Ireland Books

Of the various styles of biographies I've read, I think I prefer what Lock has achieved here. It's definitely not the kind of page-turner which Robert Caro delivers, nor is it heavily weighed down with details such as De La Grange has given us with Gustav Mahler. Instead, Lock gives us intelligently written background surrounding the issues and people as they arise; judicious use of Burke's letters (and letters to him) as well as his writings; and details that help bring the era to life. He also brings the themes together, which means the telling is not a simple chronology. Lock gives us all sides of Burke, too: not just the politician and the family man, but the brother and the farmer. What I also like about this book is that Lock does not hesitate to criticize Burke when his behavior is less than ethical or when Burke's arguments are disingenuous. It's a critical examination, and Lock doesn't dumb it down. (I can't wait for volume 2, although my checkbook can.)

This will become the standard biography of Burke - but this book is not just for scholars: anyone with an interest in 18th century politics and culture will benefit from reading this work. The narrative is well written, with much detail and necessary (but not too basic) background detail; overall it keeps the reader's interest. Burke's own works are analysed thoroughly, within the framework of his life.

This book was very helpful to me when I went to Ireland. If Egon Ronay recommends a hotel or restaurant, you can be sure it's good. It clearly and honestly describes accomodations, restaurants and pubs. Note that it does not cover what places to visit, so go with Foders or Frommers for that.

The book is GREAT, but I cannot find an Inn in particular that is featured in a book I received from the Irish Tourist Board that does have a recommendation from Egon Ronay's. Could you please contact me with a location and possibly a phone number the that Inn. The name of the Inn is "The Inn Between". It looks like such a lovely place. I will look forward to hearing from you. Thank you Mary McNamara

_The Egyptian Desert in the Irish Bogs: The Byzantine Character of Early Celtic Monasticism_ by Fr. Gregory Telepneff is a lengthy essay that discusses the topic of the Irish Church, founded by the noted Orthodox luminary, Saint Patrick. What differentiates the Celtic Church (in Ireland and Scotland) was the Church's center of gravity were the monastic Abbots/Bishops and the strict ascetic nature of Celtic monasticism. Fr. Telepneff begins his analysis by differentiating the different strains of monastic practice that originated in the Middle East during the early period of the Church. Palestinian-Syrian monks practiced a semi-coenobitic life, with an emphasis on study, as exemplified by the Latin Saint Jerome who was well versed in Hebrew and Greek and traveled to the Holy Land. The monks of Cappadocia, personified by St. Basil the Great placed the most stress on learning and a coenobitic/communal life. The most ascetic of monastic groups, however, arose in Egypt (the Copts) following the Desert Father, St. Anthony the Great. These monks were the most concerned with total renunciation of the world, many of them becoming anchorites, or hermits living in total isolation and prayer in the sterile desert. Telepneff notes the system of different types of martyrdom recognized in the traditions of the Orthodox Church. White martyrdom consists of renouncing the things of the world, including family ties for the sake of Christ. Green martyrdom takes the otherworldliness a step further and seeks salvation in living in total isolation from the world, they way of solitary hermits. Red martyrdom is of course where one goes down in blood in witness to Christ and partakes in His sufferings. Celtic monasticism follows the model of the Coptic Fathers, and maintained a strong tradition of "Green Martyrdom." Numerous eastern, including Egyptian texts were found in the possession of Celtic monasteries. St. Patrick, the Irish monk/bishop who converted the Celts in Ireland in particular was influenced by the monasticism of the East. There are similarities between Celtic artwork and illuminated manuscripts and those found in Egypt and Byzantium as well. There are some legends of monks traveling from the Eastern Mediterranean all the way to Ireland in the West and Irish ascetics traveling to Egypt, Byzantium and the Middle East. Fr. Telepneff speculates to great length that the Eastern influences in the Celtic Church were derived from Gaul, the obvious conduit, although Gaul was nowhere as similar to the Christian East in its traditions. He concludes that the Celtic Church formed from direct contact and reciprocation between Celtic and Coptic monks and the numerous writings of the Eastern Fathers circulating in Ireland.

_The Egyptian Desert in the Irish Bogs: The Byzantine Character of Early Celtic Monasticism_, published in 2001 by the Center for Traditionalist Orthodox Studies, by Orthodox priest Father Gregory Telepneff is a fascinating account and history of early Celtic monasticism revealing the influence of Christian Orthodoxy on the character of Celtic Christianity. The author of this short book maintains that while Celtic Christianity has come to achieve a new allure, largely owing to its mystical character, the Eastern Orthodox Christian may see in Celtic Christianity something more familiar. The author maintains that while at first view the "Egyptian desert" may appear far separated from the "Irish bogs", that in fact there are many similarities between the Christian Celts and the Eastern Orthodox monastics. The author thus maintains that there was an important influence of the East on Christianity in Hibernia (the westernmost region of the ancient world).

In the Introduction to this book, the author lays out the groundwork for his discussion of Celtic Christianity in light of the East. The author explains the importance of Celtic Christianity for the Eastern Orthodox. The author then discusses the Roman empire and the role of Rome's sister city Byzantium (Constantinople) as the "New Rome". The author opposes the thesis of Gibbon that confuses the fall of the city of Rome with the fall of the empire of Rome. Following this, the author discusses an important saint for Celtic Christianity, St. Patrick of Armagh. The author attempts to show the influence of monasticism on St. Patrick, the Apostle to the Celts. The author also discusses other important saints for Celtic Christianity including St. John Cassian, and the role of Gaul and the Thebaid (or Upper Nile Valley) as well as Alexandria for early Christian monasticism. The author makes several important distinctions between coenobitism (life totally in common), anchoritism or eremitism (the life of monastic solitude), and semi-eremitism (an intermediate between these two in which monks met for common prayer). The second chapter of this book is entitled "The Era of Saint Patrick". Here, the author expounds upon the ascetic life of St. Patrick, mentioning such other saints as St. Brigid of Kildare and St. Pachomios the Great as well as the role of Gaul. The author explains the influence of monasticism and the East on St. Patrick and in the creation of his "vows". The author also shows the influence of Gaul on Ireland as well as mentioning the role of Eastern Orthodoxy including the monks of the Holy Mountain of Athos. The third chapter of this book is entitled "Eastern Forms of Monasticism". Here, the author reviews various saints of the Eastern churches as well as the role of monasticism among them. The author mentions the role of anchoritism though he notes that other forms of monasticism also played an important role. The fourth chapter of this book is entitled "Daily Monastic Life". Here, the author mentions the various monastic "systems" as well as the role of the "Northern Thebaid" (in Russia). The author notes the role of various saints, mentioning the rejection of worldly ties (particularly as embodied in the writings of St. John Climacos) and compares the Eastern saints with their Celtic counterparts. In particular, the author considers St. Columba and compares him to St. Anthony. The author also notes practices common to both Eastern and Celtic Christianity such as the tonsure. The fifth chapter of this book is entitled "Travel and Language". Here, the author mentions literacy among the Celtic monastics, the role of "travel guides", and the role of language. The author also mentions the role of the "desert" (and "disert") and the understanding of this for the Celtic monastics. The sixth chapter of this book is entitled "Art and Architecture". Here, the author focuses on some of the beautiful art and architecture of Celtic Christianity, mentioning such things as the _Book of Kells_ and the "flabella" (or Eucharistic fans used by the Celtic Christians). The seventh chapter of this book is entitled "Liturgics". Here, the author mentions prayer and communal life as well as the liturgical cycle. The author mentions the role of the Eucharist, the Mother of God, and "festal" days, comparing them to their Byzantine counterparts. The eighth chapter of this book is entitled "Particulars of the Celtic Eucharist". The author notes the manner in which the Celtic Christians partook of the Eucharist, comparing this to the Oriental manner (and mentioning communion under both kinds) as well as the role of head dresses for women. The author notes the role of the flabella as well as the Celtic saints, comparing this to the Eastern Orthodox practices. The book ends with a Conclusion in which the author concludes that the practices of the Egyptian desert reached Celtic lands via Gaul (as the only option). The author mentions again the role of the Celtic saints and their monastic influences. The author suggests that St. Patrick of Armagh may have learned monastic practices in Gaul which he took to Ireland. The author ends by comparing the Gallic influence on Celtic Christianity with Egyptian monasticism (mentioning also the role of Coptic Christianity in this). The book ends by concluding that Celtic monasticism is Byzantine in character and thus shares many similarities with Eastern Orthodoxy.

This book offers a beautiful account of the monastic practices of Celtic Christianity and the role of the Celtic saints in developing those practices. It also makes the important comparison between Celtic practices and Egyptian monasticism and Byzantine practices. As such, this book is an important introduction to Celtic Christianity and spirituality for the sincere Christian reader and makes a fascinating case for the role of monasticism within it.

Paul Lay's informative text is a perfect accompaniment to Richard Turpin's stunning, lovely, full color, tour-de-force photographic excursion through the appealing beauty of Ireland's landscape, cities, architecture, and people. Enchanted Ireland is an outstanding compilation of Irish images and a pure celebration of the natural wonder and folk charm of a vibrant people in a land bustling with vigor and cultural legacy. Highly recommended!

Having just returned from a 2-week visit to Ireland I was eagerto get my hands on anything related to the places I saw. So, I took alook at several photography books on Ireland and was losing hope of finding the "right" one, when I started flipping through "Enchanted Ireland." I was stunned by the wonderful photographs, and the great range of both landscape and city/town pictures. There are also some beautful people pictures, including--to my astonishment--Paddy, an accordion player and resident of Inishmor, whom I saw on my trip to the Aran Islands. If you're looking for a wide range of photographs and a good idea of what parts of Ireland look like (and they're stunningly beautiful) then this is *the* book to have. You'll want to leave for Ireland tomorrow!

If you are interested in the life of Emma of Normandy, wife of King Canute, then this book will captivate you. It is a fascinating, contemporary look at the legendary events of 11th century England.

This is a detailed, fact-filled book on Queen Emma of the 11th century. It is a fascinating portrait of a queen who lived through a lot of tragedies. Not for the light reader, though.

Markus' treatment of the culture of early Christianity is fascinating. More than any other scholar I have read, he is adept at showing the broader significance of various parts of Early Christianity.

Markus traces the historic shifts which marked a transformation of the Christian movement, from the popular primitive church of the first centuries, into a great bulwark of the medieval social order. He shows how the Christian community slowly divided into three orders -- of lay people, the all-male clergy, and the celibate monastics. And then the question emerged as to which order ranked highest. At first, the lay people were most important, since they chose and supported all church leaders from among themselves. Later, professional clergymen established themselves as state-backed supervisors over the laity. But by early medieval times it was the celibate monks who emerged as the Christians of highest rank. With their isolation from the world and from sex, the monastics seemed holier than either the local clergy (who were still mainly married), or lay families. In both the West and East, bishops, patriarchs, and popes were increasingly drawn from the ranks of male monks. It was a momentous trend. Markus claims, "The ascetic take-over [roughly in the time of Pope Gregory the Great (590-604)] signals the end of ancient Christianity". (p. 17)

I think Markus does the church a service, helping us distinguish layers of Christian tradition as they were added, and to see how these differed from the original Jesus movement.

This book fills the gap that the Gulag Series is missing...The Personal Views..Much of the books on the gulag are scholarly estimates and observations, without the first hand eyewitness to the events. This book is created from exceprts from little heard of books about the Gulag published throughout its history, from the Time of The Great purge up To the Time when cold war tensions were "Loosening Up", when in fact the same hard conditions persisted...
The books writing quality as a whole is very good, the book is intresting and intriging to read, and also conveys deep details and vivid descriptions of the Gulag...Very much recommended to all readers.

"Enemies of the State" provides a riveting look into the slave-labor prisons of the Communist world during several decades of the 20th century. It brings history alive to a whole new generation of Americans who may be only vaguely aware of the oppression, torture and viciousness imposed on their countrymen by totalitarian leaders like Stalin, Mao, and Castro. The book contains 10 first-person accounts by people who spent years wrongfully imprisoned in slave-labor camps. Very much like the first-person accounts of Jews held in German concentration camps during the Holocaust, "Enemies of the State" also includes historical background and explanations of the political themes of the times. The book is factual and compelling for anyone over the age of 12. It is a great resource for high school or college students, and teachers and college professors. The general public will also find this book to be fascinating reading, although it is not for anyone with a weak stomach. The tortures and degradations described in the book are beyond imagination, but they are real and are presented in painful and vivid detail. Anyone with a love of history, however, will find this book to be an important addition to their library. I highly recommend it for youths and adults, and I especially encourage home schoolers to consider including this book in their studies.

Guy Gibson gives us much fine detail about his group and their work during the war (WWII). Some of the technical details of the raid on the German dams was censored from this book but I saw a program on TV a few years back showing the details of the backward spinning bomb in a barrel that would walk down the wall of the dam and had a hydrostatic fuse to ignite it at exactly the correct depth.

Very well written. A first hand account of history and an insite into a a leader of men of his time whose life was cut short.

I have not read this book. However, I'd like to point out that Tim Berners-Lee claims that it was the inspiration for his inventing the World Wide Web. !!!

This detailed Victorian compendium of advice & instructions is fascinating. I first ran across mention of it in an Agatha Christie mystery, and it sounded like an interesting peek into the encyclopedic rules, customs, and social beliefs of a certain class in this era--which it is--but I never expected it to be so much fun to read!!

Densely written, thin-leaved, this book is invaluable if you want to delve into questions ranging from "which hand should a lady use to accept a gift from a gentleman whose attentions she wishes to discourage?" to "How can I tell this fish is fresh?" to "How much should I pay the second housemaid?" to "Where should I store nails?"
It includes recipes for food, medicines, and cleansers, accounting tables, morals, stern admonishments on proper dress, child-rearing instructions, and so much more I can't begin to approach the subject. Each question answered is numbered, and appears in a loose order, but the accompanying index helps to organize it somewhat; each page is topped by a Poor-Richard-style aphorism that might or might not relate to that page's content.

If you've ever been seriously or casually interested in How People Lived Back Then (and There; it appears aimed mainly at a London audience of middle-to-upper class, but again, I didn't get far enough through to be sure)--you will find something to enthrall, amuse or enlighten you here.

ETA: the foreword describes it best, proclaiming:

""Whether You Wish to Model a Flower in Wax;
to Study the Rules of Etiquette;
to Serve a Relish for Breakfast or Supper;
to Plan a Dinner for a Large Party or a Small One;
to Cure a Headache;
to Make a Will;
to Get Married;
to Bury a Relative;
Whatever You May Wish to Do, Make, or to Enjoy,
Provided Your Desire has Relation to the Necessities of Domestic Life,
I Hope You will not Fail to 'Enquire Within.'"--Editor..."

From start to finish, 'The Eskimo in the Net' by Gerard Beirne is an outstanding read. Never once does this book waver off course on its voyage to uncover the complexities of truth. Beirne has the rare gift of being both a superior storyteller and skilled craftsman.

After the main character, Jim Gallagher, hauls up a dead Eskimo in his fishing net off the coast of Northern Ireland, he sets out on a personal journey to find the origins of the unknown man. The side trips along the way make for fascinating reading: Jim's exploration of self, the unique power of friendship, the interplay of relationships and the mysteries hidden inside all of us.

I loved the way I got to know the characters in the book, not just as either good or bad but all the murky gray that made them seem truly human. I felt a part of the intimate lifelong friendship between Jim, Knucky and Frances and struggled along with them through the pages.

Five stars for this beautifully written novel! This is a book you will want to read over and over again.

If you want to get caught by this quirky, evocative novel, all you need to do is read the first line. "Everything started to go wrong the day we dragged the Eskimo up in the net off Malin Head." Who could ask for a more intriguing opening sentence? Right from the first scenes, set aboard Knucky's fishing boat, willing readers get entangled in the snarled-up mess. As the two Irish fishermen, Jim Gallagher (the main character) and Knucky (one of Jim's best friends, and present employer) verbally wrestle over what to do with the partially decomposed body, Beirne lures his audience into the obsessive darkness which permeates the novel. His graphic descriptions of the Eskimo's corpse resting amongst the piles of wiggling fish and web of netting are both fascinating and morbid. Throughout the book, he maintains this clear, strong narrative voice. He also paints a memorable picture of the bleak ruggedness of the Irish coast, with its isolated fishing villages, where people are pushed, or driven, into alcoholic binges and stange sadness. Even the weather, with its constant damp, and unrelenting wind, emerges as another hard-nosed, but compelling, character. When Jim realizes the Irish authorities do not plan to fully investigate the circumstances leading to the Eskimo's death, he sets out on his own voyage of fixated, and often intoxicated, discovery. Beirne portrays the stumbling uncertainties of Jim's search with a compassionate, and sometimes surprisingly comic, voice. The scenes in the local pubs, encounters with Irish authorities, and glimpses into life abroard a Russian fishing trawler are especially captivating. Throughout the novel,the tangled mysteries of life's choices, of staying or leaving, of acting or not acting, of loving or refusing to love, are explored. Whether Jim likes it or not, he is being pulled along to a revelation of the truth about his own life. With a cast of deftly drawn characters, and enough mystery, death, drugs, and sex to sustain even the most jaded reader, Gerard Beirne creates an engrossing world of convoluted love, friendship, and compulsion, set in an unforgiving environment. It is a strong debut novel for a very fine writer, and sure to be well-received in North America, the British Isles and Europe.