Ireland Books

One of the newest additions to the outstanding Cardogan travel guide series, Southwest Ireland: Cork, Kerry, Limerick & Clare by Catharina Day is now in a fully revised edition. Covering 170 places to stay, 190 top bars and restaurants, legends, stone circles, history, the nuances of its title counties, and much more, Southwest Ireland is as valuable for its in-depth tour of local lore as it is for its 16 detailed and highly accessible maps. Black-and-white and a handful of color photographs illustrate this easy-to-follow reference handbook, as useful for locating markets, activities, and tourist attractions as it is for simple reading pleasure about the wonders of Southwest Ireland. Highly recommended for business travelers and vacationers alike.

One of the newest additions to the outstanding Cardogan travel guide series, Southwest Ireland: Cork, Kerry, Limerick & Clare by Catharina Day is now in a fully revised edition. Covering 170 places to stay, 190 top bars and restaurants, legends, stone circles, history, the nuances of its title counties, and much more, Southwest Ireland is as valuable for its in-depth tour of local lore as it is for its 16 detailed and highly accessible maps. Black-and-white and a handful of color photographs illustrate this easy-to-follow reference handbook, as useful for locating markets, activities, and tourist attractions as it is for simple reading pleasure about the wonders of Southwest Ireland. Highly recommended for business travelers and vacationers alike.

One of the newest additions to the outstanding Cardogan travel guide series, Southwest Ireland: Cork, Kerry, Limerick & Clare by Catharina Day is now in a fully revised edition. Covering 170 places to stay, 190 top bars and restaurants, legends, stone circles, history, the nuances of its title counties, and much more, Southwest Ireland is as valuable for its in-depth tour of local lore as it is for its 16 detailed and highly accessible maps. Black-and-white and a handful of color photographs illustrate this easy-to-follow reference handbook, as useful for locating markets, activities, and tourist attractions as it is for simple reading pleasure about the wonders of Southwest Ireland. Highly recommended for business travelers and vacationers alike.

One of the newest additions to the outstanding Cardogan travel guide series, Southwest Ireland: Cork, Kerry, Limerick & Clare by Catharina Day is now in a fully revised edition. Covering 170 places to stay, 190 top bars and restaurants, legends, stone circles, history, the nuances of its title counties, and much more, Southwest Ireland is as valuable for its in-depth tour of local lore as it is for its 16 detailed and highly accessible maps. Black-and-white and a handful of color photographs illustrate this easy-to-follow reference handbook, as useful for locating markets, activities, and tourist attractions as it is for simple reading pleasure about the wonders of Southwest Ireland. Highly recommended for business travelers and vacationers alike.

"Southwest Ireland" by Catharina Day is a valuable book for anyone going to this beautiful part of Ireland. I travel frequently to this region (mostly to Limerick), and find this guide very informative for not only typical guidebook material (places to stay, eat, etc.) but also for more uncommon information on sights of interest. The single strongest feature of this book is in the historical background it provides. This book is far and away the best of commonly available guides to the region from a practical history point of view. It includes an interesting introduction explaining a history of Ireland, the status of the Irish Republic today, and a very helpful glossary of political parties and terms. Religious and political issues (obviously including Northern Ireland) are explained, and all this background helps a traveler appreciate the people and places in this wonderful country.

I obviously can't comment on the accuracy of the entire book, but the entries here align very well with the places I have been (King John's Castle, St. Mary's Cathedral, etc.) so as long as the book is uniform, it is very useful and accurate. The book is not without detractions, however. Except for the first few pages which contain color photographs taken from the area, there are no illustrations of the places featured. The maps are not especially helpful or detailed, either. For these reasons I gave the book four stars, whereas the text would easily garner five.

Travelers may wish to pick up another guide with more user friendly maps and better illustrations to compliment this guide. All told though, this is a great guide to Southwest Ireland, and I recommend it, especially for the history.

Soltis does an excellent job in this work. This book is much realistic than the Soviet Chess School which is pure propaganda - other than the fact that it has very realistic caricatures of soviet chess players.
Soltis has done some excellent research into the games and player history. A must read.

GM Soltis has produced a fine work here, just like his biography of Frank Marshall, as well as his 70s book "The Younger Soviet School of Chess" (more than can be said for his opening books alas). He covers chess in the Soviet Union from the October Revolution to the Union's demise.

Soltis covers the inauspicious beginnings of Soviet chess, largely due to the whims of Krylenko, the much feared Soviet prosecutor. There were bad setbacks at first, particularly the defections of Alekhine and Bogolyubov, the outclassing of the leading Russians (albeit of a pre-revolonary generation) by the best Westerners at the great Moscow 1925 tournament (of course, apart from the soon-to-defect Bogolyubov), to the rise of Botvinnik to world class.

By the end of WW2, Soviet strength had grown enormously, but was almost unknown in the West. The West realized it soon enough with the Soviets' drubbing of the USA team, victors in the four previous Olympiad. Then Botvinnik convincingly captured the World Title, and the Soviets held it ever since apart from the three-year reign of Fischer.

Soltis also covers the horrors of Communist Russia, showing that even chessmasters were not immune from Stalin's paranoia. Even Krylenko met the fate he had handed out to so many others. The "Great Patriotic War" also took a terrible toll, including Iljin Genevsky, and Romanovsky's first wife and all their daughters. Soltis speculates on the effects of the Soviet oppression on the character of many of its grandmasters.

There is a good collection of lightly annotated games, many unknown but still high quality. At the end, there's even a guide to pronouncing Russian names, which may surprise many, but on the ones I've heard pronounced by native Russian speakers, Soltis provides an accurate guide as far as is possible with the Latin alphabet.

This book offers a fascinating historical account of chess in the Soviet Union. While it does contain lots of game scores with light annotations by the author, the book is more historical than instructional. The book gives a detailed account of the evolution of Soviet chess from the basement of a small house in Moscow just after the revolution, to a national fascination that would dominate the world scene. All throughout the book there is a strong emphasis on the connection between chess and politics in the USSR. A great read for history buffs.

This is a fascinating account of the Soviet (chess) compound. Whether you be an academic or an avid chess player, this book will suit you well. Complete with annotated games and extensive Soviet history, Soltis' scholarship is superb. Sovietologists will likely find themselves in uncharted but important territory.

Those who have read 'Bobby Fischer Goes to War' will recognize this as Edmond & Eidinow's main source. Perhaps the most impressive aspect of this work is its politically unbiased nature.

Best read with a board, pen, and notebook.

Soltis and Mcfarland realized a great work. Soviet chess is an historical topic of absolute interest for chess players and not. Soltis keeps a good balance between historical/anecdotical facts and chess facts. the price is high but correct: hardcover, good paper, many photopgraphs.

This is what you would expect a history of any period to be like, but unfortunately few are. Bowen has done a masterful job in explaining what happened, why it happened, who made it happen, and who didn't. Almost every situation is explained as to the political, economic and military impact of what happened as well as thoughts on what different could have been done and what the effect might have been.

By keeping Spain out of direct belligerency, Franco protected Spain for the post-war era. Though his dictatorship was brutal, it was homegrown and homemade (except for the help of the German Air Force-Condor Legion) and for the most part, kept home. With belligerent armies in the millions, and forced labor in the millions; Spain contributed at most seventy thousand troops and workers all told, with fewer than 20,000 at any one time.

If you want to know what happened in Spain during WW2, this is your book.

This is an important new volume, filling a major gap in the recent history of Europe. But in addition to that, it is an engrossing and entertaining read!

For several decades after World War II, historians of the various fascist and semi-fascist movements tended to focus on the leaders, the party structure, international diplomacy, and issues related to the war. Only recently have historians begun to focus on the "little people" who supported these regimes. (This is in stark contrast to the historians of Marxism, who have much more often written about the devotion of the individual party members.)

Franco's regime was a complex one, combining elements of military dictatorship, fascism, and reactionary monarchism. Although Franco succeeded in steering a middle course between these elements, there were many radical members of the Falange who wanted closer ties to Nazi Germany. The motivations behind these people -- mostly young radicals -- have not been explored in any English-language history book until now.

In "Spaniards and Nazi Germany," the author (Wayne Bowen) examines the various individuals who advocated closer ties between Spain and Germany between 1933 and 1945. Germany aided Franco's Nationalists during the Spanish Civil War, while the Soviet Union was aiding the Republican forces. When the Civil War ended, many observers expected Spain to become a close ally of Germany. But when Hitler struck a deal with Stalin in 1939, this changed. The Spanish Right had always seen Communism as their greatest foe. So when Hitler and Stalin gleefully carved up Catholic Poland, most of the Spaniards loyal to Franco realized that Hitler's ideology was not at all the same as theirs.

However, radical elements in the Falange refused to break ties with Nazi Germany. Many of them formed Spanish-German friendship groups, and even tried to undermine Franco's control of Spain. Finally, when Hitler double-crossed Stalin and invaded the USSR in June 1941, many young anti-Communist Spaniards volunteered to fight on the Eastern Front. These volunteers of the "Division Azul" ("Blue Division") ended up fighting alongside the Germans between Leningrad and Moscow.

Dr. Bowen does an excellent job of chronicling the activities of the pro-German Spaniards, as well as the controversies surrounding them. On a political level, Franco was trying to steer a course between the neutrality he desired for Spain and his tactical preference for whichever side seemed to be winning the war at any given time; on the other hand, the radical Falange saw politics in terms of the National Socialist "New Order" which they believed was the future of Europe. On an ideological level, most of Franco's supporters respected the Nazi Party's opposition to Communism, but distrusted its radicalism and its neo-paganism; again, this contrasted with the Falangists who saw Nazism as admirable. Even in the face of explicit German disdain for their "Latin allies", many of these radicals persisted in their loyalty to the Nazi ideals.

This is an excellent book which really opens a new chapter in the history of 20th Century Europe.

I enjoyed this book, which is very well documented with lots of footnoes and bibliography. The Nazis come off looking pretty arrogant about Spain, which they thought was at their beck and call. This book has everything a good history should: adventure, war, diplomacy, economics, conspiracies, and unexpected results. Excellent.

I really liked this book! My boyfriend is a real history buff, watching the History Channel all the time and everything, so I wasn't convinced I would enjoy it when he kept pushing me to look at it, but after I started reading Bowen's book, I couldn't put it down. There are a lot of amazing stories in it, like when Spaniards fought to defend Berlin at the end of World War II, and when Franco said "no" to Hitler -- and got away with it! For a history book, it's a pretty fun read!

This is an exciting story about my country's history during the Spanish Civil War and Second World War, when my grandparents endured starvation and political warfare. Professor Bowen has written a very interesting book, finding archives and research materials that no Spanish historian has used, to create this history which reads like a novel. I had no idea so many of my people were enthusiastically pro-Nazi, fighting in the German army, agitating for Spanish entry into the war, and volunteering, even after the war was lost, to help Hitler win. I had heard of the Blue Division, but thought these were soldiers Franco forced to go to Russia, not tens of thousands of volunteers who wanted to fight Stalin. Sometimes Bowen seems to go a little too easy on Franco, who contributed so much to making life difficult in Spain during this period, but I still recommend this book for everyone interested in the Second World War or Spanish history.

Carole Bellacera's exciting novel about a young, beautiful journalist and a rock star was delicious reading. Spotlight has a exciting and original plot as well as sexy characters. The suspense went up to the last minute and made it a great reading experience. Thanks Carole, keep 'em coming.

"Spotlight" is one of the best books of the year. I loved "Border Crossings", the author's first book, and "Spotlight", the second, is every bit as good. You simply cannot put it down. She captures the Irish experience as few others have.

I enjoyed reading this novel and considered it well written and very good. However, the hero, Devin, is such a perfect person that I had trouble making him real in my mind. He is an Irish Catholic rock star who is more popular and better looking than Bono of U2. He gives most of his money away to peace seeking charities. He also has not had sex in several years since his wife was caught on an IRA terrorist mission as a perpetrator. Devin lives like a monk despite women literally ripping their clothes off in front of him and throwing themselves at him. The only bad things one can say about him are that he's moody sometimes and that he doesn't tell the heroine the whole truth about his life until forced to do so. By contrast, Bellacera's other novel featured a Trinity college professor as the lead, who had his priorities in life confused, and let his own stubbornness and misplaced loyalty get him deeper and deeper into the Irish Catholic cause at the peril of losing his wife and child. I preferred the intimate, human scale of "Border Crossings", with its well rounded hero, to the superstar setting of "Spotlight" and its superhuman hero. Nevertheless, Bellacera is a very good writer and wrote a rousing tale with "Spotlight".

Spotlight takes us through the tormetned and bittersweet life of Devin O'Keefe as he escapes the violence of Northern Ireland, makes a life for himself, and finds love.

Devin O'Keefe watches helplessly as his older brother is killed on Bloody Sunday in the name of peace. From here, Devin's life takes several twists and turns. His closest friend is injured in a freak accident and he discovers that the woman he loves has deceived him to extremes.

Fonda Blayne has a dream. She has no intention of spending her life working for someone else, even if it is as a photographer for one of the hottest music magazines. Fonda has an eye for the very best and she intends to put that to good use. Tragedy strikes her as well when her twin brother is killed in the line of duty.

Things finally look up when Fonda is offered the chance of a lifetime. She is hired to do a photojournal of the hot rock and roller from Ireland. Devin O'Keefe makes it clear right off that she better stay out of his way, because his music will always come first. Neither Fonda or Devin are emotionally prepared for the attraction that consumes them. A bond is forged and the couple begin a life together, with plans to marry. But all is not so simple. Devin is already married and his wife is a member of the IRA. All hell breaks loose when the band's manager is arrested on charges of terrorism. Devin must face his most horrifying demon and prove to the world and the woman he truly loves that he is all he says he is.

Devin and Fonda make a solid foundation for this novel of great importance and political realism. Carole Bellacera takes characters from one of the world's most misunderstood cultures and blends them dramatically with the equally tormented Americans of our own society. Superbly well-rounded cast.

This beautiful and poignant tale of trauma and triumph is written with such style I found myself held captive with each word. SPOTLIGHT is an engrossing tale of horrifying proportion and bittersweet victory. Carol bellacera has an impeccable talent as a story-teller with writing skills to match.

Ms. Bellacera took me by the hand and led me through the life of one of today's finest hero's. I felt the pain, I cringed in disgust and I heard the very music that filled the pages of SPOTLIGHT. Conviction and determination set a stunning platform for a brilliant career for this writer. Not something I would normally read, I have to urge everyone to pick up this book. Every reader deserves this kind of book.

Carole Bellacera has done it again! She has followed her outstanding debut novel, BORDER CROSSINGS with a book that's as good, if not better. Wonderfully romantic and suspenseful, SPOTLIGHT is the story of American Fonda Blayne, a writer/photographer for an American rock magazine, Spotlight. She has been assigned to do a book on charismatic Irish rock star Devin O'Keefe who, despite growing up in Northern Ireland advocates peace instead of violence to deal with "The Troubles." However a woman from Devin's last is using him, without his knowledge, to further her cause which includes bombings and other violent acts.

As Devin and Fonda's relationship escalates from a professional to a personal level, can Devin tell Fonda the truth about this woman from his past and still hold on to her love?

This is an outstanding book from its haunting prologue to its exciting conclusion. I absolutely could NOT put it down and was up until 3AM finishing it. I highly recommend this book as one of the best books of the year.

My father told me that no Irishman lets the truth stand in the way of a good story. Who knows what of history is true in any culture. This book recognizes it and makes it an excellent blend and easy reading.

Seumus MacManus is a great story teller in the finest of the shanachie tradtion. This is history through story telling. Most is factual, but the folklore is weaved into the telling of the tale. The descriptions of the life and work of Daniel O'Connell are priceless. As a boy, growing up, I was never certain of what was real and what was fanciful about my Irish heritage. But, isn't that much of the charm of the Irish? I highly recommend this book to the reader who wants to be entertained and disdains dry history books. This is a fun read and a wonderful way to learn of the surprising and incredibly interesting history of an amazing people. I also recommend a new book by Frank Delaney, Ireland, published in 2004. Read it and you will understand why I prefer my history learning to include people like the Shanachies who passed on the oral traditions. But, if you really want to learn about the Irish, go to Ireland, and let the people tell you of their history and culture. I learned more in 16 days in Ireland than anything I have ever read. It is a proud culture of wonderful people. It is important for the reader to know that this was published in 1921 and reflects the attitudes of that time in Ireland.

A classic work of Irish-American partisan history. This was the Irish history taught at our grandparents knee and stories both whispered and shouted at many an auld shebeen. Unfortunately, much of it is highly exagerated and based more upon cultural politics than verifiable history. There is no doubt that the history of the English occupation has been long and cruel, but that in and of itself does not make all things Irish angelic. According to the poet MacManus, Ireland before 1169 was an idylic wonderland inhabited by saints and scholars and noble warriors. Do not misunderstand: I love this book. I retell these tales to any and all who will listen. But it is not history as much as folklore. His dedication to his deceased bride- the poet Ethna Carberry- is touching and sad, but gets obsessive as she is mentioned in almost every chapter. My old copy - 1921- contains blank pages in the back with the instructions to paste the newsclippings about the Treaty there. This book is perhaps one of the last places one can find the stories of Fin MacCool, St. Patrick, Owen Roe O'Neil, Patrick Sarfield and the Fenians all in one volume, and each capter ws writen by different experts (and Nationalists).

The gentle nature of the Irish people is greatly emphasized in this book. The ideas of democracy were practiced in ancient Ireland, according to MacManus. Women were treated as equals in a time when they were but chattle in other areas of the world. The desire to aquire knowledge is clearly evident in the way the scholars of celtic culture were respected and looked to for direction. I was amazed by the Englishmen that participated in the destruction of Irish culture. In particular, Sir Walter Raleigh and the masacre of the Spanish soldiers that came to assist the rebellion of the English invasion of Ireland. That is a part of history not taught in American schools today. We were taught that Raleigh was an heroic man. This book opened my eyes to the true barbarian he was. These are only a few of the details that shocked and interested me about my heritage. I am still reading and anticipate the aditional information I to come.

Genocide has recently become an issue again in current events. The Yugoslavians are having at the Albanians. Africans have and are decimating Africans. Germans have reduced Jewish and Roman Catholic numbers efficiently and effectively. Spanish, French, Scandanavian and English swacked the native Americans and their cultures from Alaska to the southern most end of South America. It's an old story. The English are not alone in their chapters. In fact, they still pompously and righteously perpetuate their own form of genocide at the hands of the native Irish, as they have with South Africans and Indians.

Seumas MacManus allows this to be perfectly clear, not as a biased self appointed judge, but as a historian making available in print information previously unavailable to me and others of Irish descent who have lost their roots because they've been hacked away from them by shame.

It seems once again unjust that a work which salutes the dignity, power and grace of a people is left to die its own death and is no longer published. I was looking for a copy to purchase so I could leave it for my children and their children. I know of no shenachies to continue the tales. Another positive cultural influence destroyed by the insecure British. Just think of what could have been if the British weren't so afraid of the people they didn't understand and therefor massacred and worked with them toward their mutual benefit. We'll never know.

I'd rather read this book than have Irish bread w. freshly whipped butter, w. farm-fresh eggs, tomato, sausage and Irish breakfast tea! And that's a lot! This affectionate novel is a jewel. A very special woman wrote this book and shared with us her very special childhood. If you're Irish, of Irish descent, have been to Ireland, or enjoy a charming, well-written, enchanting true tale, you'll love this book and keep a copy and recommend it to loved ones. Did you enjoy the LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE books as a child? Or have you read, THE ROAD FROM COORAIN by Jill Ker Conway? Then you'll truly enjoy this book

I laughed, I cried, I remembered my own childhood in County Ireland as I ran barefoot through the daisies. I especially loved the bit about 'Old Dan'who loves to be near children. I knew a guy JUST like that when I was seven. Alice Taylor's book is a TRIUMPH. It is nothing less. We need more books about the poverty and ignorance of Ireland, written by an ordinary housewife like Alice, in her deceptively accessible style. In these weary times, her book is like three hundred milligrammes of morphine to a man with a headache. She deserves the pulitzer! Well done Alice!!

If you love the simple life (not to be confused with easy), nature, simple people and their idiosyncracies, then you will love this book. Alice Taylor takes us back to the communal farm life of Ireland. She "shows" us vividly how she grew up in County Cork Ireland in a rural farming community where the community came before the individual; unheard of in our current paradigm. Everything that nature had to offer was used in daily life, including the grease from cooked geese to oil leather boots. Life was about pulling your weight, helping your neighbor, integrity, and respecting God and His creations. This book sooths my soul and slows me down. If you live a busy "city" life, but long for nature and simplicity, I highly recommend this book. It will make you smile and comfort your spirit.

If Angela's Ashes and it's clones is your only taste of Ireland during the economic hard times, you're only getting half the story. This best seller speaks of the Ireland our grandparent's held dear to their hearts. It's short vignette structure makes it an excellant read for those using public transportation. Warning: people who feel good writing must be driven by inner turmoil will hate this book. To all others Taylor's work is breath of fresh air!

What a delight this little book is! Within the space of only 151 pages of standard typeface, Alice Taylor has told many a tale, charmed us with her warmhearted stories from her childhood.

TOO LONG A SACRIFICE is an admirable model of the editing of literary works of importance. The editors' knowledge of the subjects and their place in history (political, art and otherwise), the care with which they present the text, and the extensive and informative notes which clarify persons and events mentioned, are impressive. However important Quinn may be, my impression of him is not very positive. He seems to be, in spite of his status as a patron, protector and promoter, an opportunistic user of people. He appears to be communicating primarily as an effort to elicit responses that will have future literary value - he is writing with an eye to posterity's perception of him - he is less interested in the person than in the person's observations, statements and assessments. His words seem disassociated from a human, humane interest in his correspondent. While a degree of personal reserve may be expected, his reserve seems cold and calculated. I felt this strongly in the earlier ON POETRY, PAINTING AND POLITICS (The Letters of May Morris and John Quinn) {Janis Londraville's previous work on Quinn}. Mrs. Londraville's scholarly and graceful editing is wonderful. She does not intrude her assessment of the man into the book, making it possible for me to dislike him all on his own! I recommend both these books for all readers interested in the linked worlds of Irish history, literature and tragedy, seen through the filter of a careful, American, would-be Walpole.

These writers go to the essence of their subjects presenting them as human being not just icons of their time. Please check out the other books by these authors who capture others from the Irish connections

TOO LONG A SACRIFICE is an essential guide to Irish arts and letters as well as an intriguing glimpse into the daily lives of early twentieth century literati. Between the dark wit of Irish American lawyer and art patron John Quinn and the passionate observations of political activist and feminist Maud Gonne, these letters open a window onto a private world where such literary luminaries as Joyce, Pound and Yeats were also friends. Through this collection of correspondence, historian Janis Londraville and SUNY Potsdam Professor Richard Londraville, who both spoke at the W.B. Yeats Society of the Palm Beaches this May (99) in Florida, have offered modern readers a passport into the minds and times of these two influential figures. Whether these letters were written from a train station in Paris, a country house retreat in West Ireland, or a law office in bustling turn of the century New York, I felt as if I was there as Gonne and Quinn corresponded about the effects of war, the possibilities of art, and the hopes of an independent and united Ireland. Since these letters were not penned for personal gain or public perusal, their candor is refreshing, especially as they speak of people who worked only for the blessing of history, not celebrity. That understanding - of how art continues to exist, often at great personal cost, because of some inner dedication instead of adulation - is just one of the many lasting insights from this book. It's an epistolary treat

Because of my interest in early twentieth century art, I have read some of John Quinn's letters before, and I'm familiar with his biography by Benjamin L. Reid. What fascinates me about this new book of letters is that Quinn seems so interested in and concerned about Maud Gonne, her various interests, and her children. He is usually less sensitive. The notes at the end of the text are another book in themselves, and very helpful to me in my own research about several sculptors, including Gaudier-Brzeska and Brancusi. Although Irish history is not my area of expertise, I liked eavesdropping on Maud Gonne when she wrote to Quinn about the Irish political situation and, especially, about the starving Irish children. I never really understood before what England had done.

TOO LONG A SACRAFICE casts light on the world in which Maud Gonne, John Quinn, and W.B. Yeats lived and worked. There has been such a proliferation of material about Yeats and his circle that I didn't expect much that was new in these letters. But as I read Maud Gonne's correspondence with John Quinn, I felt for the first time that she was a special individual and not simply a function of Yeats's verse. She writes frequently about Yeats, his poetry, and their mutual friends; but she also writes of her own life, aand of her own ideas abut art, literature, and politics. I didn't always agree with her views, but I was delighted to know, at last, how SHE felt. The editors claim that "the seriousness of Gonne's views is both diminished and enhanced by [Yeats's] poetry" and that "it has become almost impossible for us to see her other than through the lens of his verse." But these letters allow me to hear Maude Gonnes' own voice. She speaks as a firebrand who hates everything English, and yet is also a healer and a humanitarian. (I learned that she nursed the wounded in France during WWI, and she, with Quinn's financial support, fed starving children in Dublin). Quinn was a powerful man, the patron and friend to many of the important writers and artists of the twentieth century. I'm given the impression that he was acerbic at times, temperamental, and perhaps obsessive compulsive. Still, his letters to Maud Gonne are charming and packed with information about famous people he knwe, from Theodore Roosevelt to james Joyce, from Woodrow Wilson to John Millington Synge, from the entire Yeats family to artist Gwen John and Pablo Picasso. The editors are to be commended for their efforts to keep a balance between meticulous scholarship and concern for the non-specialist. I particularly appreciated the useful introductions to eaach section.

_Toss the Feathers_ is the definitive book on Irish set dancing. I bought a copy in Galway City, and it has saved me innumerable times. I carry it with me to all classes and ceilis; it's well-worn and well-loved. Besides the most common sets, Pat gives us notes for beautiful and obscure local dances. His introduction also includes an illuminating history of set dancing. Beware: you will not teach yourself to dance from this book if you have no prior knowledge of set dancing. However, it is ideal for supplementing your knowledge from classes. When two set dancers disagree on the "correct" version of a set, one inevitably pulls out a copy of Pat's book, and his judgement is trusted. All of us set dancing addicts are awaiting the upcoming sequel. Buy it now! You'll never regret this useful reference on bad days when you can't even remember how the Ballyvourney Jig Set begins.

As a step dancer with limited exposure to set dancing, I found this book a wonderful introduction. Although I cannot personally vouch for the accuracy of his notation, I know/ have heard of several who do. In any case, it is well written and researched.... An excellent historical guide. Probably the best Irish dance (step or set) book sold on Amazon.

This is the best. If you want a reference for dancing, the one the teachers use, this is it. Buy it. There is none better.

This book is great for anyone who set dances but hasn't yet memorized all of the moves (-most of us?!). Not intended for people who have never set danced before. You need to be familiar with the jargon, such as "round the house", "ladies chain", etc.

Pat Murphy's _Toss the Feathers_ is the most useful guide to set dancing I have come across. During my nine months dancing in Northern Ireland, _Toss the Feathers_ was the book that my teachers used to check for technicalities, and the book I used to brush up on my steps on my way to ceilis. I heartily recommend this book to people who know about set dancing, and want to check their steps or sets. However, I do not recommend this book to newcomers, because Murphy's language is overly technical. For example, to turn someone under your arm, you have to rotate them in a counterclockwise manner until they reach 360 degrees, etc. :) I'm exaggerating. But this book is a definite must-have for those who love set dancing, especially when they're away from Ireland. Like me. Cheers go to Pat Murphy.

I was originally introduced to this book while living in the UK...the pipe band with which I played incorporated several of the tunes into its competition march medley. Being a long-time fan of the 'classic' trad Irish groups such as the Chieftains and the Bothy Band, I quickly realized these tunes to be ones played by them but set for the Highland pipes; yet still maintaining the framework to keep them instantly recognizable. If you're a Highland bagpiper and are looking for some great Irish tunes that you seldom hear in GHB piping circles, this is an excellent addition to your collection. If you're looking for some fresh material for building a pipe band competition medley (Gr III or higher) that no one else is playing, you'll find some gems in here. Note that this is NOT a beginner's tunebook...many of the tunes are quite challenging--not on the level of Saul or Duncan, but still enough to result in a disappointment (and discomfort) for the listener if attempted by a beginner or poor piper not up to the task.

This is a great little book of tunes. I've owned a copy for years and learned many tunes from it. It includes the classic "A Glass of Beer", a very Irish sounding "Johnny Cope" and several great slow airs and marches. But the person who compiled and arranged the tunes is Dave Rickard, not Susan MacQuaid.

This is a great collection of music and I highly recommend it to all of the pipers out there

This books is very well laid out with some great original compositions. I highly recommend it.

I was somewhat dissappointed when I first received this book because I was expecting many tunes that I had heard of, but after I had played several of them I quickly saw that this collection is a trove of wonderful celtic melodies that I will enjoy learning. Many of these tunes are written in the old style and are quite satisfying to play. Enjoy!

Neil Byrne is a popular Irish school guy coming up to is eighteenth birthday, a star rugby player, school prize winner, and always in demand. But he bears a heavy secret which, despite the fact that virtually all his straight friends are paired off and his remains single, no one suspects; he is gay. He has known this since the age of ten, but has so far been able to conceal the fact through his masculine attributes and successes, including a brief flirtation with a girl. He has secretly fallen for a younger lad at school, the beautiful blue-eyed blond guy with the cute behind, Ian.
Finally no longer to able to contain himself he confess his sexuality, but only to his closest friends, and then is encouraged to venture into the gay bars of Dublin. He meets a new group of friends including a benevolent Sugar Daddy, and Shane, a handsome older guy of twenty five with whom he starts a relationship. But is Shane all he seems to be, and is he to be trusted? Yet all appears to be going reasonably well until Neil can no longer live with deceiving his parents, and eventually comes out to them with catastrophic results.
Who will Neil be able to turn now, and can he rely on anyone? Throughout all his troubles he is plagued with doubts, and often sees suicide as an answer, is that now his only recourse?
However Ian is never far from his thoughts, but he does not even know if Ian is gay.
I found this an involving and enjoyable story, with a satisfying and very moving conclusion. The writing is interesting, especially when at times we see events from Neil's perspective, as if we are following events as his mind rapidly flits from one thought to another. Recommended.

I really enjoyed reading Tom Lennon's novel about an 18 year old Irish boy who just happens to be gay. Tom Lennon has a beautiful style, full of subtle details and he is excellent in building his characters. Around the main hero, there evolve a dozen of other characters all portrayed under the light of truth. Tom Lennon has a way to pay justice to everyone even to Mother and Father who love their son in their own way, as it the case with millions of parents of gay adlolescents. I believe this is a novel of literary value, much above the average of the common gay themed novels and that it should be read not only by young gays and adults but also by all parents who know or suspect that their son is gay. Reading this fine novel, they will probably get an insight into the turmoils of growing up with the idea of belonging to a minority group and that coming to terns with one's own reality has to shatter or put into trial (test) the relationship with any kind of authroty in the pyramid of love.

Neil, a young lad in Ireland, struggles to live truthfully as a gay youth while pretending with his parents and friends that he's just one of the guys. He slowly becomes involved in Dublin's gay community, and meets another guy who's a few years older, but before anything can happen, Neil is attacked by gay-bashers. After recovering, Neil finds that dating is difficult, especially when he's hiding so much, and the relationship sours. Neil comes out to his parents and friends, and finds some support, but everything changes, some for the worse and some for the better. This amazing coming out story does end with hope and a possibility for a connection to combat the loneliness of living as a gay man in a small town. Like Stuart Thorogood's "Outcast" and K. M. Soehnlein's "The World of Normal Boys", Lennon's book is a potent, poignant tale of what it's like being young and gay.

Neil Byrne's biggest problem is how to keep both sides of his life apart. At school is a good student and the talented rugby player. He has quite a few friends, but very few long-term girlfriends. That isn't to say there is nobody at school he wants today to date. There is. In fact, Neil has even written some poems that describe how he feels. The only problem is, "Does Ian feel the same?" Being afraid of rejection, Neil decides to stay silent. Instead, he begins to go

out and become apart of Dublin's gay nightlife. He meets the usual suspects: the solicitous older man, transvestites, and queens. He also meets Shane whom he hopes will be his one true love. In the end, he trades one problem for another. The world inhabited by his created family turns out to be just as stifling and insecure as the world inhabited by those he loves at home. In the end, he discovers that true love is literally just around the corner. This is a sad and funny book that traces a young man's search for love despite the obstacles created by his family and the bar culture of which he is a part.

It's not that this is a love story kind of romantic novel. It's more like a wonderfully sensitive story of Neil Byrne, just graduated, just turned 18 in search of love. The kind of love he can dig his fingers into, feel, and return in full measure. Set in Dublin Ireland one witnesses the close-knit family life of Dubliners, from their happy moments to the moments that tear them apart. Neil's search for love and acceptance puts him on the outside looking in with his school mates, his siblings, his best friend, all "rhyming couplets" while Neil is different and vacilates between fitting in and going his own way into Dublin's gay night life. Here he sees both the sad and the promise of something happy for himself. He meets Shane, a beautiful man, who might be the love Neil is searching for. Something odd: author Tom Lennon chooses to become vague during the novel's crisis moments when Neil "comes out" to his friends, family, when he is gay bashed, and near the end when... well I can't relate what happens. This is the kind of book that draws you in immediately and keeps you spellbound and rooting for the main character. Lennon's true ability is to make you feel what the sensitive Neil feels in both his wins and losses. The truly romantic will love this book. The jaded and cynical will probably not. After all, it's a coming out story, set in Ireland, from the point of view of a teenager. The story is sometimes funny, sometimes sad, but always interesting and in many ways insightful. Ronald L. Donaghe is the author of Uncle Sean.