Irish Books

Five stars plus for this young mans insight, interpretation, and brilliant display of history. I like many other readers were turned off by the boring history books we read in school. Lambers captures the true spirit of history! Because of the excitement this book ignites; this book has the potential to change the course of how history is viewed and studied. This book is a MUST READ for everyone. This book would make a great gift not only for teachers and history buffs, but also the person who hungers for knowledge. (The study guide is an added bonus to treasure) BRAVO!

I read the book first, and it was interesting to realize that the peaceful relations with Britain that we now take for granted were nonexistent and took hard work to accomplish. And the Study Guide is very good, and is surprisingly loaded with historical facts and fun word searches. I wish I had studied with this kind of material instead of boring history books that made me "hate" history for many years. Now I love it!

This book is early American history in a "capsule," full of important events describing the conflicts between America and Britain, yet imagines the ordinary citizen's feelings about the wars in an interesting blend of fiction and history. Young people especially should read it.

The book took me for a wonderful journey to Ireland and back! Excellent! A must read!

This is a terrific book. A friend told me about it and I am glad to have read it. It is fantastically written and is very captivating. The author paints vivid images of her life- I felt as if I was right there with her, sharing her experiences. It is an inspiring story that I think would be appreciated by a wide variety of people. I would highly recommend it.

Great storyteller! You will want to meet this engaging Irish lassie named Marita. You can in this witty, intelligently written book whether it is on some walk with her and her ancestors in Ireland or down a whitewater river with her in a canoe in the States. Marita's engaging style takes you on a wonderful trip. She is definitely a "journey person". More than an autobiography. Marita's metamorphosis from her munchkin beginnings in Dear, Distant, Damp, Dublin to a self-assured achieving professional woman in Manhattan is a delight! Her ability to pull together many events of her life in Ireland as well as America, and weave it together with her family history and Irish history makes for good reading. Marita has been able to look at herself and her life and make a place for herself in the cosmos. Enjoy it!

Highly acclaimed anthology of John Ruskin, this book is made out of 39 vols Library Edition of John Ruskin's works, supported by 5 pillars--art, architecture, society, solitude and self and compiled chronologically.In the introduction, Herbert Tucker estimates this book as a classic anthology. It is followed by Rosenberg's preface, and before each section mentioned above is his own explanatory comment. This is extremely superb in style as well as contents. At the end of the book is a new bibliography, to some of which entries brief comments are added. As Ruskin's writings, especially those in early years, are not easy to read, this book is priceless. Among relatively rare entries are "Traffic" in The Clown of Wild Olive, "Athena Keramitis" in Queen of the Air, and "Essay I" in Fiction Fair and Foul. Compared with the previous anthology by Kenneth Clark, "Ruskin Today", this one is inferior in variety but far superior in amount. Now we have the Ruskin's Complete Works in one CD-ROM, but it cannot be read, say, in a train or bed unless printed out. Concisely selected, this book is, I think, quite valuable when kept by your side.

One can hardly read any thoughtful analysis or
evaluation of art, artists, even poets, without
coming upon a quote from John Ruskin. Yet one
may read the quote, realize its acuteness, but
then proceed on -- without really knowing anything
about John Ruskin himself, or about his ideas
and works. That is a tragic loss. Ruskin was an
English art critic and scholar, as well as a
cultural and philosphical historian who
lived from 1819 to 1900.
He attended and graduated from Oxford University,
and in 1869 was appointed first Slade Professor
of Fine Art at Oxford.
John Ruskin seems to me to be a combination of
Plato, godly Greek sculptors, and Thoreau. His
own senses, apparently (just like Thoreau's) were
extremely acute...he has incredible sharpness of
vision. But even more telling, he has incredible
command of vision and the language to express it
with. He seems, at times, like a Homer of artistic
cultural and philosophical expression.
This volume is a compilation of excerpts from
Ruskin's major writings: MODERN PAINTERS I, II,
III, IV, and V/ THE SEVEN LAMPS OF ARCHITECTURE/
THE STONES OF VENICE/ THE TWO PATHS/ UNTO THIS
LAST/ THE CROWN OF WILD OLIVE/ SESAME AND LILIES/
THE QUEEN OF THE AIR/ FORS CLAVIGERA/ FICTION, FAIR
AND FOUL/ THE STORM-CLOUD OF THE NINETEENTH CENTURY/
and PRAETERITA. There are multiple excerpts from
each of these works, and each excerpt is followed
by a very helpful citation of the volume, part,
section, and chapter of the work where the excerpt
is found.
Ruskin is not "merely" an acute analyzer and
evaluator of art and architecture, but he also is
an artistic and ethical philosopher. His philosophy
seems to have a strong dose of PAGAN GREEK (Plato)
underpinning, which interacts interestingly with
the Evangelical Protestantism overlaid when he
was young by his mother's strict Bible lessons.
His whole life seems to have been a struggle
between these two grappling forces, like the

statue of "The Wrestlers" from Hellenistic times.
Ruskin idolized and glorified the painter
Joseph Mallord William Turner [J.M.W. Turner].
He seems to have set out on a crusade while still
a teen-ager (17) by writing an essay defending
Turner and his art -- his admiration, esteem,
and idolatry continued even after he had gone
to Oxford University and began writing his art
criticism works.
Ruskin's topics sound like a role-call of
classical virtues and perfection seeking -- and
like Thoreau, he bemoans the fact that more
people do not wake up, see intently, and live
better lives. I personally find Ruskin's admonitions
to be inspiring, rather than merely preachy. He
obviously has a vision (like a prophet), a wondrous
sense of beauty and appreciation, and a fine mind
and expressive ability which create words of golden
glow. Yet he also has a heart of reproof towards
the mercantilism of his times (in one speech he
tells his audience that they have two religions,
one which they pay lip-service and tithes to,
and the other religion of their practicality,
the one they actually live by -- and he says:
"...but we are all unanimous about this practical
one; of which I think you will admit that the ruling
goddess may be best generally described as the
'Goddess of Getting-on,' or 'Britannia of the
Market.'")
Some of the topic titles in the various sections
give one the flavor of his insights and vision:
"Definition of Greatness in Art"; "That the Truth
of Nature in Not to Be Discerned by the Uneducated
Senses"; "Of Truth of Space"; and "Of the Naturalist
Ideal." In his works on architecture, there are
such topic titles as "The Lamp of Truth" and "The
Lamp of Memory."
The editor of this volume, John D. Rosenberg, has
done a masterful, insightful job of presenting
Ruskin and his views -- and the Univ. Press of
Virginia have done a masterful job of printing
and binding those valuable views in an attractive
and valuable volume.

It is a great pity that the works of Ruskin are neither widely read nor widely available. One can only hope that the day will come when an affordable, comprehensive, multi-volume collection will become available. For now, we may be thankful for the work of Columbia University's John Rosenberg, who has given us perhaps as fine an introduction to Ruskin as can be hoped for. The selections are long and judiciously made, and they address Ruskin in all important aspects of his work: art critic, social heretic, autobiographer. This book is like a wise old friend, especially comforting in a world that has in so many ways departed from the values that this volume enshrines. A faithful rendering of an indispensable author.

This is a highly readable biography of the extraordinary writer that was George Mackay Brown. He lived most of his life in Orkney, but his novels, short stories and poetry have the complexity, language, imagination and spirituality of a much-travelled man. GMB did not have an easy life and remained puzzled by (and uncomfortable with) his celebrity. He did not enjoy good health for much of his life; he lived simply and was a modest man but not one of those tortured souls grinding out poetry in guilt-ridden angst. He was more complex than he appeared, with a spiritual, almost holy, feel for the past that he was able to share through the prism of Orkney. I learned much from this biography, which dips into a range of sources, both personal and published. It is wonderful to see where some of GMB's inspiration came from. He was certainly one of Britain's greatest poets (and that's saying something). His writings are well worth exploring - they really are a joy. This well-written biography is a good introduction to the man, but you are likely only to find the real GMB through his writing, and that is a journey well worth making. Highly recommended.

This is a highly readable biography of the extraordinary writer that was George Mackay Brown. He lived most of his life in Orkney, but his novels, short stories and poetry have the complexity, language, imagination and spirituality of a much-travelled man. GMB did not have an easy life and remained puzzled by (and uncomfortable with) his celebrity. He did not enjoy good health for much of his life; he lived simply and was a modest man but not one of those tortured souls grinding out poetry in guilt-ridden angst. He was more complex than he appeared, with a spiritual, almost holy, feel for the past that he was able to share through the prism of Orkney. I learned much from this biography, which dips into a range of sources, both personal and published. It is wonderful to see where some of GMB's inspiration came from. He was certainly one of Britain's greatest poets (and that's saying something). His writings are well worth exploring - they really are a joy. This well-written biography is a good introduction to the man, but you are likely only to find the real GMB through his writing, and that is a journey well worth making. Highly recommended.

`George Mackay Brown: The Life' is compelling from the first word. It is a vivid, intelligent account of a complex man, beautifully written with a kind of passionate restraint and breathtaking honesty. The research is meticulous and the result full of integrity and insight - a remarkable achievement. Rooted in his island home, George Mackay Brown is often simplified, or pigeon-holed as some kind of backwater bard, or mystic sage. This book reveals the man's complexities: his self-critical toughness, his difficulties with relationships, his place both inside and outside the community in the islands he loved, his gifts as a sharp observer with a poetic intellect that shaped and honed his material into poetry and prose of a rare, distilled beauty.
Writing as someone who knew the writer in his later years, I heartily recommend the book to anyone who has any interest in the man or his work at any level. It is a work of art in itself and biography at its best: accessible, multi-layered and perceptive; in turn both searing and uplifting.
Pam Beasant, Stromness

I read this book a LONG time ago when looking for a job out of college. It was, and still is, one of the best books I have ever read about job hunting. The tips and advice are very useful because instead of focusing on what you want, you learn to focus on what you are best at. Very thought-provoking and very useful. Learned back then to take what I can do and apply to what I want to do. i still use the techniques and features I learned back then. Tough to find the book now. But well worth it. (Actually, hunting for the book just further shows a trait you may enjoy and be good at...)

I first read this book when I had a degree in Hebrew, little work experience (most of which was clerical and which I hated) and no idea of where I wanted to go. Oddly enough, I have found myself in a situation where I now have 18 years of experience (most of which was corporate and which I hated) plus five years of disability, which is offputting to almost every interviewer. I am currently in the process of re-reading Irish's book, mostly for the analytical exercises he offers.

In summary, Irish suggests that you get a roll of shelf paper (at least that's what I'm using) and list out everything you've done, both for pay and as a volunteer. Then list out everything you loved and everything you didn't love about what you've done to see what kinds of patterns emerge. For example, when I initially used the book, I loved talking to people and I hated taking orders from people I didn't respect. Knowing this, I went to a variety of people to "interview them for information." Since I wasn't asking them for a job, rather for an opinion, many doors and subsequently several good offers came my way.

I should also mention that I recommended this book many, many times to friends and co-workers who weren't happy -- just to point them to the exercises. Somewhere along the way, I forgot my own advice and have really been struggling with conventional thinkers who see only my disability, age and experience and consider them all to be negatives. I think this book is a must-read for anyone who has been displaced as well as anyone who just isn't happy with what they're doing. Life is just too darned short to accept less than the best.

The best employment book I've ever read. You're not begging for a chance, you are looking for where you really want to go. Challenges you to change the usual seat of power. You are interviewing them. A useful psychological switch.

My parents read me one poem a night every night since I was 4 until I could recite them all. I would like to do the same for my children. This is a fantastic selection. Short and concise poems covering most famous poets. About 30% are impressionable to children. I also bought the greatest poems for children as well.
I didn't mentioned the price, did I? Dimes for gems.

This anthology contains many of the finest ' short poems' ever written. It is of course one of tens of such anthologies in which these great works are presented to the reader. What strikes me always in reading them, or rereading them is how much beauty and goodness can be given in a few short lines.
A short poem presents an opportunity to the reader to not simply read the poem, but to go over and over it , and finally memorize it. Then that poem the reader takes with them everywhere. It becomes part of oneself. And those lines are there for whatever time in life one may need them.
This anthology contains just to mention a few Dylan Thomas ' Do not Go Gentle into that Good Night' the "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day" sonnet of Shakespeare, " Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening " of Frost, and many other poems which are part of the collective poetic consciousness of the English reading world.
Whether in this anthology, or in others like it, or in the collected poems of the respective poets, these poems are there and available to us all.
How lucky and blessed we are.

Paul Negri presents here more than 150 poems ranging from the 17th century till today. You'll find English and American poems. A very recommendable collection for little money!

This translation of four plays by Euripedes is brilliant, clean and clear, without pretension. It offers the direct gaze of an Athenian at human emotion and human fate, which is considered a matter of luck more than character. For the Athenians matters of state and import are rooted in the family, where everything begins.

I've owned copies of Euripides all my life and never got around to reading them, but when Grief Lessons came across my desk last week, I was compelled to read straight through it. The title alone speaks of Carson's special talent for reaching the heart of the matter. Grief Lessons. The layout of her character's dialogue, too, flows back and forth along the margins of the page so that your eye moves easily down the text. The characters speak simply, without flourishes, without annoying Victorian poetic touches. Grief Lessons opens up Euripides to you so clearly that you can hear the characters weeping and shouting at each other on the stage of your mind. At the same time, so simple is Carson's translation that her words have an open ended flexibility that let you imagine them being pitched almost any way. Is Admetus a typical egocentric or an oaf? I'd always felt sorry for Hippolytus, cursed unfairly by his father. Now I'd like to curse him myself. I've never seen pomposity in a youth so clearly shown in a play. Moreover, Euripides lived at the end of Greece's golden age. His cynicism of the gods and heroes plays very appropriately on the stage of today.

There is so much blood letting in these plays I would hate to be the stage manager. What a clean up after every performance.
Seriously folks...
The plays are spellbinding. The insights into what motivates human beings are brilliant. I enjoyed reading these plays 10 times more than I ever thought I would. I read the review inThe New Yorker and thought I'd take a chance. (I don't normally read the classics)
I gave it to my wife who loved the plays as well.
Great job.

This book kept me up all night, and I arose glowing with the warmth and depth of these beautiful poems. These poems have a quietness about them, an inwardness, and yet they invite the reader to enter into them. I read them when I want to fall in love with my own life again. Probably my favorite book of poems ever.

I have just moved and the one book I have been searching for in my mountain of boxes is this book. I haven't been able to find it yet and cannot wait any longer for the inspiration it gives me. Paul Matthews has a lively genius that visits him inside his head and he is able to hear all the wonderful promptings that the genie brings him. His other book, Sing Me The Creation is equally wonderful for helping all of us activate our imagination and creativity.

curl up with this these poems and enjoy...simply wonderful

Because this book lists where the barns are - and they are usually in out of the way places - you can start off in the morning to find one and have a great adventure on the way. Then when you discover a barn, the book tells you great stuff about what you're looking at.

This book is a must for all persons interested in historic barn preservation. It contains a wealth of information and knowledge of early timber-frame construction from the early cruck to post and beam techniques. As a traveling guide, I can see myself spending a summer driving around England in awe of these magnificent structures photographing them in total and in detail.

After reading this volume, the reader is inspired to find an old barn, restore it, and live in its great open space.

All you ever wanted to know about tithe barn history, architecture, restoration, usage plus amazing details about quantities of wood used, construction techniques, etc. Good pictures and drawings. The right size book to take pon a trip to England to learn more aabout history and culture.

I have collected many books about Henry Tudor. Although this book reads like a history book, the details behind the reasons for his marrying so many women, the religious upheaval and the political situations of the times makes is a great book.

This is a well-written description of King Henry's life as ruler of England, as well as a study of his more personal dealings with his wives and his court.
The book itself is beautiful. It is filled with glossy, color pictures, facts and details. This is a great reference book for all you history buffs to add to your libraries, but its also great as just entertainment if you have a casual interest in the subject or era.

This is an excellent book for any "Tudorite". It deals thoroughly, yet easily, with Good King Hal and his Katherines, Anne's, and his only beloved Jane. Having read MANY things about King Henry and his love-life, this book was to the point and helped me to appreciate not only Hal's goals, but those of his wives, ministers, and courtiers. What a wonderful addition to any Tudor-fan's bookshelf, not only for useful reference but grand for just regular enjoyable reading and pleasure.