vision of the present, and a glimpse of what the future may hold.Amazon.com Review
"If you are not confused, you don't understand thesituation."

So said a Belfast graffito of the late 1970s--a hauntingly accuratecomment on the political violence that has raged in Northern Irelandfor generations. The causes of that violence are complex, and all butimpenetrable to outsiders: it has something to do with religion,something to do with economics, something to do with politics, andvery much to do with memory and history, along with the local penchantfor remembering wrongs and rights for years and years after the actualevents.

New York-based journalist and historian JackHolland, whose ancestors are Northern Irish, Catholic andProtestant both, does much to clarify the confusion with HopeAgainst History. He writes of the Troubles over the last 30-oddyears, a time when militant forces favoring continued union with GreatBritain battled those seeking union with the Republic, a battle thatquickly degenerated into terrorist warfare that killed far moreinnocents than combatants. It took too long, and too many lives,before both sides began to see the wisdom of abandoning this senselesssectarian violence for a political solution; the slow evolution ofthat view takes up much of Holland's detailed narrative. Hollandgladly gives credit to opposing political leaders such as Gerry Adamsand GaryMcMichael for recognizing that each side had a role in determiningNorthern Ireland's future. He also credits the Clinton administrationfor its efforts in the peace process--efforts, he suggests, that arosefrom Clinton's wanting to garner support among conservative AmericanCatholics, but that soon transcended narrow political interest.

As Holland notes, the details of that solution are far from beingsettled. Still, he suggests, there is plenty of reason to hope thatthe Northern Irish people, of whatever heritage, will soon find a wayout of violence and get on with the work of livingtogether. --Gregory McNamee ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

A Qucik Read
This history of the Troubles is chocked full of people and places involved with the Northern Ireland Struggle.The volume of names shows the depth of research conducted by the author.Hope Against History gives a good basis to begin in dpeth reading on the various actors involved.This book clarifies the divisions in the military and political struggle.

The Troubles... for beginners.
Holland deserves credit for writing a book that makes the Troubles accessible to readers who really don't know much about it, but I have to say, having read other books on the subject (Coogan, Bell, Moloney) and having followed events in NI for years, I found his analysis too often simplistic and facile, particularly as relates to the recent Peace Process. Read Ed Moloney's "Secret History of the IRA" and you'll know what I'm talking about.

Best book to learn of the Troubles of Northern Ireland
Hope against History is an accessible, fascinating account and could easily be used as a textbook on the "troubles" of Northern Ireland. Holland provides all the gritty details of life in the war torn ghettoes of Belfast and Derry and does a great job of bringing the conflict to life for the reader. Not only is it a fine history of the conflict but a very engaging portrayal of Northern Ireland culture, both protestant and catholic. A must read for anyone with even a passing interest in Irish or British history and a wonderfully quick read for those well acquainted with all the violence and horror of the Troubles.

Hope but still conflict.
Having family in Belfast I found this book to be both interesting and factual.It is difficult at best to try to understand the ins and outs of the "Troubles", but Holland takes a neutral approach in explaining how events have transpired since 1966.I found new information that makes me think that both sides screwed up the peace process and how the English are just as ruthless as the IRA, if maybe not more so.The book cleared up a few questions I had on Bloody Sunday and other pertinent dates in this war.Holland should be commended for keeping the details interesting and at the same time informative.The "Troubles" will never really be a victory for either side but at least it is a little easier to see how things have progressed or regressed through the years.It is hard to stop a war, especially one thats been off and on since the 1100s. May peace be with both sides and the killing stops.

SO this is where it all comes from...
As I followed the progress of the Good Friday agreement (or, rather, lack thereof), I realized that I knew little about the Northern Irish Troubles before 1995 or so.My salvation came in the shape of this book, whichrecounts the major events between 1966 and 1998 clearly and intelligibly. It is easy to become lost in the endless cycle of violence and even moreviolent retribution, yet somehow Holland keeps it focused and readable. His viewpoint even seems to remain objective throughout--surprising,surprising all the hot blood surrounding the issues he discusses. I foundit a compelling (albeit grisly) read and have a better understanding forit. ... Read more

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The second edition of this guide to Poland has been updated to take account of the years from 1989-2005. This period marked its liberation from the Soviet Union, the birth of Poland's 'Third Republic' and, recently, its accession to the European Union in 2004. Poland's history has been marked by its resilience. Once a dominant force in central and eastern Europe and home to a remarkable experiment in consensual politics, it was excised from the map by its neighbours in 1795. Resurrected in 1918, partitioned afresh during the Second World War, it survived to become a satellite of the Soviet Union. Yet in the 1980s, it was Poland which blazed the trail in casting off communism, and was finally able to reassert its Christian heritage. With its updated bibliography and new chronology, the book is the ideal companion for all looking for a comprehensive survey of this fascinating country. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

A Concise History of Poland by Jerzy Lukawdski and Hubert Zawadski
As advertised, this "concise" history of Poland, this one-volume attempt, is just what it is purported to be-"concise." In fact it is so concise that it is confusing in the early going before the year 1795. Being that Poland is/was and has always been a divided and enlarging and shrinking state,sometimes even disappearing,this attempt at chronicling the ever changing Poland is written as advertized,"the highly complex part of this state prior to 1795, " is difficult to follow. This volume is my first attempt at reading a chronological history of
Poland and it was confusing to say the least. The double and sometimes multiple lines of its dynasties, i.e. the Piast and the Jagiellonian pre-1795 intermixed with Polish, Lithuanian and Russ, the Holy Roman Empire, Hungary and other dynasties is clearly unclear. To their credit,the authors Jerzy Lukowski and Hubert Zawadzki make a gallant attempt to present the story of this early history of an ever changing "state" or was it a "condition" called Poland/Lithuania.There was too much flip-floping back and forth between the concurrent dynasties and sometimes flipping to previous and future realms in the writers attempts to explain this Polish-Lithuanian history.Once they trudge through those dublicitious early years things get much clearer to read. I actually found the 20th century writing to be understandable. I especially liked the chronicling of the World War II and Post-WWII eras and their descriptions of the German and Soviet takeovers and the building and the fall of the Communist regime. Perhaps my experience in my own lifetime and my previous studies of modern 20th century history and my studies of the building of the Third Reich and the Soviet dictatorships and their fall allowed me to understand more of what the writers were trying to say.I especially liked the maps of different eras in this volume. They helped me a lot in trying to make sense of this confusing story.I also liked the way the Catholic Church was portrayed as an interveener throughout the history of this "country." I have much sympathy for the Polish and Lithuianian people and their plight throughout modern history. The discussions of the effects of the Taters was well written and added to the understanding of this confusing early history prior to 1795. Years ago I read Minchner's Poland, and got my first picture of the enlarging, shrinking, and sometimes disappearing state of Poland.So having read this volume before reading A Concise History of Poland helped me a lot to understand this volume. I suspect that some confusion may also have been germinated in the writers attempts at putting numerous languages and their meanings into english.

A Solid Overview of Polish History
This book gives balanced detail to the different epochs of Polish history beginning with prehistory and ending with the fall of Communism.

Many interesting facts are presented in this book. For instance, the Blessed Virgin Mary Church in Krakow was completed in 1397. (p. 52). In the 19th century, Russian revolutionaries Herzen and Bakunin supported the resurrection of the Polish state. (p. 163). In 1909, the Boryslaw-Drohobycz oil fields accounted for 5% of the world's oil production. (p. 162). Finally, Kiev had a large and thriving Polish intelligentsia as recently as 1917. (p. 164).

Some writers have claimed that Marie Curie-Sklodowska, following her move to France, increasingly distanced herself from her Polish heritage. In apparent refutation of this, the authors point out that Curie always maintained close contact with Poland, and was instrumental in establishing the Radium Institute in Warsaw in 1932. (p. 163). This was shortly before her death.

During the interwar period, popular illiteracy was reduced from 33% to 15%, and mortality rates were cut in half. A modest beginning was made in mechanization. In 1939, Poland had 2,000 tractors compared with France's 30,000. (pp. 221-222). (Of course, much agriculture all over Europe at the time was still non-mechanized).

A unique aspect of this book is its detailed list, in the back, of all of Poland's rulers, beginning with the dynasties. The list includes foreign rulers of Prussian-occupied, Austrian-occupied, and Russian-occupied Poland, as well the Communist rulers of Poland in the 20th century. There is even a listing of leaders of the Polish Government in Exile in London, which existed in the years 1939-1990.

Definative
This is beyond a doubt the best history of Poland I have read so far (and I run a website on Polish History). It is concise yet detailed enough for any reader or for the curious. There are fascinating facts that one does not come across in any of the other histories which add to the general background and it is written in a eminently readable fashion. Lukowski is a very familiar name amongst students of Polish History - his account of the Partitions is a classic and the partnership with Zawadzki makes me want to read that historian's work also. I cannot recommend this book enough. If you want a History of Poland then this is the definative version.

Best concise history so far-Better than the usual myths
In contrast to the usual myths, it is such a pleasure to read a more honest historical account written by two ethnic Polish writers, now, after many decades of war propagandas. As the authors of this book state: 'The 20th century has added its own myths ...after the Second World War, Polish historiography was want to depict a 'Piast Poland' whose boundaries were curiously congruent with those of the post 1945 state'. James Michener's book 'Poland' (claiming that Poland should have rightfully conquered Prussia), is also one of those myths perpetuating fictions. Michener, a fiction travel writer gentlemen, was taken in by his charming hosts, during the Communist Polish government, while writing his book. Some people take his fantasy book 'Poland' as factual history of Poland. In contrast the two authors of this book, Jerzy Lukowski and Hubert Zawadzki have done some factual research. High time that this 'Concise History of Poland' was written and published.

A great overview of Polish history
If you have no knowledge of Polish history, this book is a good place the start.The authors recommend Playground of the Gods if you are looking for a more detailed history of Poland, but I haven't read those yet so I can't "offically" recommend them.

This book covers basic events and ideas that occured in Poland for the past 1000 years. In addition to politics and military events, the authors attempt to list cultural figures, such as Chopin, and how those figures reflected or affected Polish events.

There were few details on events most people normally think about when they think of Poland, such as concentration camps and WWII. However, these issues aren't ignored entirely, just given the same coverage as other events in Polish history. ... Read more

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6x9, hardbound, gold stamped @ 219 pages. Illustrated, Surname Index. Over 1500 families of Co. Cork are included, from ancient times to the coming of the 20th century. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A very good book on Irish Cork families
This is the best single book for history of my family name.I even found out that people with my surname inhabited a castle in Ireland! ... Read more

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Curious about Gaelic football? Ever wonder where the myth of the Leprechauns comes from or who the Molly Maguires are? Accessible, informative, and easy to use, the Encyclopedia of Ireland is a single-volume compendium of information about the Emerald Isle--its history, people, places, culture, heritage, and politics. An impressive list of scholars and writers have contributed clear and thoughtful entries on all aspects of the country--including more than 300 biographies of well-known and influential Irish people throughout history; 500 historical entries, 400 geographical entries, from towns to archaeological sites, including key sightseeing attractions; 15 chronologies on various developments in Irish history; and 200 quotations on the country and their way of life--more than 2,000 entries in all.
In depth essays on key Irish themes comprise a unique feature of the encyclopedia, and provide the extra detail needed for a full understanding of Ireland's big picture. The selection of essay topics reflects the knowledge most interesting and valuable to readers, such as the "Troubles," tracing Irish ancestors, and the meaning of classic Irish symbols. Main entries on the nation's modern-day institutions, politics, and government add reliable information on today's Ireland and its place in a rapidly consolidating Europe. The book also places a special emphasis on the contributions of the Irish Diaspora, such as Irish Americans, to the rich cultural heritage of the country.
Containing more than 150 historical photographs, several spectacular color-photography sections, and numerous maps and tables, the Encyclopedia of Ireland is a reference work without parallel and a necessity for everyone interested in the Emerald Isle. ... Read more

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The turbulent and bloody years between 1913 and 1923 saw the battle for the independence of Ireland. This book tells the story of the 'Troubles' and the struggle for power, first against the occupying British forces, beginning with the Easter Rising, and then in a violent and bloody civil war that tore the country apart and whose resonances are still with us today.

When the outset of World War I delayed Home Rule for Ireland, a faction of Irish nationalists took direct action. On Easter Monday 1916 a rebellion was launched from the steps of Dublin General Post Office and the existence of an Irish Republic proclaimed. The British drove the rebels back and they surrendered just over a month later. But this was not the end of the issue. Irish nationalists in the shape of Sinn Fein and the IRA took political power in 1919 with a manifesto to claim Ireland back from an English 'foreign' government by whatever means they could. The 'Troubles' of the Anglo-Irish War made heroes of Michael Collins and Eamon de Valera, who were cast as freedom fighters against colonial oppression. While that war ended with the Government of Ireland Act (1920), and the opening of a separate Parliament in Dublin in 1921, negotiations between Unionists and Protestants over the Treaty were fraught, and divisions between the two Irish factions an open sore. When Irish Protestant Sir Henry Wilson, the government's advisor on security matters, was shot dead by two IRA men, civil war followed. Terror and counter-terror operations ensued and in the short bloody battles of the period there were more deaths than in the preceding years of struggle for the Free State.

As well as the troubled path to independence and the creation of the Irish Free State, this book includes information on the various factions and the Irish Volunteer Forces. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Packed with rare photos, modern paintings and digital maps detailing conflicts
Peter Cottrell edits THE WAR FOR IRELAND: 1913-1923, a survey of the country's complex, bloody struggles when Irish nationalists fought the British for independence before battling their kinsmen for its future. Any history collection featuring Irish history will find this packed with rare photos, modern paintings and digital maps detailing conflicts. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Irish History compacted into one little book
This gives an account of a readable outline on Ireland's history beginning from the first inhabitants and pre-christian era to past and today's Ireland's troubles and economy, political, social and religious norms. Contains concise biographies of important patriot figures and Irish writers as well as a chronologic timeline of important dates in Ireland's history. ... Read more

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Perhaps the single most formative development in Irish secular affairs was the English invasion which took place in the late 1160s, and which, in the space of a few short years, transformed the face of Ireland and permanently altered the course of Irish history. Unlike some earlier works, which either start or end with the invasion, this book places the arrival of the English as its centerpiece. It examines society and politics in pre-invasion Ireland, in particular the role and powers of kings and kingship, and the manner in which these were altered in the aftermath of the invasion. The arrival of the English and the reaction of the Irish are discussed in detail, as are the motives of those involved, and the consequences of their actions. Emphasis is placed on the affairs of the native Irish, in an effort to subvert the convention of viewing the history of later medieval Ireland through the eyes of the English colonial community alone. By the end of the Middle Ages the English attempt at conquering Ireland had remained unsuccessful: this book seeks to explain why. Adopting a broad narrative sweep, spanning over five centuries, the book offers a reinterpretation of medieval Irish history, harvesting the fruits of recent research, and should be of interest both to experienced students of the subject and to those previously unacquainted with it. ... Read more

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"A companion to be cherished," "judicious and authoritative," "informative and entertaining," "an invaluable work of reference"--these are just some of the phrases used by reviewers to describe the Oxford Companion to Irish History.
With over 1,800 entries, this acclaimed Companion--now available in the Oxford Paperback Reference series--offers a comprehensive and authoritative guide to all aspects of Ireland's past, from earliest times to the present day. There is coverage not only of leading political figures, organizations, and events, but also of subjects such as dress, music, sport, and diet. Traditional topics such as the rebellion of 1798 and the Irish Civil War sit alongside entries on newly developing areas such as women's history and popular culture. In addition to the alphabetical entries, the Companion includes a selection of historical maps depicting such time periods as Ireland circa 800, Ireland circa 1350, Ireland in the late 15th century, modern Ireland, and much more. There is also a subject index, which groups headwords into thematic batches to provide an alternative way to access the entries.
Interest in Irish culture, politics, and society, both ancient and modern, never seems to falter. The Oxford Companion to Irish History will be valued by students as a reference work and treasured by general readers eager for information about the Emerald Isle. ... Read more

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Many thousands of Irish peasants fled from the country in the terrible famine winter of 1847-48, following the road to the ports and the Liverpool ferries to make the dangerous passage across the Atlantic. The human toll of "Black '47," the worst year of the famine, is notorious, but the lives of the emigrants themselves have remained largely hidden, untold because of their previous obscurity and deep poverty. In The End of Hidden Ireland, Robert Scally brings their lives to light.

Hailed as a distinguished work of social history, this book is a tale of adventure and human survival, one that does justice to a tragic generation with sympathy but without sentiment. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

A scholarly picture with limitations
Robert Scally's book is the product of detailed research into the wiping out of the Irish village or "townland" of Ballykilcline in County Roscommon around the time of the great famine of the mid 19th century in Ireland and the forced emigration of its people to the Liverpool area of Lancashire and to the United States and Canada.

The book starts with a description of the British imposed land ownership system in Ireland at the time, the landlords' financial difficulties which led to their desire to clear the land of their troublesome tenants by assisting them on their way, made easier by the famine.

But the book presents an incomplete picture because of Scally's failure to consider context and history.

Even the title is misleading. "Hidden Ireland", presumably meaning the remnant of the Gaelic culture which still stubbornly remained in the culture and language of the townland people and particularly in their attitude about use and ownership of land, had been receding in defeat for many years. Starting in 1607 with the defeat of the great northern leaders, O'Neill and O'Donnell and the "Flight of the Earls", the slow removal of native Irish leaders and the seizure of land by the colonizers, the Penal Laws of 1695 effectively proscribing the Catholic religion, and the Act of Union in 1800 after the United Irishman rebellion of 1798 were all aimed at destroying the Gaelic, Catholic, Irish nation. In fact they were never completely successful, and certainly the effort did not end with the leveling of Ballykilcline although it was a part of a low point for the Irish nation.

The Irish people were never fully subjugated; nor were the peasants the docile, cultureless ignoramuses painted by Scally, poor though they may have been. It was these very peasant people who supported Daniel O'Connell, the Catholic "Liberator" in his mass rallies in 1823, the more radical Fenians in 1860, Michael Davitt's National Land League in 1879 and the Sinn Fein movement founded in 1905 which finally won victory in elections for the Irish Dail and ultimately Ireland's freedom from Britain. "Hidden Ireland" has in many ways never disappeared and has emerged in our times, wounded but victorious, perhaps in a slightly different form.

History is an unfolding tapestry, not a snapshot of a limited period. It is this which gives Scally's dismal portrait its dark and false color. If one does not understand the traditional Irish view of land ownership and cooperative use and its conflict with the English "metes and bounds" system which the conquerors saw as normal one cannot understand the views of the townland people. The old Gaelic and Brehon legal system of course did give way in our times. Another example of Scally's puzzlement is that he doesn't seem to realize that the Irish people saw the National School system brought by the English, in spite of its advanced, modern benefits, as part of the English plan to destroy their national culture and language and for that reason it was never fully accepted.

The famine, the overwhelming catastrophe which struck the Irish people at the time of this narrative appears in the book only as backgoundeven though Scally's excellent footnotes tell that he was well aware of the facts and the impact of British laissez faire economic policies on the victims. He seems more interested in legal pleadings about unpaid rents.

And his attitude toward the local Catholic clergy approaches downright ignorant hostility. As virtually the only educated people in the Irish community when they defended their people against perceived injustices he joins the English Protestant view of them as hot-headed trouble makers, a description not supportd by their actual words quoted in the book.

The latter parts of the book about conditions in the Liverpool area are the best part in my view. There is less about the immigrants to the United States which is surprising and more could have been said about Canada where the many Canadians showed great compassion for the suffering of the famine immigrants at Grosse Isle.

I regret to have dwelt on what I see as the defects in this otherwise excellent book but I feel that it's lack of historical context presents an incomplete picture. I recommend it for its general subject matter however.

Shocking reading about my own ancestors.
The trauma and distress my own ancestors went through during this famine period was horrible.In the ten year period Ballykilcline lost over 90% of its population from disease, eviction, emigration and death by starvation.My own ancestors lived in Kilglass Parish where they lost 55% of their population. Robert James Scally's book gave me a very clear understanding of what transpired from about 1835 to1850.

Thorough explanation of the cause of Ireland's devistation
Scally does an excellent job of using historical facts to present a better picture of a devistated Ireland.Americans in particular often misunderstand the cause of the chaos usually blamed on the potato blight.In reality, the famine was only the "icing on the cake", which Scally explains well.The first half of the book is a very detailed description of Ireland in the days immediately preceeding the famine.The second half walks us through the once-green hills of a broken Ireland, passing sunken faces and hungry eyes.Scally has been accused of leaving historical fact for emotional imagination.I submit the idea that every historian must create something from imagination at some point.Although we can read facts, we must paint the scenes in our minds.This is an excellent book to read if you are already interested in "Black '47" and is also good for the serious reader who cares to explore the Emerald Isle of 150 years ago . . . this is also an important source for an Irish-American who would like to better understand his or her roots, like me.Perhaps those of us who have ties to the isle are more likely to appreciate the suffering that happened there.

Very VERY comprehensive
I give this book a "7" mostly because Scally should get a lot of credit for all the research hedid for this book. It's very obvious. However, I would not recommend it if you are looking for a quick and easy read. This book is best for someone studying the famine and migration of the Irish to America. ... Read more

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Since its publication twenty years ago, J. M. Roberts's monumental History of the World has remained the "unrivaled World History of our day" (A. J. P. Taylor), selling more than a quarter of a million copies worldwide.Now in an equally masterful performance, Roberts displays his consummate skills of exposition in telling the tale of the European continent, from its Neolithic origins and early civilizations of the Aegean to the advent of the twenty-first century. A sweeping and entertaining history, The Penguin History of Europe comprehensively traces the development of European identity over the course of thousands of years, ranging across empires and religions, economics, science, and the arts. Roberts's astute and lucid analyses of the disparate spheres of learning that have shaped European civilization and our understanding of it make The Penguin History of Europe a remarkable journey through the last two centuries. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Almost excellent
Much like Robert's excellent History of the World (which I think is a bit better).From the jacket: "For his ability to grasp and communicate the full sweep of the past, Roberts ... must rank as the leading historical mind of his generation.""A monumental work of synthesis ... outstanding factual accuracy and solid judgments.""His gifts of compression and clear exposition are outstanding."

The first third covers ancient civilization to 1500, the next third from 1500 - 1900, then the 20th c.Emphasis is on the latter part in the first two sections, and on modern history generally, though the treatment of late Roman times to 1500 helped me much better understand that period.

It also gave me a handle on many other fuzzy items - the position of Emperor, relationship between Emperor and Pope, the French Revolution and aftermath, 19th c. French history in general, the confusing German tapestry before unification, how unification came about, and similar for Italy.It also shed light I hadn't had on the Balkans, Eastern Europe generally, Russia (especially post-Ivans), Byzantium, and the long, complicated decline of the Ottoman Empire.

Intense compression necessarily involves omission, and some things would benefit from more coverage.How Switzerland came about isn't explained, unless it was so brief I missed it.Germany's unification is brief but a good synopsis; that of Italy is too brief to be clear.But these are minor quibbles considering the book's scope.His coverage of European imperialism, its entanglements and effects on other societies and the results, is excellent (and often depressing).Another quibble (or more) - the few maps aren't great, and they're often only tangentially related to the narrative (similar for the occasional timeline).Lists of place-names appear which are probably familiar to knowledgeable Europeans, but not to me.More and better maps, closely tied to the text, would be a big improvement.Roberts' books are so good that Penguin owes them this.

His perspectives on American Independence and growth (tantalizingly brief) are useful antidotes to American mythology and narrow vision.Without ill will, he recognizes the American presidency as the (18th c.) British-like constitutional monarchy it essentially is; he's sober about the relatively minor grievances used to justify revolution, and (as typically) that a radical elite inflamed opinion towards violence; that Americans would have lost without French and Spanish help (also crediting American generalship, when British blunders are a better explanation); and that the U.S. wouldn't have expanded westward so quickly without British naval protection.He doesn't dwell on it, but doesn't romanticize the ruthless illegitimacy of this expansion, including gross abuse of American Indians and the naked land grab called the Mexican War (with the evils of slavery and the Spanish-American War in the longer list).But America's a sideshow here.

Roberts makes a good case that WWI was never inevitable, but the final lead-up is so compressed it's a bit misleading.He suggests Russia told Serbia to comply with Austrian demands, Serbia largely did, but Austria's quick invasion was intended regardless.Russia actually sent Serbia mixed signals, and invasion seems unlikely had Serbia completely complied.Had Russia been as clear as Roberts suggests, war might have been averted.But the world wars have been covered so thoroughly elsewhere that this isn't a big problem.

Roberts' focus is political, economic, social and cultural; he provides very little military history.His approach to WWII is similar to WWI, although Hitler's rise is given very little space while the war itself gets more coverage.He provides another interesting perspective on the US, suggesting Truman's 1947 decision to contain the USSR by providing aid to Greece and Turkey (reversing traditional American isolationism) "may well be thought the most important [decision] in American diplomacy since the Louisiana Purchase."

A couple other of many interesting tidbits: both the US and USSR supported the creation of Israel (for Russia this was anti-British rather than pro-Israeli).Of course Russian support was short-lived, and in the 1973 Yom Kippur war it's thought they provided Egypt with nuclear weapons, prompting American forces to go on worldwide alert, essentially ending the war.I always wondered how David beat Goliath again, when this time Goliath had a large quantity of good Soviet weapons.This explanation is more plausible than the Israeli myths.

What Roberts does best is draw out patterns from a mass of detail and make reasoned judgments about these patterns, and he does it very well.All in all, a rip-roaring ride through the fascinating and often hideous past.

not for beginners
A nice book on European history, but I didn't like it as much as I liked his History of the World. For one thing, there is not much more on European history in this book than it was in the former. Secondly, his narrative seems to be aimed at those who already know the history, but need a synthesis, or analysis, not a sequence of facts. This made the reading much harder and, at the end, less informative. And thirdly, maps are very scarce, so unless your geography is perfect, or you have time to check other books while reading, you will not always know where things happened or who was occupying what at some point in time.
Also, I've read complaints about the author's coverage of Poland, and I have to add that the short section on the disintegration of Yugoslavia leaves a lot to be desired. Roberts' judgement here has no substance, and some of his explanations (like why Serbs bombed Dubrovnik) are very shallow. Still, I wouldn't extrapolate this to the other parts of the book, I think saying that he was not particularly interested in the East is enough. In my modest judgment this has something to do with the IMPORTANCE of the countries in question for the history of Europe.
These setbacks aside, I can't think of a better way of writing history. Lucid, concise, critical, synthetic, and, not the least important, incredibly literate.
For those who have never read Roberts, here's a sentence typical of his writing:
Furthermore, many of the Spanish were sincerely horrified at such practices as the Aztec human sacrifices (however hard it may be for us to understand why men easy with the idea of burning Christian heretics should have been so offended).

Big Subject covered by a good author
To begin with, J.M. Roberts wrote the large one volume History of the World, which was also, was published by Penguin as The Penguin History of Europe.

It is good that Roberts has multiple publishers for his major books, as they are works that should remain in print for a very long time. I always hate it when I find good stuff that is out of print.

Now, about "A History of Europe": Good work. It focuses more on history after 1800 though. But then, this is what is important to most modern readers. We read to find out some answer to the question of who we are. So, naturally, a general history is going to focus more on later periods that tell us more about who are currently are.

It does cover all the topics of interest. Prehistoric Europe, thru the Classical period of Greece and Rome, up thru the Middle Ages and into modern times.

It is a great book to own and read and reread all the time.

An excellent survey of European history
At approximately the same time, we were blessed with not one but two single-volume histories of Europe:one by Norman Davies and this one by J. M. Roberts.I have read around in the Davies and have completed this one, and I can point out a couple of differences between the two.One, Davies's history is probably more well rounded and a bit more comprehensive.This partly stems from its greater length.On the other hand, Davies is more willing to grind axes (though I have nothing against axe-grinding myself), while Roberts is almost aggressively neutral on most issues.Roberts simply gives the history as best he can; Davies is apt to brood over the very idea of giving history.If forced to make a recommendation, I would recommend the Davies over this volume by Roberts.There is more personality in Davies's book, and while I admire Roberts's evenhandedness, it doesn't help that much in assisting one through a long book.

And speaking of long books, why would one want to read such a volume as this?It is far too short to be adequate as a history of Europe.Too many things must be mentioned quickly, if at all.For instance, as a former student of the history of philosophy, I was struck by the fact that everything that Roberts says about Descartes, Montaigne, Locke, Leibniz, Berkeley, Hume, Bacon, Spinoza, Kant, Rousseau, Mill, Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Wittgenstein, Heidegger, and Sartre could have easily fit onto two pages, with room for an extra paragraph or two.There is simply no room for depth or detail.In other words, at best we will get a bird's eye view of the landscape of European history.All subtlety, all nuances will be indiscernible.The question reasserts itself:is there a point to this?

I think there is.I have over the years read pretty extensively in European and American history, but not systematically.The great thing about a single-volume history is that it allows you to engage in a self-test.I was, of course, already quite aware that there were many things in European history about which I was ignorant, but this book helped me to learn more precisely what it was that I didn't know.For instance, I'm dreadfully ill informed on Baltic, Slavic, Polish, and Russian history.My knowledge of the Habsburgs is spotty.And my knowledge of European pre-history is practically nonexistent.

This is not all.Not only do you learn what you do not know (thus setting the stage for additional self-education in the future), but also it is great to go over what you do know in a larger context.I knew a surprising amount about the French religious wars of the 16th century, but reading about them in a larger context brings home an increased sense of how they fit in the scheme of things.In addition, the book served as a good review for a host of topics, such as the history of Ancient Greece or the Hundred Years War or the years between WW I and WW II.

Is this an ideal way of learning European history?No.In fact, I would not recommend this book for beginners in the subject at all.Instead of immediately striving for an overview, I would recommend instead focusing on a particular period that one finds interesting.Read several books on that first, and then allow oneself to expand.More than that, you must eventually force yourself to expand.What happens eventually is that you will have criss-crossed European history to such a degree that your studies will start to connect up with fascinating ways.The book you have read on WW I will connect with the book by (or about) T. E. Lawrence, which will connect up with a book on the break up of the Ottoman Empire, which will connect up with the book on Byzantine Art.This way you can gain both breadth and depth on the subject.Reading Roberts will only gain breadth, and if one is unfamiliar with at least most of the highpoints, it is unlikely to make much of an impact.

So, I think this book can be helpful to those with prior familiarity of the subject who want to review what they already know, gain some sense of what they don't know, or get a sense of how the whole thing fits together, but I am not sure that this would be at all a good place for a beginner to go to learn about European history.

i'll pass
Studying Eastern European histry, this book came as a shock to me for its lack of depth and truth concerning this region of Europe. The first constitutional monarchy in Europe, Poland, is given no credit for its Constitution of May 3rd, 1791. In fact, it's not even there at all. Other misleading factoids have the Lithuanian state 'defeating the Teutonic knights at Tannenberg', while in reality they only constituted about a third of the Polish force. So, in general, this book goes nowhere new; it overgeneralizes and misrepresents Eastern Europe while glorifying the big two; France and England. ... Read more

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Offers a synthesis of the evolution of the people of southeastern Europe up to their national independence. ... Read more