This book is based on the script for a television series by Radio Telefís Éireann (RTÉ), broadcast in 1966. The book aims to provide a concise but comprehensive survey of Irish history from prehistoric times to the present day. The revised edition includes a large selection of illustrations from the television series. A different specialist has written each chapter, and the change of emphasis can sometimes be quite noticeable between chapters. Because it covers so many centuries of history, it only has a small amount of information about the years from 1966-94. These years are covered in two chapters which were added in the 1994 edition. However, overall, I think that this book is an excellent introduction to Irish history.