Ireland Books

A long time Melville fan, I was thrilled to find a study on his work printed in my native English. In the United States many of Melville's films are simply unavailable with English subtitles in either VHS or DVD. I really appreciated being able to access details of these unseen master works through this book. The organization of his work into genres was well thought out. Enjoyable are the tidbits of backstory before, during and after production of each film. Like any passionate artist much of who the man was can be found expressed in his work. This book lovingly invites the reader to seek out and experience these wonderful films. I also found helpful references to other French films I hadn't discovered. I hope and pray Criterion releases more of Melville's work on DVD

Ginette Vincendeau's study of Jean-Pierre Melville, subtitled An American in Paris, is a superb addition to anyone's library of works on film directors and is a perfect complement to the now sadly unavailable set of interviews by Rui Nogueira, Melville on Melville.

The subtitle is a nice touch. Melville was, for his time, a radical filmmaker who embraced American film noir and, for that matter, American film in general. His influence can easily be perceived in the work of many other directors, both contemporary with his time, and later, including, among others, Truffaut, Tarantino, and John Woo. Indeed, Tarantino and Woo are mentioned here, as is Truffaut and Godard. Melville's famous falling out with the latter is highlighted--this followed a period in which Godard professed admiration for Melville. The turnabout is of some real interest.

As this is a current book, Vincendeau naturally did not have the opportunity to speak to Melville directly, as did Nogueira. But she does much with what is known of Melville and offers insights into his character that Nogueira did not. Her dissection of his films is truly first-rate; she analyzes both the films, objectively, and Melville's personal involvement in each of them. Her discussion of the director's perspective on society--what makes it tough, what makes it bearable, what gives it meaning--dovetails nicely with her observations on his work as a filmmaker.

One of the great things about buying the Criterion DVD release of Le Cercle Rouge is that it includes an excerpt from the Nogueira book in which Melville himself talks about that film. The Vincendeau book is indispensable for those who want a penetrating examination of one of the greatest of all French filmmakers.

Highly recommended.

Great book. In a small volume - lots of information and insightful analysis. One of the most interesting themes - development of Jewish political thought, and development of the Zionist idea. And a personal note. I am a Jew from Odessa myself. Reading the book brought me back to my beautiful city, and I couldn't help but recognized many familiar characters, and thought about my family origins. Thank you, Steven!

Easy to read and well-researched, this is an excellent book to add to your layperson's repertoire on Ukrainian/Russian Jewish history. I learned a lot about how Jewish people lived, what they did, what they thought about... and how political events shaped their lives.

The Author, John B Keane, was a Kerryman through and through, and all his books wallow in the heritage of that county of Ireland. (Kerry is known in Ireland as "The Kingdom") Well known for his novels such as the Bodhran Makers and Durango, it is for his plays that Keane will be best remembered.

Celebrated on the stage of the National theatre of Ireland in the 1980's these three plays went on to tour widely round the world, and the Field was made into a powerful film starring Richard Harris, Tom Berenger, John Hurt and Brenda Fricker.

Each is a mixture of innocence and cynicism, earthy humour and godlike aspiration.

Sive, the tale of a beautiful girl sold under the table to an old man. A tale of corrupted innocence and how greed can shatter families.

The Field, a deep rooted story of the importance of land to rural people, how it transcends even family loyalties, but how it finally breaks the hardest of hard men.

Big Maggie, Keane at his best, giving voice to the repressed sexuality of the Irish woman.

Three wonderful plays with themes that transcend the parochial nature of their setting. They have a simplicity and universality that is almost the equivalent of Greek plays such as Antigone or Lysistrata.

This Book is such good value. Not only do you get three plays but i tell you you get Some entertainment. A most enjoyable read!

SIVE- I love Sive it is an extremely sad story about a young girls who is being sold into marriage by her uncle and aunt. Her grandmothewr is againstit especially because the man is about 70 and also bercause Sive is already in love with Liam Scuab. On the eve of her wedding sive makes a decision that will chande everything-Forever!

THE FIELD- Everyone knows the bull but the bull will go to whatever lenghts he must to get the most important thing in the world(to him) and that is land. But will he succeed and will Mrs.Butler-the widow who is selling theland get a fair price. Main characters include the bull,the birtd and Tadgh. Is tadgh like his father-Is he his fathers son?

BIG MAGGIE- Now widowed ansd free Maggie decides that she will wear the trousers but she finds that the harder she gets the childrenb just fly thenest and all move away. even her son(the homebird) has to choose between his mother or the love of his life. His decision will also change what is to come. Will Maggie continue to fight alone? Does Maggie even know.

I'm a college student and generally if it's not required reading I don't usually have time for a book. But, once I started reading it I couldn't put it down. The author made what I would usually consider a rather dry and uninteresting subject come to life. I recommend this book to anyone interested in a plain, old fashioned good read.

Christopher Fauske's study offers valuable insights into a period of Swift's life that has been neglected. Fauske's work also explores aspects of Swift as an Irish writer. Moreover, the study is written in a fluent and easy style. The book should appeal to both scholars and casual readers.

What a shame that the publisher let this first rate book go out of print. Perhaps, the market can work if enough folks demand a new printing of the book.

OK, so I basically stole the title for this review from Dylan Thomas (another author to read!). At any rate, it seems this oversized book is out of print, although Amazon.com will try to find it for you. If they can't...

122 pages of fascinating photos, drawings, manuscript revisions, and quotes by Joyce; statues, drawings, photos, and even stamps of Joyce! The prints are excellent, and help you feel like you know the man (and family) just a little bit better. Originally published at $39.95 (a price for Joyce fans only, I think), its new low cost makes it an excellent purchase for all interested in literature and/or photography. I haven't seen the $72 "Images of Joyce," (sold at Amazon) but this well-designed book, showing Joyce at various ages and locations, is well worth looking for.

I was in Ireland when Eamon De Valera passed. The mixed emotion was a reflection of the complex public life that he had over 60 years of public service leadership.
Judging Dev is a required read for fans and detractors of Mr. De Valera.
This book is far superior to a lot of books I have read reciently.
Beautiful family and private archived photograph's. Because of the volume of original documents in this book and the content of new information with personal archives mirrored with current events Judging Dev it will become a 'bona fide' text book no doubt replacing others on this subject.

This book is a really valuable contribution to the study of De Valera and his era. Using material that has only recently become available to scholars - many of Dev's private papers - Ferriter has done an excellent job at presenting the life of de Valera in a more realistic and balanced way than other recent biographers. He boosters his thesis by including in the book photocopies of much of actual official correspondence between de Valera and others.

The RTE radio series - of 2007 and written and hosted by Ferriter - that the book grew out of was excellent. Many of the audio archives of Dev were used. I listened to it on the live web from Ireland.

De Valera was a major figure in twentieth century Ireland and his recent demonizing as a figure who grossly mismanaged the country is largely redeemed - with validly - in this work by Ferriter. I recommend this book to those who want to delve deeply into de Valera's true legacy and who don't want to be misled by those who reflect a less informed view of his stature and positive influence.

I wish the book were more widely available - it is a shame that Amazon don't appear to actually stock it. I recently purchased my copy in Ireland.

"Kaddish in Dublin" is a brilliant police procedural as well as a gripping and touching story of decent people trying to understand our world. Matt Minogue is an interesting, complex person as well as a likeable police inspector.

John Brady has captured the real Dublin in all his, unfortunately too few, books. Warts and all, the place and the people come alive in a way that few authors can match. Inspector Matt Minogue is one of the most interesting, complex and real characters ever to inhabit any book. John Brady is a national treasure and should be revered as such.

I teach a survey course on Russia to graduate-level business students. I have used a variety of texts on Russia's economic transformation, always seeking one with the ideal combination of currency, readability, and insights and perspectives attuned to the businessperson rather than the typical academic. Brady's book is it. Brady's experience with BusinessWeek and her illustrative interviews with Russian citizens resonate particularly strongly with my students, who run the gamut from straight-from-undergrad-school/can't-find-Russia-on-a-map, to individuals who have done business in Russia (successfully or un- ) and want to know more about a unique (and uniquely frustrating) environment for operations and investment. I plan to continue requiring this text for my students and hope Brady provides updated editions as needed.

This is an fabulous book on how Russia turned from state socialism into a fragile, but market-based economy. Being a Business Week correspondent in Moscow the author could witness all stages of Russia's economic transformation -- starting from supply shortages and chaos of late 1991 to the formation of financial & industrial comglomerates in 1997. This book is an exciting reading because it is easy written and combines stories on both complicated economic issues and on lives of ordinary Russians, struggling to adapt to the changes.

This is a brilliant, heart rending true story. I read it twice already and am sure I'll go back to it again. Buy it as you won't be disappointed!

This is a shocking story of how parents could discard their children in Ireland. I'm happy I live in America.

A great and comprehensive biography of one of the most amazing figures of history. Although some may take a little time getting used to the Saxon names and genealogy anyone who enjoys biographies or history should love this book.

Although filled with detail Smyth breaths life into the days of Alfred. A religious man who was both a brilliant scholar a brilliant tactician and one tough soldier. Such was his brilliance he did such remarkable things as help to adapt the Viking boat to suit his own army's needs for a craft more suited to navigating the coast of Britain.

He almost single-handedly created what we know today as England and through his treaty with the Vikings he established an economic zone of a type shared by both the Saxons and the Vikings and in so doing played an important role in the creation of the English language.

After his peace with the Vikings he established a just system of laws and an aggressive plan to educate the populace of England.

The biography starts with the peculiar and unfortunate circumstances within his family that led to his succession. He found himself, trained as monk, in the midst of one of the great watershed moments of British history when England was being overrun by the Vikings. His campaigns as a defeated underdog reclaiming his kingdom makes for truly exciting reading. The book is filled with detail including shedding light on how the main biography historians in the past (Asser's "Life") had been drawing from was a forgery.

The story of the forgery of Asser's "Life" , what was the standard biography of Alfred the great up until recent times, is in itself a story within a story in this book.

Through the examination of works of Alfred himself we come to understand his great wisdom.

A fascinating read about a monumental figure of history.

Highly recommended.

Alfred Smith, a professor of medieval history at the University of Kent, provides us with a masterful biography of Alfred the Great. Smith's biography is a radical departure from the traditional view of Alfred as a neurotic invalid who remained piously illiterate until he was almost 40. Alfred's life is thoroughly examined to reveal a man of great physical stamina who had been a scholar all his life and who used his intellectual abilities, military prowess and administrative skills to change the course of English history prior to the Norman Conquest. This beautifully written biography examines Alfred's writings and charters, the Anglo Saxon Chronicle, and Asser's biography of Alfred (which Smith believes was a medieval forgery). This biography should be added to the library of historians, students and lovers of medieval history!