Ireland Books

Adela of Blois: Countess and Lord (C.1067-1137) by Kimberly A. LoPrete took more than 15 years to write. LoPrete, a frequently published professor of history at the University fo Galway, (see her on Google and Wikipedia) comes close to equaling the famed Francis Yates in her depth of insight and style. This book is essential reading for anyone interested in the role of women in Medieval Europe, not just France, since Adela's son, Stephan, became King of England. More over Adela was the granddaughter of William the Conquerer and her youngest son, Henry Blois (she had ten children) became the Archbishop of Winchester and Abbot of Glastonbury. Anyone interested in women's rights, Eleanore of Aquitane, Chartres cathedral, or Marie of Champagne will love this book. Its only downside is the cost, nearly 100 bucks. This book needs to come out in a trade paper version as soon as possible. Hank Harrison The Cauldron and the Grail (Grail Triology, Vol. 1) and Catriona Watson

I cannot think of another Briton who has had more written about them for as long a time as Nelson. Now we are approaching the 200 year anniversary of his death at the Battle of Trafalgar. And we are hearing again of his famous signal 'England expects every man will do his duty.' And his famous last words 'Thank God I have done my duty.'

In this new book, nine noted historians contributed articles. Each views Nelson's life and legacy in a different light. In Part 1 of the book the subjects are Seamanship, leadership, orgiginality, Friendship, Freemasonry, Fraternity, Manliness, patriotism and body politics.

Of particular interest was Kate Williams article Nelson and Women which discusses how Nelson was marketed to the female consumer of the time. This included romance novels, fantasies about how sailors whould behave, and various consumer items offered for sale. This is a view of early nineteenth century England not seen before.

Part 2 of the book goes into the Nelson legacy. This legacy didn't just happen, it was carefully constructed by the British Navy, Government and others. They did a good job, the legacy has now lasted for 200 years and shows no sign of dimenishing.

A most interesting book that discusses parts about Nelson that haven't been emphasized.

I was a friend of the late author's and therefore recuse myself from any sort of critical review, but am anxious to let others know of its availability. It is a model of Joycean analysis, in my opinion, written in an elegant, spare style and with great good humor. He has made a significant discovery that should excite and illumine both Sherlockians (Bill was a member of the BSI and prodigious contributor to the Baker Street Journal) and Wakers.

For anyone interested in paranormal phenomena, this is a great book for you. Eileen J. Garrett founded the Parapsychology Foundation (based in New York City) in 1951. The Parapsychology Foundation is a non-profit organization that supports the scientific exploration of psychic phenomena and still exists today. This book is her autobiography. There is so much mystery surrounding psychics, and Adventures in the Supernormal is a very insightful look into the life of someone with psychic powers.

Garrett knew at a young age that she was different. In her preface she writes, "I have a gift, a capacity--a delusion, if you will--which is called 'psychic.'...living with and utilizing this psychic capacity long ago inured me to a variety of epithets...In short, I have been called many things: from a charlatan to a miracle woman. I am, at least, neither of these. In this book I hope to tell the reader what I am. It is an answer to literally hundreds of requests for information concerning supernormal perception and how it functions."

She begins with her Irish childhood, where she was "exhausted in a world that did not understand or believe" her and continues on through her life to tell of her marriage, her businesses (she was a smart, entrepreneurial woman in a time when that wasn't very common), her divorce, and her move to New York. Garrett was one of the first people to objectively study parapsychology and in her lifetime she made huge contributions to psychic research. She clears up "psychic research" by saying that it's not "spiritualism" or "religion," but rather, it's the "scientific study of the human personality beyond the threshold of what man calls his conscious mind." Her book covers her experience with and knowledge of ESP, clairvoyance, psychometry, telepathy and precognition, and she emphasizes the need for more objective study and research, with an eventual unification of science and religion - a necessary development if we want to truly understand and express psychic powers.

Adventures in the Supernormal is an intriguing look into one of America's primary and highly regarded psychics, and I recommend it to anyone who has an interest in paranormal phenomena.

"The title 'After Easter' owes as much to Yeat's poem 'Easter 1916' as to George Steiner's book 'After Babel, After Easter'," says Anne Devlin. The title of the play can be interpreted in many ways and although Devlin herself attributes it to the titles above we can see clearly that it has large significance in relation to the action of the play. The play begins just before Easter 1996 when Greta, the main character, goes on a journey to discover her own identity. She is searching throughout Easter but the fulfilment of her quest does not come until after Easter when we see her in the final scene.

As the play moves on we see Greta is not along in her insecurity as 'After Easter' is about much more than one woman and her search for security, love and the understanding of her own identity. Devlin portrays the dysfunctional Flynn family's struggle for their own separate and true identities. In the play we learn a lot about each of the characters, especially the three sisters and it is interesting to see how each family member copes with the problems that they are faced with and the transformations that they go through during the course of the week in which the play is set.

Although Devlin claims "it is not a political play, it is a psychological play", the issues raised are clealy not just psychological. Although the main story revolves around Greta's 'insanity' and looks at what the contrasting characters regard as 'right' and 'wrong' in the main aspects of religion, love and death, the problems of Northern Ireland play a large part in moving the story along and initiating situations that reveal much about the individuals.

'After Easter' is not a play which clearly states its purpose or meaning. It will mean something different to everyone, but what somebody directing this play should try to do is simply enhance the points which they think are most important to Greta's development. You can choose to focus on the Northern Ireland problem, the idea of 'banshees', the religion, the family, the politics or the 'insanity'. However, I feel that the different issues are equally important and that Devlin intends you to explore the conflict between them.

'After Easter' is an exellent play and as The Observer wrote: "Anne Devlin's marvelous new play is rich, dense and poetic, beautifully written and very funny", I would have to agree!

With _The Aftermath of Revolution: Sligo 1921-23_, Michael Farry has provided us with a detailed social history of the Irish Civil War in Sligo, a county in north-western Connacht on Ireland's Atlantic coast. What makes this little-known county such an interesting subject is the contrast between its records in the War of Independence and the Civil War: like Mayo and Wexford, Sligo showed little fight during the struggle against the British from 1919-21, but fought bitterly against the Free State from 1922 to 1923; in fact, the resistance of the Anti-Treaty IRA was never overcome by the Free State Army. Farry explains the first part of this contradiction in his Introduction, which briefly describes the War of Independence in Sligo. According to Farry, the growth of the IRA in Sligo was retarded by the county's conservatism and parliamentarism: the people of Sligo were unusually attached to the old Irish Parliamentary Party and were reluctant to embrace Republicanism and revolution. As a result, the Sligo Brigade was slower than others to organize, gather arms and ammunition, and attack the RIC and the Army.

Despite its poor record in the War of Independence, the Sligo IRA emerged as the dominant organization in the County after the Truce of 11 July 1921. Ch. 1 of _The Aftermath of Revolution_ describes the five and a half months between the truce and the peace treaty of late December. "During this period," Farry concludes, "the IRA took charge in County Sligo, brooking no opposition, especially from mere politicians, and basked in the glory of a war won." (p. 35) This long afterglow was ended by the bitter dispute over the Treaty, which gave up the six counties of Northern Ireland and created an Irish Free State rather than the Republic that many IRA men had fought for. Chs. 2 and 3 describe how Sligo, along with the rest of Southern Ireland, drifted toward Civil War in the first half of 1922, as many Republicans refused to accept either the Treaty or the central authority that it created. Finally, after the Free State forces attacked Republican positions in the center of Dublin in July 1922, the Civil War began. In Ch. 4, Farry argues that the Republican "Irregulars" were as confused and ineffective in County Sligo as they were elsewhere. Instead of taking the offensive against the Free State army, they adopted a strategy of passive defense, and when the Free State forces attacked the IRA abandoned its positions and returned to a more familiar style of guerrilla warfare. What had worked against the British in an island united, however, did not work against their fellow countrymen in an island divided. Though the Free State never succeeded in defeating the Sligo Irregulars, it was clear long before the IRA's unilateral cease-fire of 24 May 1922 that the Republican cause in Sligo, as elsewhere, was lost.

Farry follows this narrative with two chapters on the 'structure' of the Civil War. Interestingly, in Ch. 5 he shows that while the IRA dominated inaccessible areas like the Ox Mountains, most of the fighting took place "in the areas of better land where towns with government posts were situated." (p. 114) The reason for this was simple but interesting: the Free State army had "fixed positions that were susceptible to attack" (p. 104), while the Republican Irregulars did not; when the Free State army swept through their remote and mountainous base areas, the IRA simply avoided fighting. Farry also concludes, surprisingly, that recruits for both sides came from every part of the county, but the biggest surprise in his book comes in Ch. 6, "Sligo County Participants." Most historians have agreed that the split over the Treaty reflected social class divisions as well as political and constitutional differences: the Treaty, they argue, was supported by the more prosperous and opposed by the less prosperous. Farry, however, examines the occupations, land valuations, and house valuations of the participants and concludes that "the Civil War division in County Sligo was not based on social standing or relative wealth." (p. 129)

Farry follows these revelations with three chapters on the impact of the Civil War in Sligo. In Ch. 7, he describes how "the disruption in communications together with the general lawlessness led to a major decline in the social and sporting life in the county," (p. 156) while the conflict made a bad economic situation even worse. Similarly, in Ch. 8 Farry shows how the decline in law and order that marked the War of Independence continued and worsened during the Truce, Treaty, and Civil War periods. "Agrarian unrest, intimidation of Protestants, robbery, petty crime and hooliganism became widespread," (p. 176), and after the outbreak of the Civil War wide areas of the county were reduced to anarchy. As the preceding quote suggests, Sligo's Protestants were especially vulnerable in such a situation, and though Farry finds no evidence of "a concerted anti-Protestant campaign" (p. 201) he does show in Ch. 9 that the fear and insecurity of the Civil War accelerated the decline of the county's small Protestant community. In each of these chapters, Michael Farry shows the strengths of the "war and society" approach to military history, by looking behind the movements and clashes of military units to show us a county torn apart by violence.

Michael Farry's _The Aftermath of Revolution: Sligo 1921-23_ is a superb book that combines conventional political and military history with social history to provide a deep and enlightening analysis of a community at war with itself. Farry's book is a model both for local histories of national events and for histories of that notoriously difficult subject, guerrilla warfare. By concentrating on a small area-one county in northwest Ireland-Farry's book illuminates some very large themes: his case study of insurgency and counterinsurgency is more instructive than any number of more general works on the same subjects. His writing is clear and readable and his use of evidence is both imaginative and judicious. Besides its value as a contribution to Irish history, his book is an important addition to the social history of war and the literature of low-intensity conflict and guerrilla warfare. Though intended for an academic audience, Farry's book should appeal to anyone with an interest in the subject matter, and I recommend it highly.

Farley Mowat has written a number of books which may be described as war memoirs. Since they were written at decent intervals and to some extent, for different purposes, there is a degree of repetition. Nevertheless, as there is hardly ever a dull moment in a text by Mowat, we can forgive him for telling the same story twice. To be honest, I'm no longer certain where the overlap occurs, although in "Aftermath," a book written comparatively recently, he certainly revisits some parts of the Italian theatre in which he served, and refers to the same events he has recounted in detail elsewhere ("And No Birds Sang"). But "Aftermath" doesn't dwell particularly on war, and there are a number of stories in this ongoing narrative which are worth reading by themselves. Scenes such as that where the author and his wife visit the Black Eagle somewhere in Kent and procure some of the Queen's Brew are classic Mowat. Their visit to Amalfi and tour of its ancient potteries, and their final return to England where they visit with Peter Scott, son of the Antarctic explorer, and learn all about the Severn Wild Fowl Trust, are just a couple of the highlights of this rather unusual journey.

This is not your ordinary Mowat, but then I'm wondering if there really is such a thing. An overlooked book, "Aftermath" won't disappoint, and fortunately for readers everywhere, thar's plenty more Mowat where that come from!

Not just an autobiography: for those seriously interested in Ireland this is an unromantic expose of Irish society by a reluctant author, one who has nevertheless produced an invaluable historical work.

Witness his boyhood excitement during a Civil War clash outside his home, the comedic sight of former enemies trading verbal insults in the Irish parliament, and the hypocrisy of some of the leading players therein.
We have the desperate hard work of his parents, the cruel treatment of his mother by her family, and the sight of his family's destruction by disease, all sensitively measured by Dr.Browne against the knowledge that this little boy's suffering is repeated a thousand-fold across Ireland.

Remembering this, he accepted the chance to become a doctor, transgressing centuries-old sectarian rules which would hamper his future progress. After entering Irish politics he discovered that the ultimate power in Ireland lay not with elected politicians but with the bishops of the Catholic church, whose opulent lifestyle contrasted poignantly with the terrible hardships of the masses, and whose actions to prevent free medical care for mothers and children and to demonise him from the pulpit left him disillusioned with the religion and the Irish Parliament.

Further medical training brought him into the psychiatric field, where he found barriers as high as ever. He could have had an easier life in England or the USA, however he choose to stay and help Ireland develop in spite of itself and at a considerable personal cost.

There is anger and bitterness, but never is Dr.Browne understated about his own inadequacies. A wonderful, frank and engaging autobiography. A five-star read.

I was surprised that Mr. Fallon chose to write about culture in a narrow and classic sense but was immediately glad. He focuses on the artists of the period, touching on sociological aspects like politics and religion but always in relation to the art of the time. How exactly did the church, national politics, changing lifestyles and art interact? While more at home with the writers he also touches on visual arts and music.

There is a widespread belief that this was a sleepy time for Irish art and Mr. Fallon tears this notion down with relish. Like any simplification this ignores the facts and he uses exhaustive research and personal experience to bring the characters and their struggles into light.

There's no question that this is written for an Irish audience, or at least people with more than a passing interest in Irish art. As a novice I had a hard time keeping up with the names and events. Most of the time Mr. Fallon would provide enough background to get by. In some cases, like the Mother and Child episode which showed up several times in the book, I was left in the dark. However, he is such a good writer and so enthusiastic about his subject that the narrative moves along with a great deal of energy. Even when he is simply listing names it's easy to get through. And there are a lot of names. This volume provides more material than a college course could get through.

Fallon's writing is an absolute joy to read. It's not only clear but has a breadth of expression that is wonderful to experience. He uses an extensive vocabularly without becoming wordy or pompous. A true professional with the kind of talent that seems long lost here in America.

Scholarly and entertaining, An Age of Innocence is for the reader who is interested in more than Yeats and Joyce and would like a glimpse at other artists and Ireland itself during this time.

The collected papers in this book answered many questions about Celtic Art that I have been asking for years. The book is written to scholarly standards that make the reading pretty tough going if you do not already have a pretty good grasp of the subject. Definitely not for the day tripper looking for romanticized Celtic thrills, this book is a collection of the work of the real experts in Medieval Art and Archaeology of the 7th to 10th centuries in Northern Britain and Ireland.

I am not an insider in academic circles so the question left unanswered that most troubles me is "How will I know when the next International Conference on Insular Art will be held so that I can try to attend it?"