Irish Books

Whether you are a serious military historian, or a casual reader of history in general, you will thoroughly enjoy this read. British 19th Century military history is a fascinating subject, what with brave men being sent to exotic foreign lands and engaging in brutal combat with the savage inhabitants of same, the latter of whom were more often than not were simply fighting to protect their land and traditions. The British soldier was actually as much a victim as the natives and indigenous populations that they were sent to fight, what with being subjected to disease, inhospitable climes, inane battle strategies, and the often inept generals that were supposed to guide and protect them, The chapter on the extinction of the native aborigines of Tasmania is especially interesting and is really more about genocide than it is war in the traditional sense. There are two different chapters on two wars with China, both of them imposed on the Chinese so the British could protect their opium trade. Also interesting is the chapter on the Benin Massacre in Africa, where a fetish king propogated human sacrifice on his own subjects, which is about the only expedition in this book that I felt the Brits had made out a righteous case for going to war on. I couldn't put this book down and have since ordered and read Ian Hernon's two other compelling volumes in his trilogy on Britain's forgotten wars, those being Massacre And Retribution and Blood In The Sand. If you like this sort of thing, you should also check out Byron Farwell's book called Queen Victoria's Little Wars, an earlier work that is cited in Hernon's bibliography, and which provides a great overview on the subject in one volume.

Hernon continues with the third book in his trilogy of small 19 Century Wars. Besides being a good introduction to obscure, yet intensely interesting sideshows of the British Empire, Hernon takes a theme in each volume and in this one it is the notion of savagery that characterised these engagements. Savagery of the victor and savagery of the conquered.

Hernon tires to be objective as he cites the words of a contemporary British politician, calling the Opium War "one of the most shameful acts of agression in our history." The actions of the Royal Navy in the 4 hour shelling of Zanzibar were no doubt directed at a despot and his supporters but that did not mitigate the effect of solid shrapnel and high-explosive against his helpless retainers (many of them children & women). The actions of early white settlers in Tasmania also makes depressing reading indeed and although intuitively one knows that the predations of conquering peoples are everywhere horrible, one cannot help thinking that the unabashed extermination of the Tasmanian Aborigine was one of the more barbaric examples of Man's inhumanity.

But this is no politically correct tract for new found leftist sentitment, or those that would believe that all societies waging war against elements of the British Empire were inherently noble.

The sacrifice and slave based societies of Africa where Blacks sold there fellow Blacks to other Blacks and Arabs was wiped out by British armed might. Of course citing the leitmotif of anti-slavery was very self-serving to Britain and increasing its markets. It did nonetheless have the resultant effect of wiping out the cruel practise. Also, although the British made money from Opium, it was never as much as those Chinese middlemen who acted as brokers.

So the exposition of this savagery, some unmitigated by any redeeming factor, is Hernon's central thesis. His backdrop is the obscure wars for empire where British and Imperial soldiers' bones lay in unmarked graves, in a jungle clearing, a desert, or in the waters off some unknown shore.

Ian Hernon's writing on these obscure wars is not just interesting, it is a good starting point for anyone wanting to get a better idea of how imperialism waged a war on "savages" (a term that seems to have been used as much in the 19th Century as the term "terrorist" is used nowadays) -- in far flung places: punative expeditions to far-off lands, fortified camps and naval blockades to isolate and capture insolent natives and unruly despots. Seems that some things do not change.

The amazing thing about the British Empire, as shown by Hernon's masterful depictions of its various skirmishes, is the scale of the enterprise. Redcoats (and later khaki-coats) were fighting in Buenos Aires (1805), Burma (1820s-60s), China (1836, 1856), Tasmania (1840s), Iran (1857), Zanzibar (1890s) and Nigeria. Albion's soldiers exhibited individual bravery and heroism to fill the annals of miliitary glory, but the political motives weren't always worthy and the results of the campaign were often tragic. The "Black War" against Tasmanian aborigines is a lasting blight upon both the Australian and British reputations. Despite contemporary protestations to the contrary, the Opium Wars nourished the drug trade. Britain would also rather forget the raid on Buenos Aires, an unmitigated disaster for its troops and ships - although it did indirectly contribute to Latin American independence. A fine account of oft-neglected history.

Walter Macken, a native of Galway, was born in 1915 and died in his home city at the age of 51. A writer, an actor and a playwright, he is perhaps best known for his novel "Flight of the Doves" - which was adapted for the cinema - and his "Irish Trilogy". "The Scorching Wind" is the third book of this trilogy, and is set in the early 1900s. Although the book itself is a work of fiction, many of the 'background' events actually happened - for example, the Easter Rising of 1916, the partition of Ireland in 1921 and the Irish Civil War (1922-23).

The book opens in the West of Ireland in 1915, with two brothers resting in the shade of a haystack. Much to the disgust of their father, Dualta - the elder brother - has joined the British Army. Dualta believed the words of John Redmond, the leader of the Home Rule Party at Westminster. Redmond had suggested that Ireland would be granted Home Rule if the Irish Volunteers fought for the British in the Great War - a false promise. The book focuses more on Dominic, however - the younger of the two brothers. He sees his brother off to war, the pair travelling with a close friend called Poric into town. Poric has also disappointed Dominic's father, his former teacher, by joining the police. Shortly after leaving his brother and friend. Dominic meets a man called Sam Browne - who gradually involves Dominic in the struggle for freedom. Among the many others who also become involved are Lowry, an acquaintance of Dominic's at college and the pretty Finola Brady - not to mention Poric and Dualta, on his return from war.

While this is the third book in a trilogy, it's not strictly necessary to read them in order. However, I think it's probably better if you do - if you enjoy one of them, I have no doubt you'll enjoy all three. It appears the heroes of the two previous books (Dominick, in "Seek the Fair Land" and Dualta, in "The Silent People") are ancestors of the two brother. In a way, I found this to be the saddest book of the three, with the differences between the two brothers becoming more pronounced as the book progresses. (If you've enjoyed this book, you might also want to try "Call My Brother Back", by Michael McLaverty. It's set in Belfast, at the same time as this book - McLavery, like Macken, is an excellent storyteller.)

This, the third book in the much acclaimed Irish Trilogy, offers a unique insight into the life and times of the 1916 Easter Rebellion and the years that followed. Walter Macken was a Master Storyteller, who wrote about Irish life "from the inside", drawing the reader in completely. A book you won't want to put down until the very last page, and one that you will read, and re-read! A book that is as good today as when it was first published.

The Scorching Wind is the third in a trilogy that began during Cromwellian days in Ireland in the mid 1600's, and ends with this novel in the early 1900's. It is the story of a Connacht family through the generations, and this final book in the trilogy begins in 1916 and ends after the truce of 1922. It is the story of a young man, the son of a school teacher, and his brother. The young man, who is a medical student, is not politically inclined but is drawn into the struggles for freedom in Ireland. It is a powerful story of a young man and the fight within himself, the love for his older brother, and the tragic events that led to the establishment of the Free State of Ireland. Excellent book and a powerful and passionate historical trilogy.

Getting past the "comic book" label is the hardest part for a generally seriously-minded adult. I think this is a good starter book for those of us who somehow missed getting much of any background in Scottish history, a useful run-through of critical events ... and written with a consistent point of view.

You may know of the author Jeff Fellow, a political cartoonist and at least a small-n nationalist. The book's back cover blurb starts with, "Locked into unholy wedlock with England by the Union of Parliaments in 1707 Scotland's status has been that of a proud country subservient to a larger state" and ends with,"This radical history will help you to understand more about Scotland, from the old clan feuds and border raids to the modern concerns of social justice, democracy and independence." True.

The only omission I regret is that Fallow said nothing about the Hudson's Bay Company sailing out of Stromness on Mainland in the Orkney Islands, that was very important in our Canadian history and the blood of Scots who sailed out of Stromness runs in many Canadians today.

Scotland for Beginners is a reasonably priced paperback, still in print though it could use some updating because it went to press around the time of the 1999 (re-)opening of the Scottish Parliament.

As always useful in a history book, Scotland for Beginners has an index, a chronology, and a list of suggested further reading, as well as a geneology of the kings and queens. And there's a bonus, a list of famous Scots... though it somehow omitted Sir Matthew Baillie Begbie, BC's famous frontier judge and first Chief Justice.

I'm keeping this book, and I'm glad to give it five stars.

Jeff Fallow does good work here. He takes the complex world of Scottish history with all of it's twists, turns, and outrages and makes enjoyable reading for the newly interested.

I read this book over a year ago, and still refer to it from time to time.

If you are interested in Scottish history, and don't know where to begin your studying, try this. At the very least, you will have an instant reference guide and a good place to start.

Scotland is one of the most beautifull countries in the world and this book shows that

I picked up Scotland's Story because I loved Marshall's Our Island Story (about Britain) so much. Like that history, Scotland's Story is a personality-centric history: Each chapter tells the unfolding tale of Scotland through an episode (real or legendary; Marshall always indicates when something is not precisely factual) in the life of a famous Scot. There is just enough fact to educate and just enough fantasy to entice a young mind.

One important caveat: The story of Scotland--and every other nation, no doubt--is rarely one of sweetness and light. This is a story of one battle and war and imprisonment after another. Nevertheless, Marshall never forgets her audience, the upper elementary-aged child (although my 4-year-old has thoroughly enjoyed both Our Island Story and Scotland's Story, with occasional on-the-fly editing from Mommy). Another top pick: Naxos Audiobooks' unabridged Our Island Story on audio CD, surprisingly one of my daughter's favorite listens.

Scotland's Story is simply wonderful! It's an old classic that's finally available again at a reasonable price. Marshall writes for children, and my K- and 2nd grader have loved these stories, but I've been equally enthralled. She begins with legends of the earliest Scots, and becomes more authoritative as she gains the ground of documented events. Read about Macbeth and Macduff, Malcolm Canmore, the beloved William Wallace, Robert the Bruce, all the Jameses, Mary-Queen of Scots, and on up through their Union to England, the last of the Stewarts (a line birthed with a wonderful tale in the early part of the book), and into the 19th century a bit. The chapters are not especially long, but even so are broken up into short sections for quick, easy read-alouds. We're ordering this book, as renewing it from the library is getting tiresome....and it's one we want to add to our library!

This delightful book recounts the history of Scotland in language simple enough for a child to understand and appreciate, yet colourful and detailed enough to provide an accurate and comprehensive treatment of this vast subject. It transports the reader to another world, of mighty rulers, daring knights and heroic princes. It is so riveting that I read it three times in a row when I was seven, and remember it fondly to this day...

The editor of this edition Keith Sagar has selected for it what he says are Lawrence's truly good poems which he reckons as one- hundred fifty of the roughly one- thousand Lawrence wrote. Sagar maintains that Lawrence's special quality as a poet is his emotional realism. And it seems to me undoubtedly true that Lawrence is powerful in his expression of his feeling. But then the question which might be asked is why the lines of Lawrence do not somehow sing in our memory , remain with us as for instance the lines of Keats, Hopkins, Yeats, Wallace Stevens do?
Why is it despite Sagar's objection that the consensus is probably right in seeing Lawrence as primarily a novelist, and only secondarily as a poet?

Here is a fine small poem of Lawrence from this book.

DESIRE IS DEAD
Desire may be dead
and still a man can be
a meeting place for sun and rain
wonder outwaiting pain
as in a wintry tree.

And one more small example.
WHATEVER MAN MAKES
Whatever man makes and makes it live
lives because of the life put into it
A yard of India muslim is alive with Hindu life
Anda Navajo woman, weaving her rug in the pattern of her dream
must run the pattern out in a little break at the end
so that her soul can come out, back to her.

But in the odd pattern, like snake- marks ont he sand it leaves its trail.

Am I wrong to think to think these poems are too prosaic to be the greatest poetry ?

Sagar states in the introduction of this selection of D.H. Lawrence's poetry, "We have come to think of his poetry as something of a by-product of, or relaxation from, other more strenuous and important work". There is no doubt it was to an extent, however, what is clear is that he took it just as seriously as his other artistic pursuits. Casual readers of Lawrence may be surprised to learn that he wrote around 1000 poems in his 45-years. His poetry runs in near-parallel themes to his novels - for example, "Sons and Lovers" character Miriam was inspired by the muse of "Love Poems", Lawrence's' then sweetheart Jessie Chambers. "Sons and Lovers" focused upon the cruelty of love - platonic, romantic, and parental. Lawrence's poems from his "Love Poems" collection, "Cruelty and Love" and "Snap-Dragon" capture the same theme, albeit far more personally.

In this collection we see Lawrence's poetic skills evolve - from young rebel to world-weary mystic. It's his ability to capture emotion so clearly and concisely which is Lawrence's greatest skill. What also shines through in his poetry is a sense of playfulness - take "The Mosquito" as a case example:

"It is your trump,
It is your hateful little trump,
You pointed fiend,
Which shakes my sudden blood to hatred of you:
It is your small, high, hateful bugle in my ear."

The poem is altogether hilarious, depicting Lawrence as a hunter of the tiny yet vicious bug, who evades his every attempt to squash it until he finally, after much effort, succeeds. Much more than this, however, it demonstrates Lawrence's uncanny ability to capture the essence of nature and its creatures, best evidenced in "Snake".

Lawrence's poems are all full of energy and spirit, technically adept, and yet not limited by form. Admittedly some of his work is too personal, leaving the reader alienated, but his successful poetry (mostly presented in this collection) transcends time and culture.

Lawrence wrote nearly 1,000 poems during a short lifetime in which he was also astonishingly prolific in other spheres--fiction, travel writing, essays, criticism, letters and plays. Lawrence was not simply a novelist who dabbled in other forms. His characteristic vision informed everything he wrote, especially his poetry. At three important phases of his life it became the primary channel of his experience and creative energy--the first year of his relationship with Frieda, the two years in Sicily, and the last year of his life. Bringing together the best of his poetry, this volume demonstrates that 'Lawrence is a great poet in every sense including the technical ... The form is the perfect incarnation of the content, the perfect vehicle for the liveliness of thought and feeling, the freshness, and depth of perception, the wit and wisdom he has to offer.' Superb. Without hesitation or reservation, five stars.

Despite the increasing place Hardy's poetry has in the canon of English Literature it seems to me that he falls short of the very first rank. While he has a clanking originality of his own his poetry always seems to me lacking in a deeper soul music and sympathy. Consider one of his most well- known poems, 'Hap'
HAP

If but some vengeful god would call to me
From up the sky, and laugh:"Thou suffering thing,
Know that thy sorrow is my ecstasy,
That thy love's loss is my hate's profiting!"
Then wouldI bear it , clench myself, and die,
Steeled by the sense of ire unmerited;
Half-eased in that a Powerfuller than I
Had willed and meted me the tears I shed.

But not so.How arrives it joy lies slain,
And why unblooms the best hope ever sown?
-Crass Casualty obstructs the sun and rain,
And dicing Time for gladness casts a moan...
These purblind Doomsters had as readily strown
Blisses about my pilgrimage as pain.

This poem centers on a basic Hardy theme, the cruelty of chance and accident which rule the world. Or to say this another way the lack of a traditional caring God who makes order and sense of the world.
While it is true that I am not especially enamored of this idea as basis for one's ultimate world- view my objection to the poem comes for other reasons. I do not think that this kind of abstract explaining is very effective as poetry.I again do not feel its music or deep soulfulness.
Again I may be completely wrong about this.

After the Library of America edition of Robert Frost's poetry, this might be the best collection of poetry there is. Not only is Hardy one of the best poets ever (easily top five in the English language), but Mezey does a great job at putting together this collection. He selects the best of Hardy's poetry and a highly representative selection as well. His introduction is very well written and highly informative. It's like taking a quick class on Hardy. The poems are very much annotated, almost too much, but the notes are at the back of the book, so they are unobtrusive. There is a chronology and Mezey includes a few quotes, some of them quite witty, from Hardy. And all for an affordable price. You really can't beat this, and Hardy is one of those poets that should be on everyone's shelf.

A quick list of my favorite Hardy poems: Hap; Neutral Tones; At a Hasty Wedding; The Last Chrysanthemum; The Darkling Thrush; Mad Judy; The Ruined Maid; The Man He Killed; Channel Firing; Ah, Are You Digging on My Grave?; Without Ceremony; The Haunter; The Voice; His Visitor; She Charged Me; At Tea; Over the Coffin; In the Moonlight; Near Lanivet, 1872; Something Tapped; The Ballet; A Backward Spring; At a Country Fair; A Night in November.

If you are looking for a collection of Hardy's poetry, look no farther than this collection. The Penguin editors have done an incredible job of organizing the dense, complex body of Hardy's work into a very readable collection. This is more than just a simple "Hardy's greatest hits." Yes, there are the standard favorites here, but there is also an impressive collection of the writer's more obscure work. Reading the entire contents of this book is the best way to see the breadth of Hardy's existential and metaphysical angst.

Let me be very clear as to why I give this book a full five stars... it makes Shakespeare's sonnets readily accessible/understandable to the average common reader (which I consider myself to be). This Arden version has become a treasure to me. I have loved W.S.'s sonnets ever since committing #116 (my favorite) to memory a few years ago, but I admit that many of them have left me with one profound thought at the end of the fourteenth line, and that thought is... "huh"? It is truly a sad predicament to be left in such a state of ignorance when Shakespeare is ALWAYS saying something AWESOME! But this book has come closest to a complete cure for me. I am now seldom (if ever) left in the dark by an obscure phrase, line, or context, because the notes on the opposing page are right there to help me through those exact points of difficulty. I unreservedly recommend this affordably priced 3rd Series edited by Katherine Duncan-Jones to any and all sonnet lovers. Let it "give physic" to your ailment.

P.S. It begins with an excellent over 100 page introduction and follows the sonnets with an equally great exposition of "A Lover's Complaint".

This is a nicely bound, low priced volume of Shakespeare's sonnets. But it is more than just that. Each sonnet is on a page by itself with explanatory notes on the facing page. While most of us do not need a spoon-feeding of these wonderful works, we sometimes do come to an abrupt halt at "some in their garments like new-fangled ill", or "sometimes a blusterer that the ruffle knew of court". In the above instances we are talking about fashionable but absurd garments, and a braggart's display. Also, many elisions are changed to modern words (e.g. advised for aduis'd) except where such a change would hinder the flow of the sonnet. There are also over 100 pages of historical and critical comments at the front of the book, which you can read or ignore as you choose.

All in all this is an excellent package of the sonnets with a very useful set of notes. It's great that all of the notes are adjacent to the sonnets, so that you do not have to page back and forth, and that there are no nasty little note reference numbers marring the lines of the sonnets.

This is a nicely bound, low priced volume of Shakespeare's sonnets. But it is more than just that. Each sonnet is on a page by itself with explanatory notes on the facing page. While most of us do not need a spoon-feeding of these wonderful works, we sometimes do come to an abrupt halt at "some in their garments like new-fangled ill", or "sometimes a blusterer that the ruffle knew of court". In the above instances we are talking about fashionable but absurd garments, and a braggart's display. Also, many elisions are changed to modern words (e.g. advised for aduis'd) except where such a change would hinder the flow of the sonnet. There are also over 100 pages of historical and critical comments at the front of the book, which you can read or ignore as you choose.

All in all this is an excellent package of the sonnets with a very useful set of notes. It's great that all of the notes are adjacent to the sonnets, so that you do not have to page back and forth, and that there are no nasty little note reference numbers marring the lines of the sonnets.

This is an outstanding book/monograph on that famously puzzling play of Shakespeare. Best of all is that this introduction to Hamlet includes--however briefly--astute comparisons between dialogue in William Shakespeare's Hamlet and in Samuel Beckett's work in general. That is bound to encourage the student or general reader to make some comparative investigations of his own. And that isn't the only time Cantor makes such an intriguing, sound observation. Shakespeare has a good steward here.

This is the best boook on Hamlet available. No brief post can do it justice. If you are a student of Hamlet, get this book.

This is a great introduction to the play within a Reniassance context. The author does an admirable job in reconstructing the historical and literary contexts surrounding Hamlet. For example, the conflict which the play embodies between classical ideals of heroism and Christian skepticism is well-developed. Overall, this is the best place to begin any study of Hamlet, and it may be all you'll need. The language is clear and concise, in contrast to the pompous jargon-laden prose of so many "post-modern'" critics. Well-written, well-argued, well-informed: one of the best works available on this quintessential Renaissance play.

Wow! A hip National Geographic-type photographer around age 30, Geneva Becker keeps it real. Her sort of misty memories of childhood incidents (including her mother's disappearance) have always mildly haunted her, while she works very hard at her career and drives her Jeep Cherokee all over the country making beautiful photography, expressing her passion. A romantic interest or two, a mysterious Native American man who appears to sort of act as her "grandfather," Geneva's day-to-day issues such as grocery shopping and finding decent things to eat along the highways of the Southwest, coping with the loss of her family, having some bizarre and psychic dreams, and making a trip to discover more about her ancestral roots-- her mother's people-- all come together in this adventure novel that neatly jumps between the past and present, between uninhabited (well, almost!) Canyon de Chelley in Arizona and a little waterside town in Ireland and Geneva's Albuquerque stomping grounds. Fascinating! Well written. Worth your while. I'd compare it to "The DaVinci Code."

What a wonderful book! It provided hours of delightful reading. If you love the American Southwest (like I do), Native American Culture, Shamans and Celtic history, this is a book for you.
I love to wander the deserts of the southwest, taking photographs and enjoying the people and the incredible natural scenery. For this reason, I felt a real kinship with the book's heroine, Geneva.
Geneva is a photographer who is always on one adventure after another that takes her to a variety of locales.
I loved how the author wove the mixture of Native American history and culture together with the Celtic. I also learned tidbits about the Celts I did not know and it whetted my appetite to do additional reading in that area.
I especially liked the novel idea of combining a musical CD with a book of fiction. You can sit and read and listen to Native American flute and be transported to another time and place; and then play an Irish tune and imagine yourself on the Emerald Isle.
Kudos to Ms. Dalton on a book well done.

Dori Dalton takes us on an impressive 2,000-year 10,000-mile journey, where the heroine (Geneva) traverses the confines of time and space, back and forth from current day in the U.S. Southwest to ancient Druid/Celtic epic events in Ireland during the time of the Roman Empire. Geneva, as a modern-day independent-minded woman, provides for us the eyes that enable us to not only understand but also appreciate the mystical world of a Native American shaman as it its thrust into the equally mystical world of an ancient Druid priestess.

If these elements are "your cup of tea" you are in for a real treat. Most importantly, however, even if you are not usually interested by those themes, you are also in for a treat. At the end of the day, they are but the mere carriers of the wave. A very powerful wave, a very powerful story of self-discovery, courage, strength, wisdom, love, the yearning for learning about one's own roots, and maintaining one's own values, integrity and honor in the face of tremendously powerful forces. I said you are in for a treat, because Dalton manages to combine all these elements with the skill of a consummate storyteller. In short, this book has the potential to become a classic!

As if this were not enough, its attached CD, with music which obviously must have been composed expressly to accompany some of the chapters in the book, conjures the emotions and the "feel" of the written word in that uniquely powerful way, which only music can achieve.

Since this is a review, I feel compelled to search for something critical to say. The only comment that comes to mind is that I had wish for a second CD with additional music, ideally with one piece for every chapter. But, that would be icing on the cake. To conclude, go read --and listen to-- it soon, before the movie comes out and robs you of the opportunity to imagine these engaging characters as you see fit.

This book is SO cool! I really liked the way Shannon and her freind Helped Mi Ling. I think the next two books about Shannon will be interesting. I can't wait to read them!

Shannon is a ten year old girl who has just arrived in San Francisco from Ireland. On an errand to Chinatown with her father, she sees a young girl in a window. Who is she? Why is she there? Shannon, with the help of a new friend, is determined to find out.

I thought this book was very well written. Even though I'm a bit too old to be reading it I still enjoyed it. Shannon is an Irish immigrant that has just moved with her family to San Francisco in 1880. Although she misses her old home she soon makes some very good friends, one of them is a girl called Betsy. Shannon's father is a doctor so one day she goes with him to Chinatown so he can get some medical supplies at a Chinese shop that alsp sells pets. Shannon gets off to a bad start with the shopkeeper when she frees some birds in the shop without thinking first. At the shop Shannon sees a Chinese girl in a window who looks sad. This book is very enticing as Shannon and Betsy set out one night to help rescue Le Ming, (the Chinese girl). It turns out that Mr. Wong, the shopkeeper, is most likely part of a gang that sells children as slaves. When Shannon pretends that she has alerted the Constable, he leaves in a hurry. Since Le Ming has no where to go she stays with Shannon's family until there is a court case concerning the kidnapping gang. This is a wonderful book. I really enjoyed it. It's a nice book to read when you don't want to have to feel committed to a book for a long time. You should read it!
Sandy