Ireland Books

Sizzling stories about gay life in the Emerald Isle. These authors have been there and know their stuff! The stories run the gamut from romantic to hot, hot, hot!

I liked reading this book here in America because it revealed that lesbians and gays exist in Ireland and that same-sex encounters in Ireland can be as exciting as anywhere else. The stories about our warrior past are as interesting as the present-day stories of life in Dublin. The writing is excellent and the book has beautiful graphic designs based on our Book of Kells. The stories are about pretty boys, drag queens, and the kind of leathermen and bears who belong to LUBE in Dublin. I'd appreciate a volume 2 for reading on my return trip.

This collection of Irish and Irish-American fiction shocked me because it is so brilliantly written. It's also hot. Finally, the Irish come out of the closet. None of these stories--t'anks be-- are stage Irish stereotypes, and there is no sentimental "How Are Things in Gloccamora"--more like "How Are Things In (Sodom and) Gomorrah." Actually, the sex is tasteful, and so arousing Irish papers probably will not review this book, dismissing it as gay, when in fact it's more Irish than they will admit. The cover photo of famed Irish-Brit brat-pack author PP Hartnett is worth framing. Inside, thumbnail glossaries help the Yankee tourist out-on-the-slum with the bits of history and a couple o' Irish words used. If "Chasing Danny Boy" can be this much fun, then what fun "Catching Danny Boy" could be--only there ain't one, but if there were a sequel, that could be its title. I only wish my experience in Temple Bar in Dublin was what it is in the wonderful title story. And God bless that Irish jewel, Neil Jordan, for supporting this important book--without his name on the cover, I might have missed this collection. I'LL NEVER SING "DANNY BOY" AGAIN WITHOUT THINKING OF THIS BOOK THAT REVEALS THAT SONG'S PANTING SUBTEXT!

Danny Boy loves to be chased. The stories in this collection are wonderful, sensitive, and hot. Celtic storytelling meets gay culture--two things that have never before been between two covers. (Shame on the denial of lesbigay life in modern Irish books like "Finbar's Hotel," "Angela's Ashes," and even "The Oxford Book of Irish Short Stories.") "Chasing Danny Boy" is joyous-fresh reading for any Irish man or woman who feels alone in the closet, as well as for any American Yank who is Irish, or is thinking about traveling to Ireland for a night out in Dublin to look for your lost cousins. Controversial, yes, and for all that all the more fascinating. I couldn't put it down.

Chasing Danny Boy is a wonder of a book!This collection of short stories is that rare thing- the combination of intelligent and steamy.The settings of the stories range from modern Dublin, to the mythic past, including some with Irish-American settings and people. Many aspects of the (now) global gay culture are represented.The characters range in age from late teenagers with other teenagers, to men in their forties. There are decorative sketches at the beginning of each story, and brief biographies of each writer.Every time I re-read this book I am startled again, at how very good it is.

Boston Globe--

" . . . the novel's touch is light, the dialogue funny. Still, the novel is more than merely clever. Ireland treats her characters with tenderness, portraying how they experience the world, and ultimately holding out a note of hope. She wrings meaning from the slightest of gestures . . . Sarah wins our sympathy, as an everywoman seseking, against the odds, a place of safety and comfort."

New York Times Book Review--

" . . . this humor-terror nexus that Ireland so charmingly brings to life."

She's done it again. As in her first novel, Ana Imagined, Ireland's airy writing style is both vivid and thought-provoking. I want to read it again to see what nuggets I may have missed the first time. I found myself laughing out loud at the disjointed and realistic communication between Michael and Sarah. She expertly captures casual banter between husband and wife in a way I've never seen. It provides comic relief against Sarah's insecurities over her husband's past and her sorrow over her ailing friend.

Chatter is a fresh, surprising, inventive page-turner, with witty observations about contemporary life and relationships alternating with darker reflections on politics, morality, and man's inhumanity to man. Terrorist chatter, echoes from the past, overheard conversations, and random bits from TVs and cellphones penetrate Sarah's mind; the swirling (and sometimes hilarious) stream of her consciousness gives us a prickly, smart, sensitive woman coping with a marital crisis in which the mysterious past comes home to roost. The book's got plot, style, sophistication, and class; it's very funny, and also deeply poignant. I loved it.

This is an intelligent, compelling, affecting novel, which is, concurrently, wildly funny. Covering issues far beyond marriage and adultery and the complexities of family and friendship, it explores issues of international import. Joan Didion meets Woody Allen.

Perrin Ireland's latest novel is about a middle aged married woman worried that her husband's long lost daughter will destroy her marriage. I liked the book very much; what started out as ordinary turned into a very compelling take on friendship, family and love as it went along. I liked the way Ireland portrays and push-and-pull of marriage, the way Sarah and Michael's relationship ebbs and flows, and the gentle ways she brings her heroine down to earth. The ending is beautiful and optimistic. The missed connections and unanswered questions add depth as we learn about the characters through both what they want to know and what they don't want to tell. Lots of questions remain unsettled but overall it was a great read and I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a smart page-turner on society and relationships.

I came to this book after reading several books on the Caucusus -- Yo'av Karny's 'Highlanders' (2001) being the best -- and a couple on Chechnya -- Khassan Baiev's memoir 'The Oath' (2004) the most profound of those. Admittedly, I came to Tishkov's work skeptical: he is Russian, after all. For those of us perhaps a little too eager to see local resistances to 'imperial' power and statehood as liberatory struggles, Tishkov engages us in a real marvel of anthropology, teasing apart threads, and questioning assumptions. Like Baiev, albeit in a very different way, Tishkov's professionalism, his belief in the rationalism of the anthropological method, carries this book. It is certainly possible he may have carefully selected and then edited his informants' words, but to what end? Throughout the book I was successively impressed by his unwillingness to engage in "a debate over the truths of who did what during the Chechen war." This is not to say that Tishkov avoids pointed commentaries about either Russian hubris or Chechen entrepreneurial violence, but it is to say that he does a profound job in helping his readers understand the precarious nature of war and peace, especially in a cultural climate where "even the slightest of differences can be used to justify violence."

Tishkov presents a blanced, well researched account of the two Russian-Chechnyan conflicts. Filled with interviews of both Chechnyns and Russians, the book gives a factual account of the war mixed with personal stories of the survivors. Highly reccomended if you want a down the middle view.

This is a very good book about the Chechen War written from the viewpoint of the fighters. Most books on this topic are written by Liberals apologists for terrorism, who sympathise with the rebels and blame Russia for the terrorist acts committed by Chechens. Others are by extreme Conservative Christians who just hate all Muslims. Chechnya went from being a struggle for independence to a Holy Jihad. If you want to hear the real story from the voices of the Chechens, here it is! This book is easier to read then Wolves of Islam, and I reccommend reading both!

Following the tide of change that resulted in the breakup of the Soviet Union, the people of Chechnya proclaimed their independence in November 1991. Inevitably, many events took place between the newly formed nation and the Russian Federation, leading to the invasion of Chechnya by Russian troops in early December of 1994. A conflict that Anatol Lieven, the author of Chechnya: Tombstone Of Russian Power, has referred to as "the greatest epics of colonial resistance of the past century". Thus, for the next ten years, one bloody war after another reduced a thriving country to rubble; the Chechens enduring unimaginable suffering with no end in sight. To date, the struggle for self-determination has somehow, develop into an "Islamic" guerrilla war. Chechnya: Life In A War-Torn Society is not an account of the war; rather it is a reflection on a Chechen society forced into a never-ending, cruel and traumatizing war. The author of this scholarly text, Valery Tishkov, is currently the director of the Institute of Ethnography and Anthropology at the Russian Academy of Sciences. Therefore, his views on the conflict can be deemed authoritative and to some extent, biased.
In the first five chapters, the author seeks for the answer by explaining the historical context of events such as Stalin's atrocious deportation of the Chechens to the lifeless steppes of Kazakhstan during World War II, which the Chechens suffered in silence, undoubtedly created bitterness in their memories. Yet he asserts that it is not a reason for the unending conflict. Nor, according to Tishkov, do ethnic, tribal, or religious disparities explain the tragedy of this war. Tishkov however places the core of the problem in the early stage of Boris Yeltsin's presidency when rivalries between factions paralyzed the operations of the government in dealing with the Chechen crisis. He perceives the bloodshed as the result of unresponsiveness and puzzlements on the Russian leaders when the Chechen crisis first emerged and the reluctance to deal with General Dzhokhar Dudayev, whom the author introduces in chapter six, while the situation is still in control. All through the book, Tishkov observes the first war and its aftermath through the eyes of fifty-four Chechens whom he and his associates interviewed at length. These "informers" have infused his account of the war with an exclusive directness and subtlety. Their recollections offer a distinctive ethnographic description and analysis of the war, the outcome, and what precipitated it.
According to the survivors and Tishkov, the Chechens success in the first war can be attributed to the use of "guerrilla warfare", with tactics such as ambushes and attacks on the enemy's lines of communication which the author of Resisting Rebellion, Anthony J. Joes, stated as one of the vital strategy for insurgents to succeed. Tishkov goes on to express his admiration for the Chechen fighters' ability to overcome the psychological fear and intimidation and master the techniques of guerrilla warfare. Nevertheless, in chapter seven, when they staged and recorded their attacks, Tishkov portrays the exhibitionist behavior of the Chechen fighters as acts of terrorism. The author fails to realize that it is one of the ways that terrorists can get their objectives across to a wider audience. In his book Terror In The Mind Of God: The Global Rise Of Religious Violence, Mark Juergensmeyer, the noted sociologist and the Director of Global and International Studies, explains it as a theater that terrorists use to conduct terror for their audiences whom they are trying to terrorize. Yet, Tishkov fails to mention the atrocities that Russian troops committed on the Chechens that provoked the situation in the first place. On the aspect of religious, from chapter eleven to the rest of the book, Tishkov emphasizes the negative influences of Arab outsiders in the conflict, such as the al-Qaeda terrorist's network, whom he feels is using Chechnya as a stage determined to turn it into another Islamic state similar to the Taliban of Afghanistan. Tishkov's Chechnya: Life In A War-Torn Society is a recommended book since it does not try to venerate or condemn either side of the conflict but to expose how the war-monger parties in both Moscow and Grozny have made the erroneous political decisions that brought war to the Chechens and terrors to the citizens of Russia. Last but not least, the reader of this book must approach it with an open mind and not to form their judgments prematurely. Such as, in the view of some Westerners, the conflict is being about a small brave nation fighting against an imperial monster, or, in the view of Russia, an armed coup d'etat in Chechnya led by General Dudayev, resulting in the rise of an aggressive paramilitary regime that challenged both the Russian state and its armed forces. Nevertheless, it is a conflict that for Russia, according to Joes, who ranks it as one of the most disastrous counterinsurgent experiences on record, with the full implications of which have yet to manifest themselves.

Unlike many other books on Chechnya, this one offers a unique ethnographic account and analysis of this war and of what preceded it. Although very academic, it offers 'direct voices' of Chechens (mostly) that either suffered the war or have escaped it and now live elsewhere. The book does not attempt to glorify or condemn either side but, on the contrary, demonstrates how hawkish parties in both Moscow and Grozny have committed acts of political shortsightedness that dragged the country into war.

While this book is not going to satisfy anyone whose opinion has already been formed, especially anyone who views this conflict in terms of a small brave nation fighting against an imperial monster, it is more scientific and balanced than any other book that exists on this subject in English. It also takes a stab at Western preconcieved notions such as a failure to recognize ethnic cleansing of Chechnya in 1991-94 when the city of Grozny has been cleansed of non-Chechens who were forced to leave the republic or killed, their appartnments having been taken by the militants.

In short, this book will please you if you are looking for a balanced account or if you have an open mind and are not already set in condemning the Russians. After all, these are Chechen voices too.

This book is great for intermediate quilters and those who ready to tackle a log cabin as their next quilt. Mary Ellen's Slap and Sew methodology makes the piecing a breeze. The samples in the book give you idea after idea about how versitile this block really is. I'll be using this book to teach my next quilting class.

Note to Andrea above re yardage: You'll need 1 1-1/2" strip of light and 1 1-1/2" strip of dark, plus a center for each 8" block in the quilt.

Mary Ellen Hopkins really knows her stuff. Learn from her years of experience and helpful advice. For example, she writes about what size logs look best and how many light logs vs. dark logs to use. This book makes reference to her famous book, "It's Okay If You Sit On My Quilt" which I highly recommend too.

Mary Ellen Hopkins tells in her special way how to lay out your log cabin to achieve the look of different quilts which would be more difficult to make. She shows you how to make a variety of star quilts without sweating the triangles. She shows how different colors can make a quilt look unique. I wish there was more help in determining how much fabric is needed, as I am still an amateur at this, but then you can make a scrap quilt!

Want to praise the book and the SELLER. I purchased my LIKE NEW/used book from Lameade and I give the service a five star rating. It was my first time ordering a used book and I can't say enough good things about the transaction.

Mary Ellen Hopkins has directed all her enthusium into this book. Imagine making stars using only strips of material. This book cannot but help to turn your enthusiam on. Start with a one block wallhanging and go on from there. Excellent fun!! Use all your scraps and no cutting triangles, or squares. Only strips and all the same size. I have never had so much fun!

Leprechaun's are tricksters that can't be outsmarted--at least, that's their reputation. Clever Tom knows this when he accidently comes upon one. So, HE'S not going to be fooled by any trickery. And what does Tom want of this tiny fairy-tale-like creature? The pot of gold that every leprechaun has hidden, which he will take and become rich. Even though leprechauns are tricky, they are honest to a fault, and that's what Tom is counting on.

He captures and forces the leprechaun to make a promise about the whereabouts of his hidden treasure. But leprechauns are known for NEVER giving up their pot of gold. How can this honest fairy promise Tom the location of his "loot" and still fool him so he can't find it? Well, as a leprechaun, he is very clever--that's how. You'll enjoy his cleverness!(Beautiful and humorous pictures, too!)

[This is an Irish folk tale picture book suitable as a read-aloud to pre-school through grade 3, or as an independent read for grades 3-5. It is recommended by the School Library Journal.]

A Non-Workbook, Non-Textbook Approach to Teaching Language Arts: Grades 4 Through 8 and Up

If you read the other reviews below, you will see that this is a fun and fabulous little story for kids or anyone who enjoys a good Irish story. What especially struck me was the two pages of "Source Notes" that the author put together at the end of the book. She covers T. Crofton Croker, the collector of many "peasants' stories, ballads, and keens" as well as terms that have been touched upon in the story itself. She gives us some great information on the origin of the tales and names of the little people called leprechanes, lurikeen, logheryman, etc. So, read the story of Tom's run-in with a leprechaun for fun and learn some fun information about leprechauns, too.

My 5 year old son loves this story (me too). We also have the audio tape giving it even more Irish flavor! I recommend the purchase.

Clever Tom is a big hit with my preschool class of 4 year olds. They laugh outloud as Tom is fooled by the leprechaun. Then, when I have finished reading the story, they beg to hear it again and again!

The only thing more fun for St. Patrick's Day is when we have our leprechaun hunt on the playground and find "leprechaun gold" scattered about the yard! The saddest part is trying to find my own copy so I can share it with my grandchildren at home!

Please hurry and find me a copy of the book Amazon!

Tom Fitzpatrick hears a leprechauns tapping in the woods and catches the little man. The leprechaun agrees to show Tom where his golds is hidden in exchange for his freedom. He takes Tom on a long walk over the country-side to an gigantic field of boliuns. He points to a plant and tells Tom that buried under the earth is his pot of gold. Tom marks the plant with his garder and make the leprechaun swear that he will not remove the garder. The little fellow promises not to take off the marker. Tom races home to get his spade as he plans how he will spend the gold. Appon his return he finds EVERY plant marked with an identical garder. He digs under the plant were he thought he put his marker but finds no gold. He digs all night but to no avail. Years pass and Tom tells the story over and over to the children of the village. He always carries his spade so that the NEXT time he catches the leprechaun he will have his forchune made! A wonderful book; it is the illastations that really sell the story. Linda Shute's leprechaun is so lovable and charming you can't help but root for him!

All the reviews here so far were written on the tourist side, not the scholar's. The great merit of this book, in my view, is that it fits both audiences in a very nice manner. Scholars would of course expect a more exhaustive treatment, but it's striking that there are almost no other academic books devoted to the subject of the Colosseum. Many studies on this building and other amphitheatres concentrate on technical, architectural issues, but this book offers concise and clear analyses on social aspects of gladiators, the interpretations of the Colosseum through the ages (a fascinating part!) and other varied issues. Profs. Hopkins and Beard are two leading authorities in Roman History, but their text is lively, fluent, good-humored and very pleasant - I wish all scholars could write like this! Therefore: for specialists, it's not a thorough book, but very welcoming all the same.

As for the occasional interested tourist, as others here have also said, this book is as useful, appealing and enjoyable as it can be. Having been to the Colosseum myself, though, I don't agree with the advice of getting there one hour before it closes (last entrance allowed is at 3PM). Packed crowds of tired tourists with noisy kids are better to be avoided if you want to take your time inside, so get there as early as you can. Also, like the authors, I strongly recommend a visit to the nearby Palatine - but get a good guide, so that you can understand the ruins you're seeing (use Oxford Archeological Guide, Coarelli's book, or even Blue Guide Rome).

This is a scholarly analytic type book that investigates not only the colliseum building itself,but the spectacles that took place inside.The book also describes why the Colliseum was built as well as how it was bulilt.The Colliseum according to my read of the book was an important propoganda and public education tool of the Roman rulers.It showed the populace that not only had Rome conquered,but that all the beasts and "savage peoples" of the world were Roman possesions for amusement.The building may have also served as a warning,"you too could end up here" and was an outlet for high risk takers to make a name and a fortune. Also alot of these gladiatorial spectacles were actually public executions of criminals,the sword of a gladiator maybe no worse than the electric chair or gas chamber!Unfortunately no work on the Colliseum has covered the gambling on an immense scale that must have gone on at these events.For one I have always thought that the Gladiatorial helmet that is always used in movies and art appears awkward. It seems as if the fancy ornate designs and rims would block not just the peripheral view but about every other one as well.The author points out that these helmets that were found in the buried ruins of Pompeii may have actually been "parade helmets",used for the pre-fight spectacle to identify and give status to the Gladiator.In the arena he may have found such a helmet in fact a great disadvantage. That's the kind of research contained in this book.In regard to the wild animal fights the author spends alot of time breaking down and analyzing the industry that was involved in transporting "wild beasts" of all descriptions from various parts of the world. It must have been a great part of Rome's GNP.The author also questions alot of the traditional source material for acounts in regard to the Colliseum and its spectacles.It seems in times past that writers may have been as prone to exaggerations as they are today.You'll leave this book with a good knowledge of "the Games" and realize that alot of them were anything but "fair contests" between men and beasts.Rather alot of stage theatrics and "smoke and mirrors".Could it be that the the Roman popes banned these spectacles not only for the brutality,but because they were just plain boring.In fact these games were continued on well into the Roman Christian era,so there may not have been an initial Christian "moral outrage" when Rome was Christianized under Constantine.Anyway,I got my tickets to my first(and last) game from a scalper who had "copped them" free from a "charity organization"On the final page I seriously believed that the Retiarius Gaius was using steroids,and someone had spilled their greasy nacho cheese on my"Gladius" t-shirt.I also had to move 2 seats over because I believed the man next to me was coming down with a case of "bubonic plaque"That's how real this book is.

This is a rather specialized account of the Colosseum, and any student intending to visit the structure should read it. It debunks some myths about the place, but shows that it is a fascinating world wonder which deserves the attention of all visiting Rome. The research seems impeccable.

Small though it may be, this wonderful book contains a wealth of information on the Colosseum. The authors - scholars in this field - very ably guide the reader along this amazing structure's long journey through the ages up to the present, debunking myths along the way. Although details on the formidable challenges faced by those who built the Colosseum are relatively few, its history and archaeology, as well as snapshots of the lives and times of those who used it and performed in it, more than compensate. Occasionally, the authors challenge the "generally accepted" interpretations of some of the often-sparse archaeological and historical evidence and offer alternative views. Near the end of the book, useful advice for the potential visitor is provided, followed by an extensive bibliography. The writing style is clear, friendly, authoritative and quite lively. This book can be enjoyed by anyone, but especially by those fascinated by ancient history and archaeology.

The Colloseum in Rome is arguably one of the five most famous buildings in the world but there are very few books about it. At least I have found that to be the case, as I have always had a fascination for the place. May this is the macabre side of me coming out. But it is not just the gladiatorial contests and many other blood letting contests that went on including wild animals fighting both humans and one another or the naval battles that were fought there. Yes naval battles, with real ships and the arena flooded with water. I readily admit that I find these interesting and have done for many years.

However the main attraction of the Flavian Amphitheatre, to give it its correct name is its architectural beauty. It is a building that we would be hard pressed to replicate today, even with all the modern building techniques that we now possess. A building that could fill with people and empty at the end of the games quicker than most modern football stadiums. A building that has stood the test of time. It is only vibration and pollution from modern day traffic that is now affecting the building more than the last two thousand years ever have.

A building that had more happening underground than ever happened above ground. Gladiator quarters, infirmaries. Lifts and hoists moved by an intricate network of pulleys and cables, that allowed wild animals to be brought up to the arena level.

This book tells you everything you need to know and more. It is well written And has some illustrations, but these are secondary to the excellent text.

I had the good fortune to take a three-day "cookery" course from Darina Allen at her school in County Cork. She is the Julia Childs of Ireland. The demonstrations were great and then the students got to cook selected recipes the next morning. I recommend this book because it has 1. tested and easy-to-follow recipes. (The school always has students and instructors working from the written recipes.) 2. The Irish specialties, particularly the breads, are wonderful. Ireland is now a "foodies" paradise with hundreds of homemade cheeses and other artisan specialties, superb seafood, and a whole "slow food" movement. This cookbook is in its way a bible to what's going on. It is one you will use again and again.

I am a cookbook addict. Many times I have been asked if I could have only one cookbook what would it be? I never had an answer until I read this book.
So many basic teaching cookbooks focus on mainly american cuisine. I love the global focus of this book, great recipes from many different cultures all with very clear instructions that make it a perfect book for beginners and advanced cooks.

The `ballymaloe cooking school cookbook' by school co-owner and Irish TV cooking show host, Darina Allen is my second volume in my search for the perfect Irish cookbook. As it turns out, this very heavy and long (639 pages) book is much, much more than a book about Irish cooking, as well it should be, since it is comparable to the Culinary Institute of America's textbook, `The New Professional Chef'. That is, it is a general textbook for essentially all styles of European and American cooking, with a tendency to include more Irish recipes than you would expect from a French or Italian cooking textbook. In fact, a quick browse reveals recipes from around the world, many with an attribution to a close Darina Allen friend, such as Marcella Hazan.

When I saw Darina Allen on the old Sara Moulton show, `Cooking Live' on the Food Network, I had no idea that her Ballymaloe Cooking School was so big and well established to support such a comprehensive volume.

Ms. Allen's general tone in this book follows much the same path as the Chez Panisse guru, Alice Waters in that it strongly emphasizes good, fresh ingredients and a philosophy to waste nothing. Even the most lowly scraps can be recycled in the compost heap or the stock pot.

Unlike Ms. Allen's `The Festive Food of Ireland', I am happy to say that these recipes give all their units in an uncluttered and familiar English system of units, such as pounds and ounces, cups, tablespoons and teaspoons. I was just a bit surprised to see Ms. Allen recommend using standard spoons out of the silverware drawer to measure for savory recipes. On one hand, this is brilliantly simple, since a standard teaspoon (5 ml) is a rounded `teaspoon' and an English tablespoon (20 ml) is a rounded soupspoon. One important difference to note here is that the English (and Canadian) tablespoon is 25% larger than the American tablespoon (15 ml).

The book covers a very broad range of subjects, featuring 24 chapters on stocks & soups; appetizers; eggs; rice, other grains, & legumes; pasta and noodles; vegetables; salads; fish & shellfish; poultry; lamb; pork & bacon; beef; variety meats; game; desserts; cheeses; cakes & cookies; breads, scones & pizzas; jams & preserves; breakfast; barbecue; finger foods; drinks; and sauces.

One of the first things that struck me about this book is that it delves into subject which few if any other cooking texts touch, such as shopping, fashion, kitchen safety, and manners at the table. Many of the book's more conventional sections are a bit off. The `cupboard basics' section violates the notion that you should never buy an ingredient unless you have definite plans to use it in a recipe in the next week. Ms. Allen's list includes things such as dried fruit, Carr's Water Biscuits, Nam Pla (fish sauce), Pesto, and Ballymaloe's own brands of Tomato Relish and Jalapeno Relish. I would make pesto myself and I don't anticipate using nam pla, harissa, tortillas, Carr water biscuits, or chorizo in the next month, and maybe not even in the next year. The same general comment can be made of the `essential kitchen equipment' list. I always go back to Madhur Jaffrey's sound advice to simply make the recipes you want and buy for only those recipes. Sooner or later, you will have built up a pantry and assembly of cooking tools to match your personal style.

I do not weigh this too heavily against Ms. Allen, as she also has great advice on what to do if your power fails on your freezer or if you plan to move and are dealing with a full freezer.

Although this is a text for training future professional chefs, many of the classic recipes are remarkably unfussy. The master recipe for chicken stock cooks for only 3-5 hours, and adds all the vegetables at the beginning of the cooking rather than waiting for the last hour. Similarly, the master recipe for the basic omelet only cites one basic kind of French omelet and leaves out at least one of the fussier steps I have heard from various sources. The recipe for scrambled eggs is also not quite as fussy as the classic French method requiring a double boiler (bain marie).

Some techniques are illustrated with a set of photographs illustrating the steps, but these tend to be small and some major techniques are not so illustrated.

True to the author's emphasis on raw materials and the fact that the school has its own farm for vegetables, eggs, and fresh herbs, the introductory paragraphs to each section are rich in advice on how to pick and use raw materials. The introduction to eggs, one of my favorite subjects, is especially good on identifying the best eggs (how long ago was it laid) for each job.

Overall, this is an excellent reference for all sorts of recipes. I happened to check out the recipe for `basic hamburgers' and found a recipe that exactly duplicated my projected improvement over Julia Child's favorite hamburger recipe. Where Miss Julia has us put sautéed garlic and onion sandwiched between two layers of ground meat, Ms. Allen recommends the sautéed savories be mixed in with the ground meat, together with egg. A surprising touch recommends we also wrap it in caul fat, but this is optional.

One thing you will find in this book that you will not find in a CIA tome is a very personable, comradely tone which almost places Ms. Allen at your right hand as you read through the recipes. That means you will have a lot more fun reading this book than you may with a CIA text.

If you are very new to cooking, I highly recommend this as a first cookbook, especially if your ancestry can be traced back to the Emerald Isle! But, this is much, much more than a cookbook of Irish recipes.

I am a professional chef and have reviewed many cookbooks. This cookbook is one of the best I have ever seen and used. I was so impressed by it that I went and attended the 13 week course at the School in Ireland. The recipes are timeless,delicious,and will work every time if followed properly. This is what cooking should be fresh, beautiful, and nutritious.

The recipes are excellent and interesting, the commentary is informative and educational. The emphasis on seasonality is a good reminder of the real growing cycle of food, and the fairly simple treatment of ingredients highlights the flavor of well grown ingredients.

Ever wanted to visit Ireland? Then read this series. Linda Windsor takes you back to old Ireland and her word painting is so amazing that you'll feel like you're there. The action and adventure along with the faith and a bit of romance makes these books fun to read. This 3rd book in The Fires of Gleannmara doesn't let you down. I have never been disappointed with any of Linda Windsor's books and highly recommend them all.

Linda Windsor outdoes herself again in this 3rd book in her series, The Fires of Gleannmara. Keeps you reading until the last page with plot twists, adventure, and romance. Excellent!

If you are looking for ADVENTURE,then this is the book for you. Deirdre is kidnapped by Saxon pirate Alric. They fuss and fight through out the story both wanting their own ways,but in the end realizing that God is in charge of their lives. Linda Windsor has a wonderful balance in writing the spiritual as well as the personal of the characters. Also,don't miss the first two books in this FIRES OF GLEANNMARA series-'Maire & Riona'.

Setting: Seventh Century Ireland and the Northumbrian kingdom of Galstead

Princess Deirdre of Gleannmara is ship bound with a king's ransom on board to rescue her brother Prince Cairell from bondage when a Saxon pirate, Alric of Galstead, captures her. Deirdre dons a priest's robe to conceal her royal identity and hides the legendary sword of her ancestor, King Kieran, under it for safety. The rest of the treasure, she and her companions stow in a wine cask, but things go awry and Deirdre is found out to be a princess.

When Alric discovers her royal cloak with the Glenmora brooch among the ransom meant for Cairell with the same symbols on the cloak that his late mother had made for Alric when she prophesized his earthly kingdom would be won by love, he is shaken. Alric's mother was a Scottish slave whom his father Lambert loved dearly, but his political marriage to the wicked queen Ethlinda made their son Ricbert, a conniving serpent if there ever was one, the rightful heir to Galstead.

Raised in a court of bitterness and deceit, it's no wonder that Alric is so distrustful of everyone but his faithful dog Tor, and his aged nursemaid Abina, and the men who seek their fortune with him at sea. Consumed with a burning ambition, the illegitimate prince feels Deirdre might be the key to the birthright his mother spoke of in the prophecy. With the calculated decision to make her his bride to be, his life is turned in a new direction.

Deirdre is a feisty woman who is used to being in control of those around her and has a very sharp tongue that she isn't afraid of using. She knows she will do whatever she has to do to get her brother safely back and she uses Alric's sudden interest in marriage to achieve this end, enlisting his help in the terms of the wedding contract. Of course Alric has a few terms of his own, but the Lord has a master plan in store for this special pair's destiny and his love is the firm foundation.

This is a beautiful and exciting story of how wonderfully the Lord uses the imperfect to bring about his perfect and everlasting love. DEIRDRE is filled with colorful characters, as well as the emotionally stirring story of Deirdre, a devout woman whose faith in word and deed under the direst of circumstances conquers her conqueror, winning his heart and his trust in her God. Heavenly days, DEIRDRE is not to be missed!

This is one series that I made the mistake of not reading in order. Now I'm not saying that this is a bad thing unless you are like me that should be doing homework and not reading fictional books that are not on your school reading list. The book just refers back to the stories of the Maire and Riona and it made me even more eager to read those two books! :) Seriously though, this story was a really beautiful story and a really cool way of seeing how God can make weird circumstances work to His way. So read this book and check my other reviews!

JP Donleavy may well be the most hilarious writer on the planet. Darcy Dancer is a Bildungsroman about the coming of age of a young, educated member of the landed gentry in Ireland. He learns about love first- and second-hand through the auspices of a broad range of tutors including the brilliant Mr. Arland, a stablehand named Foxy, the sublime Miss Von B, the artist Clarissa, school chums, butlers and Rashers Ronald. Kildare wanders from one total fiasco of his own making to the next from the hunt and the stables to the mansions of the gentry and private schools and Dublin high society. He always emerges through chance and pluck and the kindness of others none the worse for wear and perhaps slightly wiser. What are we to make of this dubious young "gentleman"? As Kildare correctly surmises: "Every madman thinks everyone else is mad." Donleavy writes with a unique pointillism, using words as brush strokes, that is engaging, endearing and even breathtaking as each chapter ends on a brief poetic note, a pithy line of stacked type. The dialogue is outrageously real and human and uproarious. The character development is precise and each character lives and breathes with a separate unique identity that only a supremely talented writer can render so credibly. Having read nearly all his novels, Darcy Dancer is his best: it's truly a well-written, literary comedy. Discover JP Donleavy -- possibly one of the most under-rated and gifted writers of our era. You'll laugh your head off.

Darcy Dancer live's among the Irish aristocracy. This seems to be something of an oxymoron, like jumbo shrimp as the aristocracy is disorderd, drunk and badly behaved. That said, J.P. Donleavy manages to take havoc and add order, excellent writing and a good plot to a fairly slender novel that had me weeping with laughter throughout. His father chasing him through the house, only to crash through a rotted floor to the waist was perfect and only to be outdone by the fox hunt.

This is one of Donleavy's best. It contains everything you could ask for in a book. A tragic love story, meaningless sex, drunken riots, and plain Irish fun. Darcy Dancer is tragic and hilariously funny at the same time. You never know if you will be laughing or crying at the turn of each page.
Read it.

This was the second Donleavy novel I read back in 1980. Since then I have read all of his novels and biographies. This book is also the reason that i stayed at the Shelbourne Hotel.

Full of gratuitous sex, violence drunken ribaldry, indeed it is almost a training manual for students.

It opens the door to positive thinking and instils in one that when things are really bad, they are not as bad as they are going to get, but never give up.

Learn negotiating skills, if a fist in the gob doesn't work, buy your man a drink.

Sex education, from aristocrats, whores, artists, teachers, plebean masses.

In all an excellent life changing book in which Donleavy displays true comic genius and has caused me hours of laughter.

You know - I've always found it odd that the few, the proud, the wierd, who share my literary tastes have never even heard of J.P. Donleavy. While the Ginger Man will always be hard to beat, Destinies isn't far behind. It takes about ten seconds to become hopelessly addicted to Donleavy's style and about five seconds to fall in love with Darcy Dancer and his adventures. Just a wonderful, wonderful novel from one of the most under-appreciated writers of our time.

I really found the book useful, but I wish it had a method to highlight "must see" things better. I was in Dublin for a very short trip and had difficulty combing through the book to figure out what I should prioritize for my limited time. In retrospect, I wish I had purchased the Ireland guide, rather than Dublin, so it would have been easier for me to pick out the key things to see. On second thought, I might not have had the great, detailed maps if I had done that, so maybe I went the right route!

I've had great experiences with Lonely Planet guides in general, though I also love Let's Go. They don't have as many out there, but I buy the Let's Go version if it's available - better info for people on a budget, and lots of great "off the beaten path" suggestions.

I bought this guide and the Rick Steves book to plan my trip to Dublin. Both were very helpful, but I left Rick's book at home because Lonely Planet has GLBT info in it and has better maps. I used the maps a lot, both to find my way and also to get back on track when I got lost. A lot of the prices for things quoted in the book had gone up, but that's to be expected. I highly recommend both Dublin and this guidebook.

As the other reviewers have said, this is a great guidebook. I used it to plan a three-day visit recently. The hotel I chose was exactly as described, and a good choice. Unlike some guidebooks, it has great maps. There are six detailed colored maps in the back of the book, a map of the Dublin Area Regional Transit trains, and numerous smaller maps inside (e.g., maps of walking tours, of Trinity College, of cathedrals). The book is chock-full of interesting and useful info on all the sights of Dublin. In addition, if you want to do day trips out of Dublin, don't assume you need a different all-Ireland guide - there is a section on "excursions" you can do in a day, and instructions on how to get there (public transport, car, organized tour). I will say that one of the tours I took wasn't quite how it was described, but I should probably take that up with the tour company. A few tips: a) for a breathtaking coastal walk, go to Howth. Malahide, another coastal town, wasn't worth the time for me. b) Glendalough is a beautiful park with two big lakes, and to me was worth more time than the organized tour I chose allotted for it.

My wife and I just got back from Ireland and had a great time, in part because of this book. The guesthouse we stayed in, several of the restaurants we visited, and more than a couple of the sites we saw were drawn from its pages. I'm happy to report that its guidance was uniformly spot on. We tend to enjoy simply being in a place, doing things in a low key way and deciding what to do next as we take our time wandering around. This guide was perfect for that, easy to whip out of a bag over lunch or on a street corner, though I suspect that it would be useful for those who prefer to set down itineraries, too.

For what it's worth, this has been our experience with other Lonely Planet guides as well (including those for Ireland and Yellowstone & Grand Teton National Parks).

This sweet, compact guide measures only 7" x 3", but packs a wallop in the info department! Went to Dublin last year, and out of 8 city guides I looked at, this was the ONLY one who had info on Bram Stoker (Dracula's author); his house in an historic landmark, and the author also leads you to his beautiful birth residence!