Ireland Books

THIS BOOK IS PART OF A SERIES AND YOU WILL WANT THEM ALL!! THE WRITING AND RESERCH IS EXCELENT. THE CHARACTERS ARE PEOPLE YOU WILL LOVE AND WILL REJOICE IN THEIR VICTORIES AND CRY WITH THEM WHEN THINGS GO WRONG. THE HISTORY WILL MAKE YOU FEEL AS IF YOU WERE THERE!! ENJOY!!!
EMILY SIMPSON

This is not only a short review but a request for information. I am in total agreement with the previous reviews I just read giving this series 5 stars. My question is: Is there a book four? If not, I sincerely hope it is in the author's computer awaiting completion soon! Since finishing this book it was left completely open for the sequal which I will continue to look for. Keep up the wonderful writing. and let us know when we can obtain the next in the Galway Chronicles.
Thanks

The continuing saga of the Joseph Connor Burke family continues on his wedding day to his love Kate Donovan. What ensues is tragic, as Lord Burke is arrested for treason shortly after saying his vows.
After he is tried and found guilty he is banished to Australia. He boards a hideous prison ship The Hive. Ironically he has been pardoned of all charges but the news is unable to reach him in time.
Kate steps into her new role as Lady Burke and yearns for news about her beloved Joseph.
I was unable to put this book down. The characters feel like real people and not just characters in a book. It is easy to share in their joys and hardships.
I suggest having the sequel "All Rivers to the Sea" on hand so you can continue this compelling story.

It should have been a happy day in Ballyknockanor. Joseph Burke and Kate Donovan were finally getting married. But the rejoicing turned to sorrow when the groom was arrested at the reception for his part in the recent Irish repeal movement. Unknown to Joseph and Kate, this is part of a larger scheme by neighbor Colonel Mahon in an attempt to take over their lands. As he plots and schemes, Kate finds herself in danger. Joseph becomes a further victim of the plot. Will last minute attempts to stop his punishment be successful? Will he and Kate ever be reunited? Can she survive Mahon's plans for her?

The first part of this book was so hard for me to get through, I thought about quitting. I just wasn't sure that I could deal with any more of the character's sadness. But just before I quit, the pace of the story really picked up and I got drawn into these character's lives once again. There are so many fascinating plots levied against them, I had a hard time putting the book down until I reached the satisfying ending. As always, the Thoene's back up their story with wonderful historical research that makes this time period come vividly to life.

With the way this book ended, you can bet it won't be too long before I'm back for the final chapter in these characters's saga. And I'm sure I'll enjoy it just as much as I did this chapter. Well worth reading.

Looking for adventure? In "Ashes of Remembrance", Bodie and Brock Thoene's story about the lives of Joseph Connor Burke and Kate Donovan take a turn towards adventure. The book starts out with joy, as the long awaited romance between Joseph and Kate culminates into a wedding. But shouts of joy soon turn into tears of sorrow. Immediately after the wedding, Jospeh is arrested and charged with treason. Meanwhile, Colonel Mahon has his eye on Burke's estate, and through his trickery Joseph is sentenced to transportation for life ... to Australia. And our favorite characters all return, including Mad Molly, whose prophetic babbling and busy-bodying again proves to be essential.

Unlike the earlier two novels of "The Galway Chronicles" series, "Ashes of Remembrance" is less political and less theological. But what it lacks in spiritual depth, it makes up for in adventure and excitement. At sea, Joseph faces hardship, cruelty, the elements, and shipwreck. It is somewhat of a pleasant change of pace from the first two novels, and it's an adventure story well told. At home, Kate faces murderers and kidnappers who are willing to resort to any measures to get hold of Burke's land. The brutal suffering perpetrated in the religious struggles of the Irish is not absent, but functions more of a backdrop for the evil personal ambitions of Mahon. But whether at home with Kate or at sea with Joseph, the adventure is non-stop.

The Thoenes are sensitive to the fact that real Christians do experience real suffering. They are not afraid to depict Christians being the victims of real tragedy and betrayal. In fact, this suffering is thematic in this novel. The title "Ashes of Remembrance" originates in the simple wisdom of the nurse Miss Susan, who explains to Kate how trials and sorrows play an important part in one's life, and make you stronger. "Back home they set fire to the canefield before they cut the cane. Burn away the leaves and rubbish so's they can press the cane to make sugar ... Life ain't nuthin' but a canefield. Sorrows burn away the trash. A person finds out what matters and what don't. What's left is the sweetness. Pressed out, boiled down, and purest crystal. One day, Miss Kate, you tastes the sugar and don't remember the ashes no more." (p.87-88) It's profound wisdom. By the end of the novel, we discover that all the sorrows are not yet over, and that we need to read book four to taste the sweetness. The sorrows of "Ashes of Remembrance" may eventually turn to sweetness for Kate and be forgotten, but for the rest of us, this is definitely a tale of adventure worth remembering.

A young boy wanders from one vivid experience to another to another, just like kids do. His childhood had unique exposures to Nazi terror and horror, to be sure. But throughout those grim days, there remained that irrepressible insouciance of youth. There was even hero worship when he became involved with the French underground. He brings us right along with him as he becomes a man.

This author described what was, more than anything else, a normal, adventuresome boyhood. Although I was expecting something more like "The Diary of Anne Frank", this book was more reminiscent of "Huckleberry Finn".

Seeped into the depths of war and dispair of mankind, Dr. Burnell takes us on a journey through Nazi-occupied France during WWII. As opposed to the atrocities of holocaust victims in that same era, we are instead introduced into the lives of the common citizenry as they struggle through each day not knowing who is friend or foe. Dr. Burnell's family must decide when to run and when to stay; while knowing their decisions set them at risk to lose everything, including their lives. Balanced with historical facts, Dr. Burnell tells a tale that has us turning the pages, immersing us into the joys and sorrows of a family that in the end prevails despite their losses and succeeds in spite of the tragedy brought by war.

Dr. Burnell tells a story of fear, brutality, resourcefulness, courage, and sensitivity. These emotions are the backdrop to his autobiographical tale of growing from just-past-childhood to near-adulthood in Nazi-occupied France during WW 2. Burnell describes how he and his mother survived the relentless threat of the Nazis as they fled from city to city in France just barely ahead of the Nazi persecution. From Strasbourg in the eastern part of the country to Paris to Bordeaux and finally to Lyon in the south. Along the way his stepfather was consumed by the Holocaust and by the end Burnell was fighting back by working for the French Resistance. The writing is clear, personal, and carries the read along swiftly. I could barely put it down- thus I read it in just a few nights.

This is a well written, interesting memoir of a Holocaust survivor in France. The sections on political events are well placed and provide appropriate historic background to contents of the book.
Myself a Holocaust survivor, I learned from it a lot about life in France during those years and enjoyed reading it.

"Beating the Odds" by George Burnell is the exciting autobiography of a youngster growing up in Nazi-occupied France during WWII. In 369 action packed pages, the author traces his journey from Strasbourg, France in 1939 until the end of WWII in May, 1945. "Beating the Odds" is a real page turner that reads like a novel full of twists and turns. As an adolescent French Jew, George with his family lived in constant fear of discovery by the Nazis and moved frequently to ellude them. Despite these risks, he manages to join his Uncle David, a Dentist, and others in the French Resistance and narrowly escapes with his life. This fascinating memoir gives the reader an interesting and unique perspective on WWII in France and I highly recommend it to you.

I happened to find this paperback version on the bargain shelf at Borders for $5, and I made the decision to buy it just on looking at the first photograph alone. Impulsive? Yeah, but I don't regret it at all. I just bought this book tonight, so I haven't actually read it yet. However, just looking at the photographs was mesmerizing. There are some really incredible trees out there in the world and I think the author has done a great job of capturing some of them. If you don't come across this book on a bargain shelf somewhere don't worry, it is well worth the price that Amazon is asking.

As I recall it, I first saw this book in 1996 or 1997 at the Midnight Special Bookstore in Santa Monica before they closed. The photographs of the trees were the most breathtaking photographs of trees I had ever encountered. I didn't buy the book then, but I remembered it for a long time afterward, and then my husband gave me a copy of it for Christmas a few years ago.

What I particularly like about this book - beside the photographs - is that it contains a Gazetteer at the back which tells the reader where the trees are located, what page they are pictured on, what kind of tree they are and whether they are accessible to the public, whether they are part of the Forest Enterprise or whether they are part of the National Trust. It also gives the reader a designation for Champion trees with full measurements. This is very handy and has saved me from having to pull all this information together myself.

My husband and I are going to be in Surrey this summer and we are looking forward to paying a visit to several of the trees mentioned - in particular - the Crowhurst Yew (pp. 120-21) and the Tandridge Yew (pp. 22-23) located in the churchyard at Tandridge in Surrey. These are probably the most spectacular. There are also several others at Kew Gardens which we are hoping to visit (tulip tree p. 61, hybrid strawberry p. 67, chestnut-leaved oak p. 71, maidenhair (Ginko), p. 83, Chinese wisteria p. 151, as well as the Knap Hill weeping beech p. 155, at the Knapp Hill Nursery in Surrey).

The introduction is very poignant. Pakenham recalls his encounters with trees which prompted him to create this book. He recalls a severe storm in Ireland in January, 1991, which toppled 12 out of 19, of his 200 year old, 100 foot high beech trees which once inhabited his garden - "all had been good friends to five generations of our family." "Why had I not looked at them more carefully before?" he asks.

This is an amazing book from the stunning photographs to the detailed stories about each remarkable tree. It is also scattered with beautifull 18thC etching of illustrated trees that refer to the tree being discussed.I found this book quite beautiful. I would definately recommend this book to anyone who is passionate about trees. Or to anyone who is looking for great photograhic reference as I was.

Pakenham's Meetings with Remarkable Trees and his Remarkable Trees of the World are portraits, not just pictures, each book documenting the impressive presence of sixty venerable trees from around the world. Pakenham groups them by their histories: Natives, Travelers, Shrines, Fantasies and Survivors. Each is a testimony to the majesty of Nature's creativity, diversity and adaptability.

Pakenham shares the unique history of each of these outstanding personalities, in the context of its species and its struggles for survival - ever threatened by man's over-cutting and under-husbandry of these irreplaceable resources.

Inspirational!

If you need a gift for a nature lover or photographer that you really like, this is the book for them. And get yourself a copy while you're at it.

Briefly, the author takes wonderful photographs of trees that affect and inspire him in Great Britain. Included with each tree is a history of the tree and facts and vignettes associated with the tree. His camera-work is impeccable and if you've ever tried to photograph a whole tree you will recognize the talent and work that have gone into this book.

The writing that accompanies the pictures is compelling and interesting. The author has obviously done his homework.

You can lose yourself for an hour at a time, or you can put this on your coffee table and get compliments from your guests, but have one in your library where you can get inspired and calm at the same time.

Dazzling and intense works. Good overview of his output. Although this is not the Collected Poetry of Heaney it does contain almost all his best poems up to 1996, as well as his Nobel Prize acceptance lecture (a gem) and an excerpt from his play Cure a Troy. Essential poetry volume.

I needed the book for a class... I went in to reading it like it was going to be garbage... But it actually was a little bit interesting...

strong poems, there is a sadness and a resignation of fog that permeates these poems. this is a melancholy man, one for whom the all-pervading glue of inaction and paralysis bounds him to a bleak world, soiled and grey and drab. this is a weary poet, too nauseated with reality's bruised soldiers, slovenly rudeness, the uncouth glutton, the debauched fiend. i enjoy him, immerse myself in his dust-gloom, his inability to soar into elation and falcon-freedom.

author of Lorelei Pursued and Wrestles with God

After currently studying the quality of Seamus Heaney's poems, i am quite sure that this book will not dissapoint you. The quality of Heaney's poems are somewhat outstanding, they are a shock, as you dont normally read poems of this sort, and once you read one, you have to read the others. One of my personal favourites is Mid-Term Break.

Written by Kirk Aged 14

If you have not read Seamus Heaney, then you are not in touch with what the English language is in its heart. Heaney's simple, unstrained word usage, coupled with a deep knowledge of the rich Anglo-Saxon which is our cornerstone, evokes a strength which comes not so much from what we see and know as from something which is rooted deeply in our psyches as Anglo-Europeans (or at least those living in and a part of such cultures). Heaney also brings to light the beauty of the ordinary, primarily by weighting it with the yoke of history and the various passions of his fellow man.

I bought this collection because I enjoyed others of his works (especially The Spirit Level and Seeing Things), which I uncovered at the library, too much to go long without his poetry. And this collection turns out to have all of my favorites from those volumes, as well as the best and most skilled of the poems of his earlier volumes. Do I recommend it? I wouldn't have prominently displayed the fact that I was reading it in numerous public places if I didn't, now would I?

I was hesitant to read this book despite the recommendation of a friend and despite the accolades written here. How foolish. Reading this book was like sinking into a great mattress. I was near hypnotized by the beauty of the text which simply flowed. At times I was so overcome that I had to put the book down, the sadness of it all is wrenching. But never is the book depressing or is it hateful while describing the hate that people so easily engender. This is an extraordinary work.

This book was a gift to me from someone who knows my love of the Irish and of writers from that country. I began it hesitantly, not sure of the country I was entering, until I got perhaps ten pages into the book. The protagonist was describing how his mother sliced bread:

"..She did it in a trice. In the sewing of a wren's mitten."

I never looked back. His writing is brilliant, evocative, heartbreaking.

So good that after I had read a library copy, I purchased my own so I could read it all over. This novel takes on indirectly (as in his more recent "A Long, Long Way From Home") Barry's own family's experience as Irish divided between serving the British and aiding those who rebelled against the King. The other reviewers here cover much of the plot, but I might add that a touch of magic realism near the explosive climax makes for a nice touch, and the tension between truth-telling and perceived loyalty moves the story of the modern-day Aeneas along his wanderings efficiently and poignantly.

Barry, also a poet and best known--at least before this novel--as a playwright, brings to his fictional characters a narrative style somewhat at odds with what one might expect. He's not Joyce, that is, striving for a correlative voice to match his character's interior musings. Rather, he takes the rich legacy of Joyce and makes it impel his own telling of the interior life of those that Barry finds empathy with, and whose inner as well as outer itineraries this author feels, you sense, he must tell. This impelling of a writer to find release through his creations makes for a very effective novel, indeed.

...and sure, Mark Twain would likely love the hero of this wonderful book. Eneas is truly an innocent - he never shies from hard work, he loves his family dearly, and (his gift and his damnation) he has no neither mind nor care at all, at all for the politicks. He's not really a simpleton, merely a simple man. Born in 1900, he comes of age with the Irish struggle for independence so vividly painted by events such as the Easter uprising of 1916. When his mates - especially his best boyhood friend, Jonno Lynch - are enlisting in the fight to throw off the British oppression, Eneas, finding it difficult to locate gainful employment, enlists first in the British Merchant Navy (which in itself might have been forgiven by those who deemed themselves his judges later), then in the Royal Irish Constabulary. The RIC being mainly a police force, Eneas couldn't see the harm in lending a hand in that quarter - but as the fight for independence grew more fierce and factional, the RIC was tied too closely in the eyes of some to the hated Tans, who were responsible for some right bloody work. Eneas, finding himself on a blacklist kept by those calling themselves patriots, is given a choice - get close to and kill the much-hated and feared Reprisal Man of the Tans, or suffer the consequences of a death sentence. Our hero cannot bring himself to kill a man, so he refuses - and when he sees that those who have threatened him with extinction mean just what they say, sees no other choice than to flee his beloved Sligo and his native Ireland altogether.

Thus his adventures and travels begin. He signs on with a merchant vessel and winds up in Galveston, Texas. He enlists with the British Army for World War II in order to save France (a country for whom he bears a great love, of unknown origins) from Hitler. After being shell-shocked on the beach at Dunkirk and lodging with a French farmer for a growing and harvesting season, he makes his way back to England, pays a quick visit to Ireland, then winds up in Nigeria, digging a canal for a British company. He finds the best friend of his life in the person of Harcourt, a Nigerian national he first meets on a boat heading to Ireland, then again in Nigeria. Harcourt's friendship becomes one of the true treasures of Eneas' life - and a lifelong friendship it is.

Barry's language and prose capture his characters, the setting and their story perfectly. The reader can't help but feel a great empathy for Eneas, and for others in the book as well. Through the story of one man - and a very believable story it is indeed - Barry lays bare the pain through which Ireland has passed in its journey to find itself. There's a lot of sadness to be found here - but there's a lot of joy as well, so.

Read this book - and read Barry's novel ANNIE DUNNE as well (even better, I think, but that's me...).

The Irish have always been known as great storytellers, but now they're all turning into great writers as well, and it seems they're coming out of the woodwork. Sebastian Barry's The Whereabouts of Eneas McNulty places the protagonist in the small village of Sligo where he is an innocent among angry partisans. When he chooses to alleviate his problems of employment by taking a job with the Royal Irish Constabulary, the British-led police force, he irrevocably alters his life - as you might imagine! With beautiful language and ethereal descriptive passages, Barry allows readers to follow Eneas' travels and travails - all of us hoping for a happy ending.

I know Larry Hawthorne as a comptetitive ballplayer who hits a lot better than your average pitcher. Knowing him this way, and being a writer myself, I recommend his book because I know he is honest, a clean player, and would not steer you wrong. Not a good enough reason to buy the book?
I could say, as the old joke goes about politicians, that he has never done a mean, rotten thing that he hasn't been sorry for, but I haven't known Larry long enough to know if he has ever done a mean, rotten thing. I know he is generous with baseball tips and has the best cooler on the sidelines. If you met him on the street he would greet you with a smile. In fact, if I asked him, he would autograph your book for you. That's how nice a guy he is. What more do you want from a book about beer in Munich? Check the excerpt and other reviews and see for yourself. If he is reading this right now, he is slapping his head with his hand and saying, "The next time Steve comes up to bat I'm pitching him a slow fat one right across the plate so he can hit it out of the park for the first time in his life!" That's how nice a guy he is.
I met him in the high deserts of south california, out where Jesus lost his boots, where right field is littered with gopher holes, where the 'Swingin' Steves' try to give him fits by getting line drives, and I'm glad I got the chance to get to know him. He made my first year as a softball player a lot more enjoyable, which was real special to me because I hadn't played since high school and needed all the help I could get. If you are still reading this then you are a serious beer drinker and if you are planning on going anywhere near Munich you need Larry by your side. From the other reviews you can see he is a great guide and knows his stuff (and his hops, he's always talking about the hops) so I will tell you the one flaw I found in Larry. He swings at everything. But he has a respectable batting average so I'm not going to knock what works for him. I'm a little shorter than him so maybe that makes me want to wait for the best pitch because I dont have the strength he does to drive the ball into the gaps. Well, I was kidding about Larry giving me a big fat pitch for this rambling review, in fact he might just hunker down and feed me low inside pitches because he can and he wants his team to win as much as I do. Like I said, a great competitor and if I still drank beer (diabetes) and had an urge to visit my great-great-grandparents homeland (apparently one of us was a king in Denmark around 1000 ad) I would still buy the cheapest version of this book I could find (that's just me, I'm cheap) but I would read it cover to cover because I trust this guy to give me the real deal. Hoist one for Larry, beer and book fans, and just for your information I wrote this cold sober. Honest. Why would I lie? And if any reporters for the National Enquirer or da Globe, etc. want the real inside dope on Larry I would be willing to supply even more colorful anecdotes to prove it.

This book is suprisingly good and gives extended information about various interesting locales in Munich. The beer locales are a kick. One could spend the whole trip visiting these occasionally quite interesting and cozy dispensers of comustibles and brews.

This book more than pays for itself with the coupons for free beer in the back! Great book too. Has directions to a lot of amazing beirgartens!

I went to Munich for Oktoberfest this year -- got there on a Thursday night and left the following Wednesday. Monday was spent at Oktoberfest. That meant Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Tuesday we needed to find beer gardens! This book was the perfect guide -- you can find them by S or U-Bahn stop, even! The 2-for-one certificates were a special bonus. I logged all the beers I drank on the inside cover -- 35 beers in 5 days. Nine of those were the masse size. Burp. Highly recommended.

I have gone through 3 versions of this book, been to Munich 6 times, and I still find new and exciting things to do by reading it.

The BDG2M allows you to sample the best Munich has to offer, and to go to places that tourists and locals love. Reading the book gives you a good idea of the wonderful culture, that IS Bavaria. It's not all about drinking beer, but the unique sense of community, family, and history you will find.

The directions to the beer halls are great. They are simple, easy to follow, and close to infallible. Of course, when there is beer at the end of the road, you tend not to get lost. ;-)

I applaud Larry in his everlasting devotion to this subject. Every edition is fresh, and new adventures await every turn of the page.

Exit Unicorns was recommended by an online group, and I thought I'd give it a try. WOW! I couldn't believe this was Ms. Brandner's first novel! She has a real gift for weaving history through the story in a way that puts the reader right in the middle of it all.

A gripping tale of love, joy, and heartbreak that will leave you wanting more of the characters. Luckily, the sequel, Mermaid in a Bowl of Tears, has just been released and it is, if possible, even better than this one. Buy them both - once you've finished Exit Unicorns, you won't want to wait to keep on with the story!

Can't believe I didn't do this sooner. I read it 2 years ago and have been chomping at the bit for the sequal (Mermaid in a Bowl of Tears) which just came out. Exit Unicorns is one of those stories that you "live" for the duration of your read. It's such a loss when it's over and I missed the characters as though they were absent friends of mine. It's a healthy dose of history cleverely woven throughout an enthralling story that will capture your heart and thoughts for a long time! NOTE that anyone who has read it so far has given it 5 stars!

I knew very little about Ireland and the troubles, the history which set it all in place and the impact on the Irish people. Like Diana Gabaldon's Outlander, Exit Unicorns presented with me characters realistic enough to take up residence in my heart, and inspired me to learn more about the world my new friends `Casey, Pamela, Jamie and Pat' live in, which is relevant to the events in this part of the world today. Each re-read provides `aha' moments relating to both the political maneuverings and personal relationships in the story. Mermaid in Bowl of tears cannot come soon enough.

For the first time in 30 years of reading I finished a book, walked to my computer and spent hours reading more about a time, a place and a people. That is the beauty of this book. Ms. Brandner tugs on your heart and soul as she tells this story with characters you'll feel you know personally, a history that should never be forgotten and some of the most beautiful writing you'll ever experience. Regardless of your politics or heritage, this book will fulfill all the reasons that you enjoy reading.

The contrast of these wonderful characters propels the one story forward from many interesting directions - book-smart and street-smart, rich and poor, old and young, Irish and American. Regardless, the dreams of freedom and equality remain the same. This is a story of passion and loyalty to one another, to ones heritage and to a country. Mix in a bit of warmth and humor, Celtic legends, exquisite poetry and you've got one hell of a book.

I'm so relieved to hear that the sequel is in the works as this is a story that I cannot get enough of. Please give it a try as you'll be glad you did.

Weaving together the lives of an unlikely triumvirate, Brandner masterfully brings the troubles of Northern Ireland to a human level. In this poignant debut novel, the reader gains insight into a history of bloodshed, loyalty, and an elusive peace. The characters are well-defined and layered, revealing themselves gradually as they are forced to weigh their obligations -- to country, to family, to self. This is a story of passion, and the willingness to suffer for it.

I look forward to the next installment in this series.

This book was a shock to me. It's not just a book of annotations, it's also a history of Ireland, literature, language, and nearly everything else Joyce decided to allude to in his masterpiece. I never would have guessed that just reading the annotations (without the source text) would make good reading, but that is certainly the case here. You do not by any means need this book to enjoy Ulysses, but it does give remarkable insight into the mind behind it

I am still digesting "Ulysses." I read it while walking around Dublin a few years ago. It was marvelous to trace the steps of Leopold and Molly, and to see what they "saw," but the novel remains a distant pleasure to the reader. I must admit it is not the most accessible book ever written, but it gets four stars for its intent ... and that it is better than "Finnegan's Wake." Be warned: This book is not for the casual reader. But this annotated edition makes it all worthwhile. You'll get genuine, comprehensible guidance. If you must read "Ulysses," this edition might be most helpful.

Gifford's book offers fascinating glosses and contextual annotations for Ulysses, but was not quite what I was looking for to help me with my first attempt at the book. The annotations are mostly disjoint explanations of specific allusions and references.

There are other guides to Ulysses that are better suited for the novice Joyce reader, helping the reader to keep track of the plot, the progress of the Odyssey and Hamlet corelations and explaining the shifts in style through the book. This kind of hand-holding may be unnecessary for more sophisticated readers, but for my first read, it was essential!

Just a heads up that this is NOT an annotated edition of Ulysses (as I mistakenly thought in purchasing)(duh). It is 600-some pages of notes only and does not include the text of the novel.

When I first tucked James Joyce's ULYSSES under my arm, Don Gifford's ULYSSES ANNOTATED was tucked under the other. (My biceps became very well developed because of this.) It took me an entire summer to read the books side by side but how worthwhile it was. Gifford's essential line by line, almost word by word, guidance made ULYSSES less overwhelming than if I had tried to tackle it alone. Once I got through ULYSSES the second time (the following spring) I was able to go to the more overarching analyses of Joyce's masterpiece. Stuart Gilbert's ULYSSES and Richard Ellmann's ULYSSES ON THE LIFFEY were particularly helpful.

One reviewer wrote that Doc is the reincarnation of Johan Tetzel, well I must beg to differ. After many months of strenuous research, I have concluded that Paul Van Wie is truly the reincarnation of the Holy Savior Jesus Christ. Every single student that has graced his classroom has called him a "Saint" and claims to feel a holy aura beaming from his powerfully built Calvin Klein model-type body. One can see that it was Doc who acted as a "savior" to every single one of his AP Euro students in the few months before the AP test from eternal damnation (ie. their parents). He did by performing the greatest sacrifice of them all... devoting many hours of his life giving countless review sessions that he could otherwise spend at the Club shakin' it until the break of dawn. Another correlation that I have discovered between Doc and Jesus is that if Doc was "transubstantiated" into a type of bread and drink like Jesus does on holy mass, Doc would transsubstantiate into Nacho Cheese Doritos and Diet Snapple, a fine choice for a "last supper" I might add. Some also consider his book "The Holy Bible" of European coinage, which in many respects is true. Doc also preaches the holy doctrine of "respect thy Neighbor," which explains his odd and sometimes scary attraction towards Canada. And the last little tidbit of my research that proves Doc's "Jesus-ness" is his ability to speak in many different "Tongues," and even, yeah you guessed it, Dutch.

There is no one more informed on this topic than Paul Van Wie. He truly is a treasure. Anyone who has a remote interest in History and/or Politics must pick this book up. A must read!

Paul van Wie, Ph.D., is a man so transcendentally knowledgeable that it stupefies the human mind. This book reflects that fact. However, one would do well to notice that the book, for all its other virtues, does not even broach the subject of former First Lady Rachel Jackson's little-known side-career as (you guessed it!) a Nazi spy.

5 stars nevertheless.

When you walk down the halls with a jingle in your pants, all you can think about is Doc Van Wie. That lovely clank of coins makes you think about the history of coins. This is far more sophisticated than those little stamp collections my little boy scout. Often, coins represent a nation and its ideals with really cool drawings and cool sounding Latin Words. That is why Paul Van Wie, teacher of AP EURO, has decided to write a truly amazing book on coins. There is one more thing I do have to say. Why does the subtitle of a book dictate what the book shall be about? My god, its even happening in this reader review!

As My two good friends Cimabue and Giotto would agree this is one of the greatest books ever on European coinage. Louis XIV would be pleased with this awesome display of knowledge by the Doctor. Even Industrial people such as Thomas Sadler enjoy this book. Here are some sample reviews from many of the great figures of history.

"Two Thumbs Up!"- Mahandis Ghandi
"A Masterpiece"- Bernini
"Just like back in da trecento"- Cimabue
"My fingers hurt"- Thomas Sadler
"Le Wow!"- Mazarin
"Zis is a good book"- Otto V(o,a)n Bismarck
"Es un libro fabuloso"- Juana of Spain
"Now That's a spicy meataball- and a good book"- Fra Angelico

As you can see the reviews are pouring in, so stop right now and buy this book! You will not be sorry.

This is one of the most emotional, powerful books I have ever read. I felt I was I there and that I knew these people personally. The author did some incredible research or else is the ghostly embodiment of all the men of high spirit involved.

This book is wonderful... I couldn't put it down, it was such a compelling read. Anyone who has any interest in the Emerald Isle must read this detailed, comprehensive account of the most important moment in Irish history. It is well-written, entertaining, enlightening, and will deepen the outsider's understanding of the Irish struggle throughout its history with Britain. It is told in an informative tone, yet brings history to life with all the fine details that surround the lives of the Irish heroes. It is by far the best book I have ever read, and I will read it again and again! I also agree that it is a screenplay waiting to be made!

The Easter Rebellion is the subject of this engrossing book. What makes the tale more interesting than so much of the patriotic gloss that has been so often repeated is the fact that the rising was so poorly planned that it was nothing short of a miracle that it proved to be ultimately successful in many of its long term aims.

Apart from the seizure of the General Post Office in Dublin, the rebels were unable to secure most of their objectives. British forces were able to suppress the revolt within a week. Due to disputes and internal squabbles between competing factions, many Irish militias simply refused to take any active role in the rising and the rebels in the GPO were hopelessly outnumbered from the start.

The revolt may have proven to have been unnecessary had Britain not chosen to suspend Irish Home Rule for the duration of World War One. John Redmond's long awaited legislation was enacted and then immediately placed on indefinite hold. Had Home Rule been permitted, it is quite possible that Ireland might be a member of the British Commonwealth of Nations today. Britain's refusal to implement Home Rule, despite its Parliamentary approval, gave rebel leaders the opportunity to plot a course for independence.

With British Army fully engaged on the Western Front, it was thought that assistance could be readily obtained from the Central Powers to arm the rebels. Roger Casement spent months in Berlin where he took part in a series of unproductive meetings with skeptical representatives of the Kaiser. An open revolt in Dublin would be a useful diversion, but the Germans were wary about committing significant resources to such a plan and to a motley crew of disorganized and impoverished revolutionaries.

Casement's efforts to raise a revolutionary brigade composed of captured Irish colonials who were being held as British prisoners of war in German camps proved to be futile as these soldiers overwhelmingly refused to defect. The promised weapons offered by Imperial Germany turned out to be a cargo of antiquated army surplus, including some obsolete cannons and mortars that probably dated back to the Franco-Prussian War. A single ship was provided to deliver the arms to the Irish coast.

After the disguised ship skillfully evaded the British naval blockade, the entire shipment was captured on the beach within mere minutes of its unloading. Casement, himself, was placed under arrest almost as soon as he arrived on shore. His betrayal was the work of a paid informer, a homosexual renter, who had been communicating with the English about Casement's activities and the shipment of arms for weeks.

Initially, many Dubliners had been enraged at the rebels both for the disruption of their daily lives and the destruction that had been visited upon their city. When the British imposed a brutal state of martial law, which included the summary execution of most of the captured rebels, Irish public sentiment changed abruptly. The rebels were no longer reviled as damned fools, but considered as martyrs to the cause of Irish freedom. Padraic Pearse had been vindicated. Out of the blood sacrifice of the rising on Easter Monday came heavy handed British reprisals which reignited the spirit of revolt on the part of the Irish people.

While not a historical novel, the book does contain some fictionalized dialogue mixed with actual quotations. This does not detract from fascinating and sometimes hilarious account of cowardice, heroism, idealism and stupidity that attended the birth of the Republic of Ireland.

We all realize the book is a bit fictionalized, but it's a better read that way, I think, and I've been studying the Easter Rising for 2 years now. All the information is accurate, and it gives you a good sense of the times. We can never truly know what these men were thinking, but this gives you a fairly good idea. I have a question though, there were two things I could not verify and since I'm researching this, it's quite important: does anyone know about the authenticity of Moira and Agna Connolly's existance? Most places say Connolly only had 6 children, but then they never give names, and the names of all his other children are accurate.

Rebels is wonderful book, encompassing the years leading up to the Rising, the events of the Rising, and the executions after the failed Rising. The book is rich in the characters of the major figures involved in the events of the Easter Rising. Pearse, the fatal idealistic, to the hard-nosed general Maxwell are beautifully protrayed. Rosa encompasses the whole view of what the rebellion meant the leaders, the British, and the people of Ireland. Also, Rosa shows the changing attitudes of the Irish people after the Rising. If you love Irish history, this book is a must read.