Irish History

by Séamas Mac Annaidh

The history of Ireland is one of both turbulence and color. It is a country rich in ancient customs and fascinating peoples. This comprehensive guide traces the history of Ireland from the earliest settlers, through the domination of various races to the present day.

Encompassing stories of some of Ireland's greatest characters, the country's greatest moments and its darkest hours, Irish History tells the tale of the country's struggles and its victories, its people and its places, and its wealth of culture and traditions. It is the essential guide to the events and figures who have helped to shape the country today.

Genres: History, Ireland, Nonfiction, Irish Literature, Historical

320 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1999

Reviews

[Annah · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good springboard for areas of interest, but not an effective format for retaining the information.

[Gracie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wouldn’t say that this is a particularly interesting book . As the title suggests, this book is about the history of Ireland starting at about 9000 BC and ending in the early 2000's. I really enjoyed the early chapters that touched on Irish myths and the Celtic language. The Celtic language has always been interesting to me so I enjoyed learning the little things such as the letters they do not include or how it categorizes multiple languages in one. It was also fun to learn more about Saint Patrick. I never took the chance to learn why he is so important to Irish culture. I wouldn’t really recommend this book to anyone unless they were really intrigued by the history of Ireland. Seamas Mac Annaidh does a good job on the back of this book of stating its target audience. The back states that the best use is in school or as a guide for understanding the fascinating art of history. If you want to learn a bunch of cool facts about the Irish, then this is your book! Otherwise, I think it would be ok if you skipped over this one.

[Megan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Choppy and disjointed. The author throws people and place names around like the audience should already know them (What? You mean you don't know who the Earl of Kildare was?) and gets some facts outright wrong (See page 76. I'm sorry but Lancaster actually won the War of the Roses). Plus the pictures, pretty though they may be, get used repetitively, even in places where they don't fit the text.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

Extremely informative little book includes all the facts and tidbits of Ireland’s past. Very straightforward statements.

[Doug Ribeiro · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's an easy reading perhaps too easy to a fully fundamentally understanding and appreciate the Irish History and its magnificent history but i would certainly recommend it.

[Rob Melich · Rating 3 out of 5]

Excellent Cliff Notes like read. Gives a full view Of the complexity of Irish history.

[Orla · Rating 4 out of 5]

A brief, concise history of Ireland. It gives a good overview of Ireland from the Mesolithic period up to the early 2000s.

[Ashley · Rating 2 out of 5]

repetitive use of art and photos, and assumes reader's knowledge of certain concepts & terms, but a quick easy overview of irish history

[Patricia Campion · Rating 3 out of 5]

Only read if you're looking for a quick-and-dirty intro to Irish history and plan to read further from more authoritative sources.

[Ashton · Rating 4 out of 5]

An overall great overview of Irish history that leaves you wanting to dive in further!

[Luis · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn't expect too much about this book given the fact that I bought it as a souvenir at the airport. But I have read it anyway, because I felt curiosity towards the history of this country.

The edition is quite commercial: there is a lot of photographic material almost in every page (many of them are repeated) and the fragments included are brief, not lasting for more than two or four pages. This is otherwise positive, because the book can be read easily quick as it is designed in this way.

Of course, not a good choice for someone who seeks a good work of Irish History, but is useful for those who are not familiarised with the subject. It helps to acquire some concepts and moments, although some things are really hard to follow, especially the politicians and some relevant figures. Anyways, is enough in order to provide a panoramic view of the history and the characters that have defined the Irish evolution.

[Peter Barr · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book gives very short pieces on a variety of Irish history. It uses a lot of pictures as well. It is a very good brief of the Irish.

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

For a person who has lived in Ireland for 4 months, everything makes a lot more sense now. Well-illustrated, a good balance between being in-depth and brief.