Ireland Books

Save your money and buy some comic books, you'll get more realistic plot development and characters. The writer has evidently never been inside a real police department or embassy or has any knowledge of how the real world works outside of Dublin pubs.

If you like accuracy and reasonable plots -- forget this. If you wander into mystery to totally escape from the real world, then you might enjoy it.

I will also admit that I did not finish it. After the third or fourth female character was introduced, every one of which was a contender for Miss World, I decided to just trash it.

Cheers,

In a crowded Dublin street, a bomb goes off, killing several innocent people. The police investigation is headed up by detective superintendent Blade Macken, whose personal life is as tattered as the bomb area. Blade quickly learns that the deadly blast was detonated beneath the street, making its trail ice cold because the bomb had to have been planted when the street was dug up several months ago.

However, Blade is soon contacted by the deranged Angel, who tells him more bombs have been planted beneath the city's streets. They will all go off to coincide with the American president's visit if he does not receive $25 million very soon. Blade begins to investigate the case from the one clue the killer did leave in his phone call -- he knew Blade. Looking into his past to try an uncover the identify of a crazed murderer, Blade does not particularly like what he sees about himself and his dysfunctional family. Still, he has a bomber to catch with little time remaining so he must stop his nightly drinking and his introspective outlook to seek out the killer.

ANGEL TAPE is a well written, extremely exciting novel, starring a new anti-hero, performing a heroic task. The story line is action packed and, for the most part, moves forward rapidly. However, Blade's personal life, though needed for a motive, tends to drag the tale a bit. Readers, who enjoy thrillers, should skim through those passages, because overall David Keily has written a remarkably exhilarating police procedural.

Harriet Klausner

"In Valerio's hand, Anita Garibaldi emerges as the courageous but vulnerable woman from southern Brazil, whose singular and precious spirit was caught in the times. 'Anita Garibaldi' is a romance discovered in history's embrace. Valerio creates the Brazilian ethos in its emerald presence as the brillian nerve in Garibaldi's brave but short time. This biography has a texture like a Renoir film, broad and expansive, swimming alog in voluble seas."

--A. Weaver, Simmons College

"Anthony Valerio's genre-crossing biography provides unique insight into Anita Garibaldi's short, glorious life. Valerio writes with a novelist's dedication to character and an historian's dedication to the past."

Janet R. Jacobson, Director, Center for Research on Women, Barnard College

I haven't had time for more than a brief review of both volumes, but since our family from Derrylehan, Donegal, is descended from the O'Daughertaighs of Inshowen, this work is a treasure of infomation of which I have long known but now for the first time have had access to in an excellent translation. I have traced all references to the O'Dohertys in both volumes, but have not yet had time to trace the grandmother's McMahans of Fermanaugh. These books are a big help to anyone wanting to understand the culture of Ireland from the 11th to the 17th century.

A very impressive work, in 2 volumes, hardbound, with four color frontis and the almost forgotten original map of Irish Family locations. The fold out map is about 20 x 25 and is the best of the genre. The Annals by the Four Masters are perhaps the most noted source in Irish history and this was the first translation into English (1846). The formal text is complete from the 12th to the 17th century. In addition, the annotations cover Irish history from the earliest times. We have been waiting for this edition to be published ! (note that Connellans translation preceeded that of O'Donovan.) Helpful index to the old map has been added for the first time. These Annals are in the English language. A few pages have some age markings on them from the original, and it remains a magnificent set of books. All in all, this is one of a kind, with a distinctive color frontis, some celtic lettering, and a map that has been out of print for over 150 years . If you have been waiting for the Annals as we have,
this is a real treat. Connellan, was a leading gaelic scholar, and this first ever translation laid the groundwork for all that would follow in the field.

I stumbled upon this book by chance in a library, opened it, skimmed through the first paragraph, and immediately set myself to the task of reading it in entirety. The writing is clear and concise - Panossian's intelligent prose illuminates the past, without pages and pages of elaboration that one might expect to find in a book that covers roughly 2500 years of history.

It is heavily researched, containing quotes from at least one hundred total sources. Moreover, towards the end of the book, which covers the period from the 1965 commemoration of the Armenian Genocide in Soviet Armenia to the 1988 Nagorno-Kharabagh movement, there are good number of quotes from personal interviews that the author conducted, including several Catholicoses, politicians, and various Armenian ideologues.

The notes to the main text make up roughly one-third of the book and contain some interesting facts. For example, the title "King of Armenia," from the Cilician Kingdom that fell in 1375, eventually passed to the House of Savoy in Italy. That title was proclaimed by the Savoys until 1946, when Italians voted to abolish the monarchy and replace it with a rupublic.

This is an excellent book on Armenian history, with an emphasis on nationalism and what exactly makes a nation a nation.

The book is very well written, but clearly the value of this book lies beyond its readability this is an original piece of work that is complete in the sense that it covers more of the evolution of the "Armenian identity" than meets the eye. For instance the historic fact driven discussions on the Armenian identity goes to the core of the current political issues of modern day Armenia. The book builds a useful bridge between Armenian history, politics and sociology.
If you have ever asked yourself what is an Armenian then you should read this book. I read it twice and it hit me at some point that I was in the process of discovering what it is to be an Armenian.
IMHO the author is fairly balanced and unbiased about Armenian issues.

The First Great conflict of the Reformation era was the German Peasants Revolt,the war was actually not one seamless event,but a series of essentially uncoordinated regional revolts inspired by radical preachers, many peasants bands across southern Germany rose up becoming small armies sometimes with the help of some Landsknechts,disaffected knights and mercenary soldiers, at the end the ill-equipped and the short of mounted men help the Swabian League to suppress the revolt.

Excellent plates by Angus McBride of the Peasant Banners as well of the League,photographs of costume and armour, it's all here,this is a useful addition to the library of anyone interested in the "BUNDSCHUH" conspiracy(the shoe was the symbol of the Rebels),this is a simply wonderful book, small but the content by Mr. Miller is an excellent introduction, this is a most interesting and rewarding read of a less know Revolt of the Renaissance,highly informative.

Related Books "Landsknecht Soldier 1486-1560"(Warrior 49)by John Harald Richards for tactics of the Renaissance are check "Pavia 1525,The Climax of the Italian Wars"(Campaign 44)by Angus Konstam, another one is "The Renaissance At War" by Thomas Arnold is a look into the major conflicts,wars,tactics and a little bit of everything fron the series Cassell's History of Warfare, more campaign books by Osprey treat Renaissance Warfare like "Fornovo 1495,France's Bloody Fighting Retreat"(Campaign 43).

This book is an absorbing summary of an obscure, yet savagely fought series of conflicts fought in the mid 1520's in Germany. As always, Mr. McBride's artwork is top-notch, and depicts the soldiers of both the peasant and Loyalist armies doing battle, as well as the flags of the various participating factions. As with the contemporary Landsknechts, many of the warriors on both sides were known especially for their malice, debauchery, and their colorful (and sometimes grotesque) clothing styles.

For the first time, a team of international researchers (one American and two Russians) brings together the story of the armored units of the White Russians in each battle theater. These are the first color depictions of White armored trains world wide. Tanks and armored cars are also examined as well as their impact on the Russian Civil War. Even here, the authors and artist break fresh ground, providing the first examples of tanks and armored cars not seen before, carefully constructed from period photographs and contemporary descriptions. Amazingly, not one of these armored pieces remains inside Russia today in pristine, or indeed, other form. Dr. Bullock has devoted years of collection toward this topic. Mr. Deryabin, son of a famous Soviet general, is literally the founder of studies involving the White Armies. Mr. Aksenov is Russia's most renowned illustrator of armored subjects. Highly recommended. Superb collection and resell value should this edition ever go out of print. Collectors' item!

There are just too few books on the Russian Civil War for my tastes. This book addresses armored forces in the service of the Whites (and if there are few books on the Civil War there are far fewer on the White cause) and the Allies. French and British models shipped in to Russia before Brest-Litovsk and used to fight the Bolsheviks and their bloody cause.

Though small this book is packed with information and uses lots of rare photos.

If architecture is, as they say, frozen music, this series of books should help thaw the ice. Author Sidra Stich, an art historian and curator, traveled extensively during the preparation of these works. Like all good ideas, this one is simple: assemble photos of an area's great architecture and art sites and put them in a small book suitable for travelers. Intelligent histories bring the subjects to life, particularly for those who appreciate art and architecture but aren't experts. Stich covers the territory comprehensively, finding interesting creations in unlikely places--like the M8 highway between Glasgow and Edinburgh, home to Patricia Leighton's organic sculpture Sawtooth Ramps, and a small herd of grazing sheep who keep the art mowed. The guide offers enough insight to help you immerse yourself in the artistic life of your destination. It details where you can find innovative works by new artists and guides you through more obvious destinations, such as London's new Tate Modern. The first two books in the series deal with Britain (plus Ireland) and France. Japan and Spain are next, and the publisher hopes to cover the globe.

In art-SITES: Britain & Ireland, Sidra Stich provides a compendium of galleries and exhibitions of contemporary art and architecture in a unique, "travel planning friendly" handbook format. Readers will learn all about contemporary trends and ongoing artistic activities, identification of places where one can see the most innovative work by leading and emerging international talents, plus in-depth and detailed commentaries on museums, galleries, exhibition spaces, architecture, film centers, public art, sculpture parks, bookstores and festivals in British and Irish cities ranging from London, Oxford, and Cambridge, to Glasgow, Dublin, and Belfast. If you appreciate modern art and contemporary architecture, don't leave home for a trip to the British isles without your personal copy of art-SITES: Britain & Ireland.

This book distils generations of research and provides up-to-date information.

My only quibble is that the author accepts the art historians' view on the refinements in the Parthenon rather than having presented a practical architectural examination of the building. Otherwise it's a tour de force.

One more thing: don't be put off by the out of focus photograph on the cover.

Jeffrey Hurwit's compelling way of introducing the reader to an Ancient Greek marvel is both fun and informative. You learn anwsers to things you would personally want to know like "Could the average Greek enter the Parthenon?" A great "bread and butter" book to have on hand if you are at all interested in art or architecture.

Atlas of the Irish Rural Landscape has been chosen by the American Conference for Irish Studies as the best book in History/Social Sciences for 1998. Lucy McDiarmid, President, American Conference for Irish Studies

This book explains the Ireland that you are likely to see when you go there. It is a welcome change from the countless "magical/tragical/literary ireland", photography books that are full of pseudo poetic descriptions, photos of freckle faced redhead kids and nuns on bicycles. It demonstrates much of the development of the towns, villages and even the houses in an intelligent and clear manner that explained much even to me, and I lived there for nearly thirty years. It is beautifully illustrated in both maps and photos. If you want a book that is truly informative about the geography and history of the landscape that is also a beautiful to look at you should get this book.

I originally saw these photos on exhibit in Chicago, and couldn't get them out of my mind. So, I bought the book. The photos aren't at all gory, there are no shots of skinny corpses or gruesome remains in ovens. Instead they are photos of every day people. I think that makes them all the more chilling because these are people we can relate to. It's hard to put this book down once you start reading it. The story is fascinating, the photos will haunt you. You can clearly see the looks on the peoples' faces. It's a look of blind terror, the faces of people resigned to their doom. As a reader you know most all of these people will be dead an hour after these photos were taken. It's not light reading but it's one of my most remembered books.

Collaboratively compiled and edited by Israel and Bella Gutterman, The Auschwitz Album: The Story Of A Transport is a chillingly historical, photographic album accurately preserving and presenting the memory of the unspeakable, methodically planned, Nazi genocide perpetrated in World War II which came to be called the Holocaust. Black-and-white images of the Auschwitz concentration camp and transportation thereto, along with a compelling historical overview and commentary, make The Auschwitz Album a sober and seminal contribution to personal, academic, and community library Holocaust Studies reference shelves.