Ireland Books

I bought this for my sister who reports to me this guide is excellent.
Very informative, well laid out and a great guide.

This book gave a great overview and some routes through Ireland via bicycle. As I still have not totally planned my trip, I cannot tell how the recommendations are, but Lonely Planet guides are usually been excellent, in my experience. I wish it had more information on choosing between a guided and a DIY tour, as I am now trying to decide whether to do all the work in carrying luggage, making reservations and finding bikes B&Bs myself, or spending a little extra. It has good information about bicycles and the gear to bring along as well.

Last summer my brother and I went to Ireland. Using this as our only guide we were able to easily get around. The maps were good, the adivce was great, and I'm planning on going back next summer with the same book(unless they release a new edition).

This book seems to be a wonderful portrayal of a Native American family and community and their culture and history. One point that I appreciate is that the author tried to stay true to the Choctaw cultural activities, arts and lifestyle in the beautiful drawings and text. The author did not meld several different tribal cultures together as a homogenous "Native American culture." The message of the book also helps young readers to respect the sacrifices and values of the tribe, as well as to question the way Euro-Americans treated them in the past. A treasured book.

(I got this book in Dublin, Ireland, recently.)

This is a truly delightful book. The drawings are lovingly created and the story is both touching and well written. What makes it even more compelling is that it is based on a wonderful true act of human generosity over 150 years ago, from one impoverished people to another, who, although worlds apart in both distance and cultures, had a common enemy, in hunger and oppression.

The author travelled to Oklahoma to research the book and has gone to great lengths to ensure the drawings are authentic as well as inspiring. I particularly like the drawings of the great-grandmother and indeed,the clever shadow of the American eagle when Choona raises his arms in the final drawing as well as the subtle, celtic symbols to be found in this same drawing. "The Long March" is a must for the millions of us with Irish-American heritage - every Irish American child should read this book!

In 1847 an impoverished displaced group of Choctaw Indians collected from their meager resources the sum of $170 to send toward food relief for the Irish Potato Famine.

Through the memories of Choona, now known as Tom, who is very, very old, we learn of how he, as a young man, at last learned of that part of his family's history about which no one would speak & yet everyone looked so wounded. The Long March, when his people were forced to walk from Florida to Mississippi all through one fearsome, killing winter.

The Long March is rich in American history & memory. The marvelous drawings create a magically real place. This is a must for anyone who loves looking at other ways to live in community; other ways of teaching the spirit to grow & learning about courage, wisdom & respecting the memories.

An amazing book - to be read & read again & again & the pictures to be studied & dreamed over. Beautifully evocative.

This book is a companion to Chartrand's excellent work, Ticonderoga 1758. Both cover the French and Indian war battles in its critical year, the year the British took the initiative.

This book comprises of the background of what was to be Britian's main effort in the Seven Year's War, the seige and subjugation of the fortress Louisbourg. It stood as a bulwark to any British advance to Quebec itself, and it's subjugation was long and hard as a seige could be. This book covers the seige itself day by day as it lasted for at least a month, with each passing day worsening the situation for the desperate French.

Regardless of the British victory, the French inflicted more losses on its foe outnumbering them by many times in part due to simple bravery and resiliance, even if they weren't as professional as the British (evidenced by their very lackluster breakout attempts from the city walls). All in all, a very good by for anybody intrested in the French and Indian war, or a very interesting battle in general. Great maps like any good Osprey, excellent illustrations by artist Patrice Courcelle, and a non-biased and interesting account place this amongst the best of Osprey's.

Rene Chartrand has added a volume on the British siege and capture of Fortress Louisbourg in 1758 to complement his earlier volume on the Battle of Ticonderoga. Together, these two Osprey titles add a wealth of new information and perspectives on these critical campaigns of the French and Indian War.

In Louisbourg 1758, Chartrand provides ample details from both the French and British sides, using several previously un-tapped sources. The result is a thorough account of a very professionally-conducted siege. A complete order of battle, including both ground and naval units, is provided. There is also information on the partisan warfare conducted by the displaced Acadians. Information on casualties on both sides is also provided.

The maps and artwork are excellent, although one minor exception is a map that clearly denotes all the major features within Fortress Louisbourg, such as the gates and bastions. The panoramic photos of the reconstructed Fort Louisbourg are excellent and add great value to this volume.

Chartrand focuses heavily on Brigadier General James Wolfe, perhaps somewhat slighting the other British brigadiers, but this is probably necessary due to the restricted size of the volume. All in all, this volume is a welcome addition for anyone interested in Eighteength Century Siege Warfare or the French and Indian War.

This book follows the Osprey Campaign series format. The 96 page book includes plenty of color & b/w photos, maps, diagrams, portraits of key leaders, and both 18th century and modern sketches of soldiers of various French & English units. There is a detailed order of battle of both land and sea units, plus some very nice 3 dimensional maps of the terrain. Particularly enjoyable were the modern recreations of several events by illustrator Patrice Courcelle.

For those unfamiliar with the Osprey Campaign books, the contents include sections dealing with the origins of the campaign, opposing plans, opposing commanders, opposing armies, the camaign, the siege day by day, the aftermath, and the site today. An index, chronology and suggested further reading, are also included.

Rene Chartrand does an excellent job of telling the story in an even-handed way so the reader can appreciate the strengths and weaknesses of both sides of the conflict. There are some very insightful comments and interesting ancedotes on leaders, troops and the times. The book is very readable.

Louisbourg is a National Park which includes an extensive, although not complete, recreation of the famous fortress-city. For those who can not visit, for reenactors, wargamers, and those interested in the F&I War this would be an good book to have.

The drawbacks are few. Namely the 3-dimensional maps might have been "zoomed-in", some photos of the park could have been of higher quality, and more tourist information should have been given. In spite of these minor shortcomings, LOUISBOURG 1758: WOLFE'S FIRST SIEGE is highly recommended.

The main purpose of this volume is "to explore the nature and construction of the Slavic ethnic identity in the light of the current anthropological research on ethnicity". The author proposes an innovative vision about the archaeological evidence, considering that the ethnic boundaries were marked by items of material culture (features of an "emblemic style" used by an ethnic group in order to be different). The `ethnie' results from the interaction of groups with different emblemic styles. Significant changes in the material culture can thus show what Curta calls "the making of the Slavs": the emergence of a new ethnie. This approach is completely new from all what was written before about the Slavic ethnogenesis.
The sources about the early Slavs are classified in three categories according to the position of their authors: eyewitness, possible contact and second-hand information. The interest of the Byzantine writers was focused on the Slavs only in some periods when they were a real danger. The sources are showing that the inroads occurred when the Danubian limes was weak because the Byzantine army was involved in other wars. A major change took place in the Slavic society around 550-560: the anarchy recorded by Procopius was replaced by war operations commanded by several chiefs whose names were preserved in the further sources. The Byzantine answer to the Slavic threat was the building of three defence lines inside the eastern Balkan provinces. The migration of the Slavs south of the Danube can be dated only since the first years of Heraclius. Only after their settlement, the Byzantine sources recorded several real tribal names, replacing the Byzantine ethnic label that was the generic name Sclavenoi.
Curta examines the Byzantine Balkan region, in order to explain how the classical urbanized society turned into a ruralized one in the period of the Slavic invasions. After a detailed archaeological overview of the main cities in the Balkan provinces, the author concludes that the economic decline occurred because they were not supplied with food from the hinterland. The fortified network established by Justinian fell because the state was not able to support the permanent garrisons of the limes with the central distribution of grain; in the same time, the few number of peasants made impossible a defence based on their service. The withdraw of the Balkan troops in the early years of Heraclius was the natural result of the interruption of the annona taken from Egypt. Therefore, the economic decline and the withdraw of the army from the Danube were not caused by the Slavic invasions; both had internal reasons, remarkably emphasized by Curta.
Objects like amber beads, bow fibulae or pots with stamped decoration are items of two well-defined `emblemic styles' developed by the Gepids and the Lombards. The ethnic identity was constructed on the basis of different types of imported objects with symbolic value bore by elite people (especially by women). The spreading of these objects in different areas matches with the territories inhabited by the Gepids and the Lombards. Aristocratic women, with their garnment, played the main role in the establishment and the transmission of the emblemic style and, as a consequence, of the ethnic identity (they were "symbolic vehicles for the construction of social identities"). The need to emphasize the emblemic style increased in periods of instability and competition between neighboring groups. In this way, Curta finally comes to the making of the early Slavic emblemic style. Like the Gepids or Lombards, the Slavs used specific types of pottery and bow fibulae to construct an emblemic style. This does not means that such objects were genuine Slavic products. Curta argues that the earliest specimens of the so-called "bow fibulae" were found in Mazuria and in Crimea. Their diffusion does not show migrations, but another kind of mobility: "gifts or women married to distant groups in forging alliances" and their function was to express a kind of heraldry displayed on the female dressing. The bow fibulae became a part of the Slavic emblemic style shortly before 600, in the same time with a wider change in the material culture which took place during the climax of the raiding activity of the Slavic rulers.
The individual houses were settled according to a pattern that implied specialized sectors for production or for ceremonies involving food consumption. Food was prepared in ceramic pots, whose shape was determined only by practical reasons. Curta points that the pottery shapes "should be interpreted in relation to food preparation, not to emblemic style". Hundreds of hand-made and wheel-made ceramic vessels belong to the same set of shapes. The pots from the sites ascribed to the Slavs have similar shapes with pieces from Gepidic cemeteries and from Danubian early Byzantine fortresses. If so, the `Prague type', which was defined as the genuine Slavic pottery, is an artificial construct of the archaeologists.
The Lower Danubian settlements are earlier than those from the Zhitomir area (the chronology was established with the aid of the metallic objects, including coins). This contradicts the usual theory of the Slavic migration. In this way, Curta comes to one of his main conclusions: "it appears that instead of a `Slavic culture' originating in a homeland and then spreading to surrounding areas, we should envisage a much broader area of common economic and cultural traditions". This means that large migrations should be replaced with short-distance movements caused by the itinerant agriculture. The population from this wide area became Slavic because acquired an identity during the second half of the 6th century. This identity was expressed through a specific emblemic style defined by bow-fibulae and pottery decorated with finger impressions.
The final chapter deals with the political organization of the early Slavs. Curta applies the anthropological theories on chiefdom, distinguishing between great-men (warriors), big-men (rich men with authority inside their community), and chiefs (rulers of organized polities with control over a group of subjects). The Slavs evolved during the 6th century from a "segmentary society" (lack of hierarchy) to a society ruled by chiefs who fought between them. The emergence of the political organization was the result of the contacts with the Byzantine state. By this military elite the Slavs came into being as a new ethnicity.
The book written by Florin Curta will be a turning point both for the Byzantine and the Slavic studies.

Since both reviewers before me made a detailed review, I would like to interpret the content of this scientificaly very well supported scholar work in a larger context. First of all, I would like to inform/remind future readers that the concept of "Slavic migrations" is a residue of the 19-th century scholarship whose conclusions were "firmly based" on the scarcity of the archaeological material and the "prima facie" interpretation of the mediveal Byzantine texts. Curta uses: much more material artefacts, his common sense and analytical approach to the written material. Consequently, it is no surprise that he comes to the conclusion that there was no "arrival of the Slavs" and there were no "massive Slavic migrations" on the Balkans in the early middle ages. The reader will find it difficult to draw a different conclusion on the basis of the presented evidence in the book.

However, the conclusions of Dr. Curta concerning the Slavic ethnogenesis are supported by at least two more independent streams of scholar work.

The first one comes in a form of recent breakthroughs in the field of genetics. The analyses of genetic founder linages on the populations in the Balkans (and eastern Europe) showed that only 10% of the extant mt DNA genetic pool (maternal ancestry)is of recent date (recent = starting from Metal ages onwards). The rest (90%)of the lineages are from Paleo-Mezo-Neolithic migrations that ceased some 5000 -6000 years before present. Similar results were found for the Y-chromosome lineages (paternal ancestry).

The second stream of scholar work that discards the idea of massive Slavic migrations in the early middle ages is the Theory of continuity of professor Mario Alinei. This theory (which is strongly corroborated by the above mentioned genetic findings)claims that the populations and languages in Europe are more or less geographically autohtonous. On several places in his two volume study ( Il Mulino editions 1996 & 2000) he points out that the idea of recent Slavic migrations is inconsistent and unsupported either by archaeological or linguistic evidence.
(I hope that this extremly important and up to date study will be published in English soon).

Those strong correlations between Curta's and Alinei's evidence and conclusions, on the one side, and the genetic evidence on the other, make a really strong case against the concept of Slavic migrations and offers a much more supported model of the prehistory and history of Balkans.

Seen in this larger context, the content of Dr. Curta's book represents a basic component of the new paradigm that emerges in the scholar work.

We cordially hope that time has come to make significant changes in the elementary school and high school history textbooks which are still based on the interpretations of the 19-th century scholar work.

This is a superb work of scholarship, putting to shame most histories of the Balkans which deal with this time period (e.g., Fine's). Curta smashes modern notions of the Slavic migrations derived mostly through (Byzantine) Roman sources, most of which are purely second hand accounts.

Curta begins with a history of the current thought on the Slavic migrations, influenced primarily by 19th century prejudices and Soviet Union "scholarship" emphasising the reigning hegemony there. He then goes on to offer a critical reading of texts, first those contemporaneous to the period under review, then the centuries immediately following. What's so important is that these readings are truly critical, as opposed to accepting or dismisive: how do these people know what they are writing? All of these texts have value, the argument goes, but they all have different value. What do these texts tell us about their authors?

Curta then reviews the archaeological evidence for the Byzantine-Roman fortifications built along the Danube. He finds Procopius' reports of these forts to be very accurate, but notes a significant absense of evidence that many were destroyed by violence; most were abandonded (and wait until you read his arguments about the coin hordes, a nerd's delight!).

Then Curta reveals the evidence for an actual Slavic culture north of the Danube. What he finds, using distributions of sites and artifacts, correspondence analyses, and cluster analyses, is a complex, well-organized and far-ranging system for the distribution of goods. His tentative conclusion is that this notion of Slav is one, while perhaps taken from a tribe somewhere along the northern border, that is projected onto a heterogeneous group of individuals that have long-ranging relationships from just east of Bavaria to east of Crimea to the Baltic seas! In short, there was no migration as such, they were always there, but had not yet formed this group identity they were given. (He does not deny raids into Byzantine-Roman territory, but who didn't raid their territory?)

What I didn't like: Curta has quite a beef with linguists and tars the entire field in his introduction. Linguists, he claims, have used spurious analyses of the Slavic lexicon to invent a purely fictional Slavic Urheimat (roughly, homeland/place of origin). While this might be true, this sort of folk etymology has little place in modern linguistics. Worse, Curta implies that he doesn't believe that Slavic languages are part of the Indo-European family! Anyone who knows a little of a Slavic language will recognize this as fantasy... Curta doesn't bother to justify his claim. It's hard to know how he would answer for this, particularly given that he doesn't seem especially up to date in linguistics.

But that's not the thrust of the book. The evidence is placed in the archaeology and a truly critical reading of the contemporaneous texts. This is a well substantiated iconoclasm that should be read by every student of European history.

I bought this book to see what was behind the "useless people" remark she made about Mozart and his family. After reading this book, I feel that I know why she made this remark. You will have to read and draw your own conclusion! This book revealed the reasons for some hard decisions made by this remarkable woman and the unbelievable incompetence that surrounded her. After reading this book, you may - or may not like Maria Theresa. I won't go into how I feel, because you may come away completely different. Even though this book is a little old, it is captivating, informative, easy to understand, and you will walk away understanding the history of this woman completely. This is the book to buy if you want to know about Maria Theresa. 338 spell-binding pages. Sorry I don't tell the story of the book in a short review.

If you buy this book, you will find all you need to know about Maria Theresa. Rather than tell the story of the book, I will tell you that the author tells an interesting story that will captivate you. You will be suprised by how she maintained - despite her advisors and family. The author is a little hard on Joesph II. You will come out of this book respecting this woman, but "with eyes wide open", knowing her faults. I originally bought this book to find out what was behind the "useless people" remark she used about the Mozarts. I now know why she said that. Buy this book and discover for yourself. Well worth the money! 338 pages and the book may appear a little old; however, the content is spell-binding!

Maria Theresa is known to some as the empress who hired police to round up prostitutes for "correction" and conducted a nonstop war on vice and excess. True it is that she was a staunch conservative, but she was also a great political survivor. She negotiated two potentially disastrous wars, the War of the Austrian Succession (in which Vienna, and the entire Habsburg Empire almost fell) and the Seven Years War (in which Frederick the Great repeatedly beat Austria's armies), and emerged with her empire weakened, but basically intact. She was complit in the notorious Partitions of Poland, yet in other respects she stood as a bastion against Prussian aggression. Her reign coincided with great contributions to the arts, music and architecture, and her many offspring (including Marie Antoinette) occupied several thrones. Crankshaw's prose style is extremely elegant; few period biographies flow as well as this one. Highly recommended.

David Loades wrote a biography of Queen Mary Tudor fifteen years ago. His earlier work has been revised and looked at afresh in this biography written for National Archives in the UK. His biography has been based primarily on original documents about Mary in the archives - and many of these have been reproduced in this publication as well. Its something that serious historical authors used to do in earlier centuries and its actually welcome to see the practice return as a way of preserving this information if the original is ever lost (and that happened quite a bit).

Loades has come to some unusal conclusions about Mary with a fresh look at her life - but I would also say that this is a very balanced assement of this woman who lived though a bitter divorce and the overthrow of all she loved in her youth. If you have an interest in Mary Tudor this book is one you should pick up.

Bloody Mary

There have been many biographies of Mary Tudor, the British contender against Elizabeth I for the throne of England. History being largely written by the winners, Mary Tudor became notorious for her lethal persecution of the Protestants, her unceasing efforts to deliver Britain to the Catholics, the loss of Calais to the fledgling British empire, and her decades long struggle to gain control of Britain that was to result in years of confinement by Queen Elizabeth and her eventual death at the headsman's axe at an advanced age. In "Mary Tudor: The Tragical History of The First Queen Of England", historian David Loades (Emeritus Professor of History at the University of Wales and an Associate of the Centre for Early Modern History at the University of Oxford) fully explores the dimensions of a complex life in a time of political volatility, religious wars, male domination of government, royal marriages for political advantages, personal devoutness, and a woman who was in many ways stronger than any of the men with whom she associated in her quest for royal power and Catholic supremacy. "Mary Tudor" is an articulate and very highly recommended work of impeccable scholarship that should be a part of every academic library British History & Royal Biography reference collection and supplemental reading list.

David Loades is an authority on Mary Tudor and a fine author. Just a point of clarification on the earlier review, however; the first reviewer confuses Mary Tudor and Mary Stuart, two very different rulers. Mary Tudor was the eldest daughter of Henry VIII and the only surviving child of Catherine of Aragon. She succeeded to the throne in 1553 after her brother Edward VI and died in 1558. She has indeed been criticized for what many consider her overzealous push to return England to Catholicism, but in her defense, she was doing what she thought was right.

On the other hand, Mary Stuart was the cousin of Elizabeth I (who was in turn the younger sister of Mary Tudor and daughter of Anne Boleyn) and was the one ultimately beheaded during Elizabeth I's reign in 1587. It should be noted that Elizabeth I herself was briefly imprisoned by Mary I (Mary Tudor) but was released unharmed.

This is a fascinating period of history and this book is a good starting point to learn more about Mary Tudor's brief and sad reign. Mary Stuart's life is also very interesting and Amazon carries several good biographies on her as well.

You'd expect -- particularly if you read much Dickens -- that this short, personal history would be dim and depressing.

It is anything but that!

While Christy Kenneally may have lived in great poverty of life-style, he didn't life in poverty of love, laughter and joy.

Antics, adventures and affection show through every page, every character and every story.

I loved it!

This book is a heartwarming account of Christy Kenneallys Cork childhood and the tragedy of his mothers death. I would especially recommend this book to any Cork people away from home.

This book is a heartwarming account of Christy Kenneallys Cork childhood and the tragedy of his mothers death. I would especially recommend this book to any Cork people away from home.

An educational and very funny read. The facts are all true, but have been presented in a consistely funny and readable tabloid style. Maps, pictures, and fact boxes (and some very funny ads) support the text. Highly recommended.

I admit it - I'm not a history buff. Although this book is written for children, I couldn't put it down! The format is in a newspaper style, and obviously, the subject is the medieval era. The entire book is nothing but pure fun. It's written in a very easy-to-read format with colorful illustrations. It reads like a three-ring circus with each article and ad competing for your attention. You wonder where to lay your eyes first!

Some titles of articles include, "Becket Kicks Bucket," "Partisians Upset as King Paves Streets," "What's New at the Spanish Inquisition," and "I'm Not Dead!" Insists Corpse" ("Oh yes you are," says priest).

There's an advice column by, (who else, but) Mistress Manners. One medieval reader writes, "I am deeply ashamed. I went last week to a public bathhouse. To my horror I emerged clean and fresh as a daisy. Now everybody shuns me because I do not smell like them, i.e. like an old midden. What can I do to rectify this appalling gaffe? Name and address withheld by request.

Mistress Manners replies, "Dear Peter Parsnip of 32 Castle Lane, Warwick, You have been very improper indeed. As everyone knows, bathhouses are sinks of vice and iniquity, and while it is quite proper to indulge in vice and iniquity it is not done to flaunt the fact by being clean. What you must do it find the smelliest dungheap in town and roll in it. This will restore your normal, socially acceptable stink. In the future, avoid bathhouses at all costs. If you want to wash, may I recommend a thorough scouring with a mixture of mutton fat and wood ash. This is used by the majority of households and will allow you to smell like everyone else.

On a page about superstition, in a quiz that tests how superstitious you are, one of the questions asks:

You come across a wishing well. Do you:

a) Have a drink.
b) Throw in a coin and make a wish.
c) Storm the well, declare it your own, then take out all the money except for one small penny which you attach to a string and drop in and out to make multiple wishes?

The advertising is eye-catching. An example: "Qualified Barbers Wanted Urgently. Do you cut hair? Expand your horizons! A new career awaits you in the world of surgery. You may not realize it, but your barbershop skills entitle you to amputate legs, set broken bones, cure cataracts, drill skulls, fix hernias, and basically, STOP AT NOTHING! Maximize your potential. Become a surgeon, and display your striped pole with pride. Call in at the Royal College of Barbers instantly."

What newspaper would be complete without a personals section? Some examples: "Professional knight seeks dishy damsel. My interests include fighting, arson, fighting, murder, fighting, warfare, battles, sieges, fighting, chainmail, fighting, weaponry, fighting, long walks and cozy evenings by the fire. What are yours?"

"Magnus of Pomerania. Please send another letter. Your last was accidentally eaten in a famine."

My ten-year-old son's favorite part of the book is a question posed to Mistress Manners which tells of a servant in a castle who heard some fighting, walked up to the ramparts, was overcome by vertigo, and accidentally lost his lunch over the edge and onto the attackers. He was horrified by his bad manners and asks what he can do to make amends. The answer left everyone in my household in stitches.

The book is so much fun that we've all read it multiple times. But I must warn you, as you are enjoying the book and laughing, you just may learn something in the process!

This book is part of the Usborne Newspaper Histories Series, which also includes books in a similar style on Egypt, Greece, Rome, the Vikings, and the Stone Age.

This book takes a tabloid look at medieval life. The "articles" present history and daily issues in medieval times in a very funny way. My eleven year old son and I both enjoyed it and learned some things. There is also an Egyptian tabloid that is equally enjoyable.

I am glad that one of Dev's Sons came forward to write about thier father.The book was excellent, but some things needed more explaining, for example, the criticism that Dorothy Macardle leveled at article 41 in the Irish constiution, what was the true meaning of article 41;I think I know, but I would like to have heard it from Terry. And he also needed to explian what article 41 stated. I am also glad to see that Tim Pat Coogan got some of his facts wrong, this makes his work on deValera suspect. The book is a must read for all who admire Eamon deValera. I am also glad to read more about Sinead deValera, she truely was a remarkable Woman.

As the youngest son of the President of Ireland, Terry de Valera experienced first hand the politics and struggles his famous father managed on a daily basis. In this amazing book, the author shares intimate details of Ireland throughout the 20th century. Events leading up to the Easter Rising of
1916, the Civil War of the 1920s, and World War II are thoroughly documented as de Valera weaves a rich and fascinating tapestry of the times. For this information alone the book is priceless, and yet the author gives readers so
much more than simply a lesson in politics.

Born in 1922, the youngest of seven de Valera children, Terry grew up in a very different Ireland than exists today. Charming, chatty anecdotes reveal fascinating tidbits of everyday life in the twenties and thirties when the
atmosphere and standards of Irish society were far removed from what they are today. Formality of dress and social interaction, rudimentary treatments for medical conditions, experiencing death and funerals, and listening to news on the wireless radio are but a few reminiscences adding interest to this book. The author also shares tender memories of childhood
in an unspoiled and undeveloped countryside, as well as his years at Blackrock College. His recollections of rugby games, struggles with Latin, and trips to the confessional enlighten and entertain. But the meat of de Valera's memoir concerns the life and times of his father.

The author clearly states one purpose of his memoir is to correct long held beliefs about his father. For example, Eamon de Valera has been portrayed rather unsympathetically as a man without humor or humanity. Information from those who knew him best proves the one time President of Ireland and the League of Nations to be a man of great strength with passionately held
loyalties and beliefs, a man quick to apologize and forgive.

Through the notes of Terry's mother, Sinead de Valera contributes powerful commentaries about the life she shared with Eamon. She tells of his many imprisonments due to hard stands against British controls of Irish freedoms. Of particular interest were details of their friendship with Michael Collins and why Collins signed the treaty in de Valera's absence. Her notes address in detail the Gaelic League, Sinn Fein, and secret plans the Allies devised
to pressure Ireland into joining them in World War II. I found Mrs. de Valera's contributions to this book to be invaluable.

It's impossible to cover in review the information found in Terry de Valera's memoir. In essence, the author looks back with grace on a long life lived with humor and honesty, providing pieces to a picture of his famous father who was President of an Ireland long gone.

Terry de Valera, the youngest son of Éamon and Sinéad de Valera, was born a few short weeks before the start of the Irish Civil War in June 1922. This book details his recollections of an interesting life as solicitor, and the people he encountered, but concentrates principally on his memories of his parents. Terry de Valera witnessed some of his father's most important actions in his political life, and was in a perfect position to give details that historians will find most interesting.

For example, it has often been said that de Valera refused an offer by Winston Churchill to reunite Ireland in return for the use of Éire's ports during the Second World War; Terry de Valera throws serious doubt on this contention. He also gives insights into his father's views on important Irish and world issues, which is important as Éamon de Valera wasn't given to airing his opinions openly, although it seems that he did when in private.

One of the main reasons for writing the book, according to the author, was the memoir by Sinéad de Valera that Terry persuaded her to write, and which is included almost in its entirety. Sinéad was a children's writer, but was also a language activist and amateur actress before her marriage. In addition, her experiences of the revolutionary period give a good idea of her great courage, and her opinions are also often edifying (for example, her insight on why Michael Collins signed the Treaty).
Terry sets out to correct some erroneous ideas put out in recent times as part of the campaign to undermine Éamon de Valera's reputation. (Many English academics of recent times have painted a misleading and often completely false picture of de Valera and his achievements. For example, I have seen allegations that he admired Mussolini - Terry de Valera shows this is false - that he encouraged the Italian invasion of Abysinnia - also the opposite of the truth - and that he was a terrorist.) In doing so, he gives insights into his parents' personalities, and demonstrates the integrity for which de Valera was internationally known, and which many today try to obscure.

From what he says, he had a happy upbringing, far from the terror that certain biographers have recently suggested that de Valera inspired in his children. (According to these wise men, when de Valera's children praised him, they were in denial.) He also goes into detail about his father's geneaology, into which he did a good deal of research, and lays to rest the old chestnut that his (Éamon's) parents weren't married. This is done convincingly, and I would like to see what de Valera's erstwhile, hostile biographer Tim Pat Coogan has to say to that. (Though I'm not hopeful he'll admit he was wrong.) A very interesting result of his research is that de Valera was related to the famous Spanish writer - and diplomat - Juan Valera.

One may, of course, argue that this is a one-sided account, but the author's obvious strong loyalty and affection for his father is balanced by his meticulousness in details; his statements are convincingly argued.

I read this at a local library, and then went out to buy it. I warmly recommend it to anyone who is interested in recent Irish history or some of its most remarkable figures.

I am a diehard fan of European royal history and I loved this book. It is the first part of the memoirs of a Duke who lived in France during the last years of Louis XIV and during the regency of Duc de Orleans, Louis XV's minority. He is very detailed, telling stories about all of the people at court. Lucy Norton has done a great job of leaving the interesting tidbits in and leaving out the dull, long stories on politics, treaties, etc. I am more interested in biographies and this book was just what I love, you really get to know a lot about court life during this period. This first volume deals with the reign of Louis XIV and all of the intrigues as he is 53-71 years old.

I am a diehard fan of European royal history and I loved this book. It is the first part of the memoirs of a Duke who lived in France during the last years of Louis XIV and during the regency of Duc de Orleans, Louis XV's minority. He is very detailed, telling stories about all of the people at court. Lucy Norton has done a great job of leaving the interesting tidbits in and leaving out the dull, long stories on politics, treaties, etc. I am more interested in biographies and this book was just what I love, you really get to know a lot about court life during this period. This third volume deals with the regency of the Duc d'Oreleans and the coronation of Louis XV.

The Memoirs of the Duc de Saint-Simon is one of those rare books that compel one to pick up a pen and try their own hand at the literary caper. The easy flow of the narrative, and, as the Memoirs progress, his delightful vitriol read as if receiving a letter from a long lost friend. The very fact that Saint-Simon's everyday life revolved around the French court of the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries makes it all the more fascinating for the modern reader. A word of warning - the long-winded French names and the plethora of ever changing titles can get confusing.

There would be few who could not be moved by Saint-Simon's rapturous delight at the defeat of his enemies, where his writing is at its unequalled best. However, by far the greatest strength of these Memoirs is the authors humbleness. Time and again he apologies to his reader for lengthy diversions, and for his inability to handle the material well, yet it cannot be denied that he is the greatest memoir writer to have lived, in all senses of the word. His conclusion, admiting that he can be repetitive and long winded is a tour de force, and we are allowed a knowing smile when we recollect that his pride has so often shone through elsewhere - there is nothing more pleasant to read than the work of a HUMAN author, with all the quirks and failings of our own. The translator's (Lucy Norton) footnotes are extremely helpful without being cumbersome. While the length of the three volumes will alienate many a potential reader, they are well worth any time invested in their perusal.