Ireland Books

This book is very informative, citing now out-of-print primary sources and containing many colour and black and white photos of paintings and artifacts. It is alphabetically organized, also, and in a durable hardcover format. The author is obvoiusly well qualified. Highly recommended book.

Many years ago, I became a Nelson fan after reading an historical account of the Battle of Aboukir Bay. I was simply impressed by such an overwhelming victory by this master tactician of naval warfare. Now, as we approach the 200th anniversary of Trafalgar, it is only natural to suppose we shall be inundated with anything and everything "Nelsonian." If, however, they are all of the standard set by Colin White - we are in for a real treat.

Colin White is widely acknowledged as a leading expert on Nelson. He is the former Deputy Director of the Royal Naval Museum and is now Director of "Trafalgar 200" at the National Maritime Museum. In short, his credentials are impressive by any standards.

The Nelson Encyclopaedia is a hardback book measuring just over 10in x 8in containing 288 pages packed with solid information in an easy-to-follow format and all written by a man who knows his subject. As the words below the title on the front cover suggest, this is an encyclopaedia of all those facts and figures relating to the People, Places, Battles, Ships, Myths, Mistresses, Memorials & Memorabilia that were Nelson. This is, therefore, an ultimate reference source and probably the best possible place to start for those with little or no knowledge of the greatest naval genius of all time. At the same time, this is the also the book to answer those niggling little questions which trouble always the experts.

This is a work of reference will which stand the test of time. It is a scholarly work, an excellent read, well illustrated throughout and contains plenty of new material. It is very fitting that the Publisher's should be called "Chatham" and I congratulate them on a job well done.

NM

This is the best book I've read about Nelson in a long time (and I've read quite a few!). Colin White has unearthed a load of new material and has put it together in an accessible and readable form.

There is a first-rate introductory essay sketching out Nelson's life and career and showing how all the new material changes our view of the little admiral. Then there is a series of brilliant short essays on all aspects of his life - his battles, his ships, his women, and so on and so on.

Its one of those books its hard to put down. Each short essay has a "See also" section at the end of it and so you find yourself flipping happily through the book following a fascinating "trail".

Some great illustrations, many of which I'd never seen before and some excellent battle plans, again based on all the latest research. The book looks good too and feels good in your hands

This is not a traditional biography, but don't let that put you off. I guarantee you'll get a huge amount of enjoyment out of it and come away feeling that you have been listening to a man who really understands Nelson.

Colin White works hard so we don't have to. He has saved us having to dig through countless book to find information on persons, events and places that feature prominently, or even incidentally, in Lord Nelson's colourful life. This book will be an invaluable aid to everyone interested in Nelson, the Royal Navy, and the Napoleonic Wars.
Also highly recommended:

Joel Hayward's "For God and Glory: Lord Nelson and His Way of War"

Evan Thomas's "John Paul Jones : Sailor, Hero, Father of the American Navy"

Tom Pocock's "Horatio Nelson"

This book is just what it is called: an atlas. It does not give advice or information about irish history, genealogy, or anything of the sort (which is what I had mistakenly hoped for). It is a very, very detailed atlas of the counties, parishes, and every other conceivable subdivision of the land of Ireland over the last 200 years. It could be a valuable resource for anyone who has their genealogical research within Ireland already. If you are like me, and have traced the family to the boat ride but no further, this will not help you quite yet.

Thank you still to the author for the extensive research that must have gone into this!

This book doesn't give me all the answers I needed, but it has been a trememdous help in getting closer to finding my Irish Ancestors. Worth adding to my bookshelf.

Now in a new and expanded second edition, A New Genealogical Atlas Of Ireland by genealogical expert Brian Mitchell has added maps detailing the location of Roman Catholic parishes in all thirty-two counties of Ireland, and Presbyterian congregations in the nine counties of Northern Ireland. A complete geographical picture of the three major religious dominations in Ireland during the middle years of the 19th century is another newly added feature. An invaluable reference and guide for doing genealogical research for an Irish ancestry, A New Genealogical Atlas Of Ireland continues to be an indispensable, core addition to personal, professional, and genealogical society reference collections.

Now in an updated second edition, genealogy research expert Brian Mitchell's A New Genealogical Atlas Of Ireland is a very straightforward, accessible reference, presenting maps of each Irish county. Each county has five maps: one depicting the Church of Ireland parishes, one showing the baronies and Church of Ireland dioceses, one of the poor law unions and parishes included within probate districts, one of Roman Catholic parishes and dioceses, and a fifth set of maps for the nine counties of Northern Ireland shows Presbyterian congregations. Since civil registration for everyone in Ireland didn't begin until 1864, A New Genealogical Atlas Of Ireland is an extremely useful reference for tracing ancestors who lived prior to 1864. An invaluable contribution to genealogical reference and resource materials.

t' de flo' wid y

This document, soon to be published as an independent book by Pathfinder, is a summation of the lessons of history of revolution. In its way it is in line with the Communist Manifesto, with the fundamental documents of the Comintern, knitting together the history of world revolution, and of its Marxist vanguard in particular. This is not just about Trotsky and his contributions, but about how the Cuban communists fit into the continuation of Leninism, of what lessons we can learn from the crushed revolutions in Grenada and Nicaragua and by extension Burkina Faso.
There is so much, how Lenin's understanding of the importance of reaching out to farmers is true today, how new currents of workers searching for communist answers will keep emerging as they did in Cuba, how Trotsky learned Leninism, and how Trotskyists have learned like Trotsky did, not to be Trotskyists, but to be communists.
For many, this pamphlet will take them back to the founding documents of the Communists International. For others this will take the to the continuing revolutionary politics of Fidel and the other Cuban communists.
If you are serious about changing the world, you need to read this, study this, and follow the links this important book takes you to revolutionists throughout history and around the world.

In an age when revolutionaries come from different family trees, how do you look at the legendary Leon Trotsky, and his theory of ?permanent revolution,? that colonial countries can move directly from capitalist governments to workers governments? Jack Barnes, Socialist Workers Party national secretary, examines this issue in an article based on a 1982 speech. The volume also contains a piece by Cuban Communist Carlos Rafael Rodriguez on Lenin?s contributions to the strategy of colonial liberation and a pair of articles, by Lenin and Trotsky, on the 1916 Easter rebellion in Ireland.

In an age when revolutionaries come from different family trees, how do you look at the legendary Leon Trotsky, and his theory of ?permanent revolution,? that colonial countries can move directly from capitalist governments to workers governments? Jack Barnes, Socialist Workers Party national secretary, examines this issue in an article based on a 1982 speech. The volume also contains a piece by Cuban Communist Carlos Rafael Rodriguez on Lenin?s contributions to the strategy of colonial liberation and a pair of articles, by Lenin and Trotsky, on the 1916 Easter rebellion in Ireland.

What does it take to make a socialist revolution? What sort of political leadership is needed? What program and strategy? How to you create it in practice?

I found this issue of New International very helpful in discussing and thinking about these questions, both to understand the world today and figure out what to do about it. Jack Barnes bases his analysis on political work done by Karl Marx and Frederick Engels and leaders of the Russian Revolution V.I. Lenin and Leon Trotsky. He discusses lessons socialists in the United States had already drawn, and then takes a fresh look in light of the 1979 worker and peasant revolutions in Nicaragua and Grenada and the debate they sparked on revolutionary strategy.

The discussion takes up issues where there have often been differences among revolutionary organizations, including the character of alliances between workers and peasants or farmers, the role of armed struggle and electoral campaigns, and the type of the government to establish after overthrowing a capitalist regime. Barnes stresses the importance of the Cuban Revolution, both for the example it sets and the conscious efforts of the Cuban leadership to advance revolutionary leadership development around the world.

This is THE BEST book I have read about the Boyne Valley. It makes the landscape come alive. You should read it, and enjoy the photos, maps and descriptions before and after a trip there.

Outstanding historical book for this area. Beautiful photos and illustrations. A great bargin to buy through
Amazon.

A very comprehensive, informative book. I had seen it in Ireland, but didn't want to carry it home. I was so happy it find it here on Amazon. The information is well presented, probably more than most people need, but it is all there. Great illustrations.

The Boyne River has played a major role in Irish history. St Patrick first arrived in Ireland here, and the first Cistercian Abbey was established at Mellifont. King James and King William fought a great battle. (If you visit, you may be amused, perhaps bewildered, by the confusing road signs pointing in several directions to the "Battle of the Boyne".)

Geraldine Stout is an archaeologist with the Archaeological Survey of Ireland. She assisted on the excavations at Knowth and Newgrange and has undertaken postgraduate and doctoral research on the Boyne Valley.

This volume opens with excellent map of the area with centered on Newgrange. There are many illustrations and photographs focused on geology, emphasizing features which attracted the first settlers. (Google Books shows several of the pages in this volume.)

There are 26 ancient tribal burial chambers in the Boyne River Valley; Newgrange is undoubtedly the finest, and Stout describes it well. The great round tomb is about 5,000 years old -- which makes it several centuries older than the Great Pyramids of Egypt and 1,000 years older than Stonehenge. Stout also provides detailed descriptions of Knowth and Dowth. There are excellent photographs, paintings, maps and diagrams of all three tunnel tombs.

Stout describes the arrival of both the Cistercians (1142) and the Normans (1169), the establishment of a number of churches and the introduction of new methods of farming.

Another chapter deals with the historical and topographical aspects of the Battle of the Boyne. Stout describes of the great estates which arose from the growing economy of the 18th century and the construction of the Boyne Navigation. A chapter deals with more modest buildings which still stand in the Bend of the Boyne. She also describes the construction of a number of pillboxes during The Emergency as a line of defense against a possible British invasion.

Stout describes some of the current battles between farming and conservation. Finally she describes how the area, and especially the astronomical discoveries related to the tombs, have inspired artists and poets.

The book is attractive and scientific, useful for preparation or reminder of one of the most interesting corners of Ireland.

One Of Ourselves by James Robert Carroll isn't your usual historical/biographical focus on John F. Kennedy's assassination, but rather a finely crafted survey recalling JFK's happier times. Any fan of Presidently Kennedy will find year-round enjoyment in this superbly presented treatise which surveys his Irish roots, his meaning to Irish-Americans, and his visit to Ireland in 1963. A revealing celebration of his world, lovingly portrayed, One Of Ourselves is a welcome addition to personal and community library American History collections.

One Of Ourselves: John Fitzgerald Kennedy In Ireland by professional journalist James Robert Carroll is an informed and informative study of American President Kennedy's three and one-half day visit to Ireland in June of 1963. 44 black-and-white photographs and prints nicely illustrate the president's "homecoming" and its meaning at the time to both Americans and Irish alike. Meticulous attention to detail enhances a superbly written text in bringing to life this particular and unique intersection of human heritage and national office. No personal, academic, or community library Kennedy Studies collection can be considered complete without the inclusion of James Robert Carroll's One Of Ourselves!

This large, excellent complete chronicle of the John Fitzgerald Kennedy return to our ancestral homelands must be read by every American and every Irishman, and everyone else in between.

This little known historic journey which took place a mere six months before his bloody and cowardly murder by still hidden hands reveals much about the stature of the man, unequalled since by any President but Carter, and the apposition of the dynastic Nero and Caligula we suffer since the departure of that second greatest modern President.

Perhaps the present reader unfamiliar with those past times of honor, dignity, morality, truth, justice, equality, openness and compassion may suffer vertigo to contemplate such a different world, to which our present times resemble Superman's Bizarro land, where hello is good-bye and war is peace. But let us bravely recall those great days, that we may strive to live them once more as a nation, now deeply impoverished and abandoned, but a nation once again.

James Robert Carroll competently, carefully, academically, completely presents the historical record of those days, from the preparation of the voyage to the burial of our slain fallen last great leader, considering fully the context and meaning of those times. Several selections from the photogrpahic record also serve to bring those times more closely to us, now a more visually learning than a literate people. This book must be read, and read again, by one and by all.

I thought I had enough JFK books - the clan, the crises, the concubines. I used to read them all; now I find myself skipping through the pages of new books, over the same familiar stories. Even a good historian like Robert Dallek can only make news by turning up more tales of girls & pills. It starts to feel like aversion therapy. Please, I don't want to read any more!
Please!
I wanted to read this book, though - maybe for the same reason JFK wanted to go to Ireland. The trip was a sidelight. His advisors thought it a waste of time - he already had all the Irish votes! And Ireland was hardly a front line in the Cold War - he'd just been to Berlin and was about to face up to 'regime change' in Vietnam. But he wanted to go & he went - it's good to be the president. And his reason for going - like the trip itself - shows a side of him that's much less familiar than what we usually see. I have assorted ideas of what Kennedy was like (I'm a few years too young to remember him - if your first presidential bonding was with Lyndon Johnson - Vietnam, not civil rights, vintage - you can understand the interest in JFK) - but emotion - the tenderer emotions - isn't the first to mind.
That's what this book so wonderfully celebrates - Kennedy's 4-day sentimental journey to Ireland. It wasn't a typical homecoming - not with helicopters, motorcades, speeches, public ceremonies. The whole country seemed to turn out to meet him - you get a very vivid sense here of the excitement - & pride - that Kennedy stirred in the Irish - & that they roused in him. The book covers all that beautifully, it makes you both part of Kennedy's travel party - & one of the Irish crowd, with fresh interviews of those who were there - family, reporters, Irish whose brush with JFK is a dearest memory. But what I liked best - & found most moving - were the little, more private moments. In the house of distant cousins, Kennedy sat down, sipped tea in front of a turf fire, looked around him & saw "Kennedy faces." And in a crowd of thousands, JFK found an old man who reminded him of his grandfather - "And his name is Fitzgerald!" Kennedy didn't like singing in public - for the same reason he didn't wear funny hats - but in Ireland he sang - offkey but with feeling.
And the feeling from 'the 3 happiest days I've ever spent in my life' lasted. Back home he couldn't stop talking about it. He watched the films over & over.
So it was reading 'One of Ourselves'. The feeling of the trip comes through & stays. This is the first Kennedy book in a long time that I've really wanted to dwell on.
(I'm not Irish but I love Irish music & poetry. The book's loaded with wonderful songs & verse -
Thus returned from travels long,
Years of exile, years of pain,
To see old Shannon's face again,
O'er the waters dancing.

I ordered Volumes I and II of the audiotape version of The Island Story (history of Britain from mythology through Queen Elizabeth I) and listened to it with my boys aged 10 and 12 before we went to England this spring. We all really enjoyed it. While written for children, the history and color (eg tie ins to words/expressions we use today) were fascinating for me too. The book was written in the early 1900's which makes a few of the references to Britain's current day "empire" amusing but no less interesting. I will be saving this set of tapes for my grandchildren!

I read this aloud last spring to my 3 boys, ages 10, 12, and 13. They all really enjoyed it and I enjoyed reading it.
The only (small) negative I could give it is that there are several spelling mistakes-mostly a missing letter in a word. I corrected that as we went along for the next time I read it aloud. It really wasn't a problem but I just thought I should point that out.
We are now reading the sequel about our own country (America) called "This Country of Ours" and enjoying that one as well. I can highly recommend both books, as well as "Fifty Famous Stories Retold" which is usually bought along with these two. That one is especially easy to narrate from as the stories are very short-often just 2 pages.

This is a such a fun history of England. My children love reading this book. We read a couple of chapters aloud each week. We have just started our second time through.

The chapters are relatively short. For the most part, the book is organized chronologically by King (or Queen). Each chapter (or sometimes several chapters) hits the high points of each King or Queen's reign.

Make history come alive for your children by reading this book to them.

This is a nice softcover edition. Check out the publishers other books. You can pretty much assume it is going to be interesting to your children if they have published it. I have several of their books and every one has been a hit with our family.

We have been reading about one a week for over a year. My girls love these stories! One of our rabbits ended up with the name "Boudacia" after we read her story.
At the beginning they might be more folklore than fact, but none the less they are wonderful. There are some great moral lessons to be learned from many of the stories.
After I bought the Yesterday's Classics I found an old hardback with great color pictures. It cost a bit, but what a treasure!
Highly recommend.

Although the uniforms of the US Army are not my primary interest, I found this book to be an excellent introduction to this subject, albeit a photographic essay. Having several of Shelby Stanton's books on US Army uniforms, I would like to see a similar book on WWI, but as a primer this book has no peer. I recommend it unreservedly.

I too purchased this book from a book club, and a facinating buy it was! Although uniforms of the US Army are not my primary interest, this book covered a subject that I knew little or nothing about; this book changed that emphatically. Although I would have liked to read more on uniform development, especially the evolution from blue to khaki, the book is an excellent source for students of WW I, and I highly recommend it.

I saw this in the military book club for $14.95! A really GOOD collection of photos of the US Army in WW1. I actually learned some new things from the captions. The BEST book of WW1 photos I have seen in many years. Would also be good for a novice

This book is part of the G. I. series of short illustrated studies covering a period or a series of campaigns. All of these books are vertical studies covering a period of years. Though sometimes the illustrations serve to identify individual items of equipment, these works are not intended for that purpose. They are not catalogs intended for materiel collectors. They are of such a length and of such a level of detail that they will serve the purposes of the general reader with a curiousity about what grandaddy did in WW II or great great great grandaddy in the Civil War and what he looked like and how he lived. This is not to say that the specialist such as myself cannot find useful nuggets herein. I can. I use these for general surveys of periods I do not study in detail, such as the Civil War, and the War With Mexico, etc. And to look up the odd facts. I have yet to be disappointed with any of them.

The reader of this book will learn a lot about the British (and, before that, the English) monarchy, from the dark ages to today. Each monarch and dynasty are treated objectively and respect, trying to stay as close to their own time as possible and without dogmatic judgements. Hence the "villans" of the Monarchy (Richard III, Henry VIII, George IV) are shown to have a more positive side than one usually gives them credit for, while the "saints" (Henry V, Richard the Lion-Hearted, etc.) are shown to have their dark side as well.

But the book isn't revisionist for the sake of being revisionist--it does acknowledge that, in the final accounting, history's judgement of the good or bad monarchs seems rather justified (e.g., while George IV did promote the arts, he was a debt-ridden bankrupt who treated his wife abominably). Furthermore, it doesn't judge the monarchs by our standards--by how "multicultural" or "feminist" or "anti-colonialist" they were, for instance. It correctly sees such judgement as distorting--as distorting as the Victorians' tendency to judge the past monarchs by *their* standard (e.g., which monarch won the most battles or gained the most colonies.) It does its best to assess the facts objectively--taking account of both the prejudices of the monarch's time and of our own.

Take, as a typical example from the book, the case of George III. Having been unfortunate enough to preside over Britian's loss of the American colonies, as well as suffer from insanity in his old age, he was ridiculed by many contemporaries (especially American contemporaries) as a "tyrant", and "psychonalayzed" by our own generation--"proving" his insanity was (you guessed it) due to repressed sexual urges. While certainly not denying George III's tough position about the American policy, or his bouts of insanity, the authors note that, once the war was over, he told Adams that "nobody wanted this seperation less than me", but that, the seperation having been made, he would do his best for Britian and the new USA to be good friends. They also acknowlege his bouts of insanity and describe his bizzare personal and public behavior during it, but also note that it came (mostly) at the end of his days--after he was a loving, devoted family man and a very reasonable king for over 40 years. His insanity was viewed by contemporaries not with contempt, but with pity.

The book's prose is clear, accessible, but--on the other hand--doesn't oversimplify when complexity and exactitute are called for (such as, for instance, when untangling the various claims to the throne that led to dynasty changes). Furthermore, numerous illusrations being the period talked about to life. Finally, the paper quality is superb, and the index is excellent.

The Oxford Illustrated History of the British Monarchy is a uniquely complete book. This is a book very worthy of Oxford, consisting primarily of chapters on royal and political history generally, interspersed throughout with boxed essays on each monarch, special topics, maps, photographs and paintings.

This book begins with the murky beginnings of royalty in Britain, arising out of the chaos of the post-Roman world. Here we encounter names such as Aethelberht, Raewald, and Hywel Dda -- this book doesn't just concentrate as so many do on the English monarchies, but also on Welsh and Scottish clans, lines, and kingdoms. Here we find that King Eric Bloodaxe, the Viking King of York was followed not too many years later by Edgar the Peacable, king of Mercia and the Danelaw.

With the inclusion of this extensive pre-Norman section, the book is a must for any British history library. Apart from that, the history is fairly basic -- well written, interesting, but no grand and new insights, more of an encyclopedia writ as an essay rather than articles on particular subjects (for which I am grateful--nothing so disjointed and unsatisfying in many ways as reading an encyclopedia). This however can make looking up topics a bit more difficult, but I've found as I've sought out one piece of information (using the very good index) I find much more (which is always to be desired).

The final sections include chapters on Royal Residences and Tombs, Genealogies, and Lists of Monarchs, including Scottish as well as English monarchs.

This book is filled with little bits of interest--for instance, an example of 17th century propaganda: 'In the absence of newspapers, radio, and television, other means of representing events and influencing opinion assumed greater importance. A pack of cards took as its unconvivial theme Monmouth's rebellion in 1685. The six of clubs shows Monmouth's entry into Lyme Regis; the seven of spades shows the duke's fate; and the five of diamonds that of his followers.' This caption accompanies pictures of playing cards with scenes of hanged or beheaded men, etc. An interesting means of information dissemination.

A very worthy book, perhaps the only royal book a non-historian would ever need; a definite need for any historian or royal watcher.

This book is a must for those readers interested in the history of the British Monarchy. The authors and editors have masterly created both an historical perspective of the institution as well as a personal viewpoint which is both critical and sentimental. Some may be turned off by the length of this book, but once you begin reading, you'll wonder where the time goes. And the wonderful photographs and illustrations bring their words to life.

The history of Great Britain since the 5th century is largely the history of its sovereigns, and vice versa, and this fat volume is a success on both scores. Beginning with the early Celtic kings who brought some form of organization to early British (and Welsh and Irish) society, Cannon escorts the reader through the island's history, reign by reign, from Rædwald of the East Angles to Elizabeth II, tracing the waxing and waning of the monarch's personal power, noting royal marriages and interments, wars and treaties, glorious victories and humiliating failures. A great deal of the personal is included along with the politics, as when the young Edward VI coolly notes the execution in 1552 of his uncle, the Duke of Somerset, and the exasperated Queen Anne's attempts in 1703 to reason with her Whig ministers. The numerous illustrations, many in color, add to the flavor of the narrative as well as the reader's understanding. This book may be the only general history of the British monarchy that any student would ever need.

Gearoid O hAllmhurain is no stranger to any fan of Irish music. His is a household name among traditional fans all over both for his own concertina playing and his music history lectures. I first saw him in Ireland about 5 years ago giving a lecture on the Irish Famine. I was so pleased by what an easy and interesting introduction to the topic this book was that it became my Christmas stocking stuffer for lots of my friends. Both those who play and those who love to listen to the music.This new book was pretty light reading and yet the best introduction to Irish music in the context of powerful historical events, war, famine, colonalism, Michael Flattley and Lord of the Dance. It makes me long for a real full version from this author. Unlike Ciaran Carson's popular, Last Night's Fun, this book is substanative and educational, not just an entertaining jaunt through the musical pubs of one sessioneer.

Mr OhAllmhurain does a splendid job or recording the details of Irish musical history that have heretofore survived only through the oral recountings passed from generation to generation in Ireland's musical heartland of Clare.

As an American with a life-long love for Irish music - but short on real musical knowledge - I found this book a god-send. Like another reviewer I would like to see another book by Gearoid (However, I wish Irish people writing in English would not use the difficult Irish version of their names. I take it that Gearoid's name in English is good old Gerard O'Halloran, but I digress...) which treats the matters in more depth.

I was particularly impressed that the author, who obviously is highly qualified on the subject, does not fall into the trap of overwhelming us with academic lecturing and, most of all, is respectful to all shades of contribution in the living river of traditional Irish music. And a great river it is!

I read this book knowing little about Irish history and less about Irish traditional music. Having finished it I now know considerably more about both, but still don't know much about anything in any depth. This book is a wonderful primer, but it blows through several hundred years of history in 161 small pages. It is well written book and the connections made between historical events and the music that either recorded them lyrically or grew out of them (e.g., incorporation of various Scottish or Polish rhythms) are fascinating and done in a consistent manner.

This book is an excellent place to start in on this topic, but you'll finish wanting more.

The latest in the Ed Loy series has the Irish PI looking for a jockey who disappeared years before after holding back a favorite horse so it would lose. It brings him into the midst of deep dark secrets of a prominent horse-breeding and -racing family. Although there isn't enough information to even begin an investigation, such a lack doesn't seem to deter Loy.

Discovery of the first of several bodies opens the inquiry into the many mysteries of the Tyrell family. All this takes place beginning on Christmas Eve and leads up to the four-day Leopardstown Racecourse Christmas Festival. The story is set among the current and past Irish economic and social conditions, with observations on the people and the Catholic Church playing an important role. The plot involves, as usual, the sins of the fathers cast upon the children.

The drama is high, the writing solid. This third in the series is as gripping as its predecessors, and is highly recommended.

The Price of Blood is Declan Hughes' third thriller set in Dublin, Ireland. Hughes previous novels are The Wrong Kind of Blood, which won the Shamus Award for Best First PI novel, and The Color of Blood.

Private Investigator Ed Loy is hired by Father Vincent Tyrrell to find a missing jockey, Patrick Hutton. Taking the case is easy, but the clues are few. The only thing that Father Tyrrell can offer to Loy is a name-and that the jockey disappeared years ago. Not a good start for solving a missing person's case, and Loy would prefer to let it go. The problem is the money is just too good, and since Loy's bank account is depleted, he really must take the case.

During the investigation of another case, Loy discovers the body of a man who is linked to Father Tyrrell's brother F.X. Tyrell. That mystery leads to other clues, and as Loy usually does, he gets battered and bruised, but doesn't give up digging into the mystery. The trail finally leads to the four-day Leopardstown Racecourse Christmas Festival where Loy finds dangerous people and activities afoot.

I love that Loy is "everyman." and yet he has something that sets him apart from most. He's tenacious, thorough and oh so likeable. Hughes' The Price of Blood is fascinating. It's fast-paced, gives the readers some wonderful twists and speeds on to the conclusion.

If you like PI novels, check out The Price of Blood. I guarantee that you will go out and buy the first two. Hughes is a habit-a good habit.

Armchair Interviews says: Hughes' novels just keep getting better

In Dublin, Father Vincent Tyrrell hires private investigator Ed Loy to find missing jockey Patrick Hutton. The case is made complex by the fact that his client offers only a name and that Hutton disappeared about a decade ago. Loy wants to say forget it as he figures he has little chance of finding the man, but the fee is too good to ignore.

Loy knows he must tread the streets very carefully as the Halligan family plan to rough him and more because they hold him culpable for one of them residing behind bars. As he makes inquiries on another case involving a homicide that leads back to Father Vincent's brother affluent business mogul F.X. Tyrell, Loy soon finds himself investigating two other related homicides connected to the Tyrell family. Beaten severely and told to back off or else, Loy keeps digging until the trail takes him to the four-day Leopardstown Race-course Christmas Festival.

In his third appearance (see THE COLOR OF BLOOD and THE WRONG KIND OF BLOOD) Loy does what he does best: gets tattered and threatened but keeps on ticking. The story line is fast-paced from the opening request and though filled with neat twists never slows down until the final altercation. Bruised, battered and beaten, Loy still conducts intelligent inquires whose link is F.X. Private investigative fans will enjoy Declan Hughes' strong Irish mystery.

Harriet Klausner

Irish playwright Declan Hughes's third private detective Ed Loy novel, THE PRICE OF BLOOD peers into the gritty sides of Dublin and families as Loy investigates the case of a missing jockey and a case of vandalism. In a suspense thriller with echoes of Greek tragedy set in modern life, Declan Hughes creates an innovative look into the darker sides of his characters and the underside of Irish horse racing. THE PRICE OF BLOOD is a suspense read full of local color from an Irish author who looks beyond the surface into societal changes and customs as well as into the shocking secrets hidden from plain view, secrets that when spoken can often lead to tragic consequences.

Father Vincent Tyrrell asks PI Ed Loy to look into a name, Patrick Hutton. The Catholic priest and horse racing devotee gives Ed Loy just the name without any other details, refusing to break the seal of confession. Now dying of cancer, the priest's conscience troubles him. Meanwhile, Ed Loy takes on a case, assisting Joe Leonard in catching vandals. As Ed Loy pursues the Leonard case, he discovers a body dumped, a body with some shocking details and a piece of paper that might just relate to his jockey case. When Ed looks closer into the history of Patrick Hutton, the body count increases. Each victim has 2 cryptic tattoos roughly engraved into their skin and certain other details in common which Ed discovers when he comes across a dumped body. While the papers claim the murders are the work of a serial killer, The Omega Man, Ed Loy knows that the clues and relationships just do not fit the serial killer scenario. His investigation of jockey Patrick Hutton takes him into the tumultuous world of Irish horse racing and the Tyrell family where passions run deep and secrets are hidden even deeper.

From the very beginning of THE PRICE OF BLOOD, Declan Hughes takes the reader into an intimate vision of Ireland. Declan Hughes sections the book by date into Advent, Christmas, and St. Stephen's Day, thereby creating a temporal structure that relies on the Catholic calendar and focuses on Father Vincent Tyrell`s world. His moral dilemma introduces this work of suspense, allowing the reader to catch both a glimpse at the depth of this character, as a man tortured by a secret he must keep and also as a compassionate man willing to stand out as he brings Tommy Owens into the fold of his church and protection despite the congregation's displeasure. From the very beginning, the reader feels Ed Loy's ties to his youth and his independence from the Dublin of his past through the interchanges with Father Tyrell. Through the descriptions of the Joe Leonard case, Declan Hughes, takes the reader into Ireland's past and present as characters once isolated from one another by economics, now live in close proximity. Those who once thought of semi-detached housing as low class now are limited to council housing. Now, downcast, Joe Leonard is determined to protect his corner. To Joe Leonard, Declan Hughes juxtaposes F.X. Tyrell, a man for whom horse racing has improved his status and station in life.

As suspense, THE PRICE OF BLOOD delves into the dark side of horse racing, purebreds, and relationships as passions and past histories collide. The closer Ed Loy gets to answering the puzzles, the more surprising twists he uncovers. As St. Stephen's Day approaches with the exciting climactic horse race, even the best laid plans cannot prepare the characters for the shocking conclusions still to come. As with a previous past case, when the culprit is finally revealed, the revelations elicit unexpected actions. Secrets haunt but brought to light, do they bring comfort? Declan Hughes' suspense stands out precisely because answers are not easy or simplistic. Through the depth of the character of Father Vincent Tyrell, Declan Hughes creates a magnificent sense of pathos in his suspense that makes THE PRICE OF BLOOD a unique suspense read.

Declan Hughes is a must read for drama enthusiasts (particularly tragedy lovers) and literature enthusiasts. Father Vincent Tyrell recalls to mind Graham Green's memorable characters while simultaneously upping the ante several notches. While reading THE PRICE OF BLOOD, literature lovers might call to mind OEDIPUS REX and Arthur Miller's DEATH OF A SALESMAN, not so much in terms of plot or characterization where there are both some similarities and differences, but more so for the brilliant way Declan Hughes deviates from these classics. Declan Hughes creates an innovative work of fiction that pays tribute to previous literary classics while all the while transforming them, adding new twists as he places his tale in the suspense genre. The author invigorates the suspense genre with a new vision that will delight, indeed haunt lovers of both suspense and drama.

If you are looking for a light happy suspense read or a quick serial killer whodunit that you can easily put aside with disinterest shortly after finishing it, this book may not be the best choice. If you want a suspense read that glosses over the ramifications of actions or the pain endured by characters, search elsewhere. If you are looking for a unique read and one that stands out from all the books out there, in either suspense or literature, THE PRICE OF BLOOD is brilliant! Although tragic, THE PRICE OF BLOOD is hauntingly innovative --- the kind of book one remembers for its uniqueness.