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Irish Freedom
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More About the Author
Product Description
Guardian
'A brilliant one-volume history of Ireland.'
Cotemporary Review
'Professor English has given a new way in which to study and understand Irish nationalism and through it, Irish history'
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
15 of 17 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is certainly not a book for someone with just a casual interest in Irish history, and definitely not for someone who is looking for a book to read by the pool on holiday. It's well written, but pretty heavy going - "scholarly" would be a good summing up. There are many books on irish history, covering the what, the how, the when and the who of the last near-thousand years. This is the only one I have found that explains the why. It makes sense of the strength of feeling that has caused many people to act the way they have done, in an accessible and objective way. If you're already knowledgeable about irish history, then this book really puts it in perspective. Very well researched, clearly a labour of love for the author, and a real eye-opener.
17 of 20 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Irish Freedom by Richard English is a remarkable account of Irish history. It is remarkable because it reveals an entirely different perspective on the history of Ireland that, from my personal experience, was not taught to children in Northern Ireland's Protestant schools. I have now learned why the British Union flag is referred to as 'the butcher's apron'!
As a student of political philosophy I was surprised to learn that education was not available to Irish catholics. The implication being that if they were illiterate then their ability to rebel and throw out the foreign oppressor would be severely constrained.
Key to successful English domination of Ireland was in excluding Irish catholics from any of the benefits that would naturally be enjoyed by those within the Pale. Hence, and confusingly to many, the majority of people who figured in the Nationalist struggle were in fact rational Protestants.
In his book Dr. English begins with Irish pre-history and the circumstances of how England became occupiers whose presence was both beneficial & brutal. He goes on to present an excellent exposition of what represents the ideals of Nationalism and how the political responses of an English government, faced with wars in Europe, impacted on the Irish population.
Perhaps the greatest contribution to history, made by Dr English, is in his unravelling of the complicated picture of present day Irish politics and the ongoing resistance to Machiavellian enterprise waged by the British government. He also explains the dilemma faced by the British in either supporting Unionism or handing Ulster back to Ireland.
In closing, may I say that this study of political imperialism is an unbiased account and elucidates both sides of the Irish 'problem'. It is a text that ought to be included in all British school curriculums.
As a student of political philosophy I was surprised to learn that education was not available to Irish catholics. The implication being that if they were illiterate then their ability to rebel and throw out the foreign oppressor would be severely constrained.
Key to successful English domination of Ireland was in excluding Irish catholics from any of the benefits that would naturally be enjoyed by those within the Pale. Hence, and confusingly to many, the majority of people who figured in the Nationalist struggle were in fact rational Protestants.
In his book Dr. English begins with Irish pre-history and the circumstances of how England became occupiers whose presence was both beneficial & brutal. He goes on to present an excellent exposition of what represents the ideals of Nationalism and how the political responses of an English government, faced with wars in Europe, impacted on the Irish population.
Perhaps the greatest contribution to history, made by Dr English, is in his unravelling of the complicated picture of present day Irish politics and the ongoing resistance to Machiavellian enterprise waged by the British government. He also explains the dilemma faced by the British in either supporting Unionism or handing Ulster back to Ireland.
In closing, may I say that this study of political imperialism is an unbiased account and elucidates both sides of the Irish 'problem'. It is a text that ought to be included in all British school curriculums.
10 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is a very well written, very wide ranging history of Irish Nationalism that treats it as a complex subject worthy of detailed analyis.
The author, greatly to his credit, does not attempt to hide the worst features of British rule, even though he ultimately comes down as pro-partition, at least in the sense that he clearly believes that some form of partition was inevitable by 1912. Nor does he over-simplify complex issues, or regard Nationalism as homogenous and unchanging as many other appear to. At the end of this book I felt I had learned an awful lot about the belieefs of Irish Unionists & Nationists, and a lot of the "why?" too.
It's not always an easy read, but repays the effort. It's not perefect - I would have liked more on the Curragh mutiny and the 1920's Boundary Commisison, for example - but no book on such a contentious subject ever will be, so it deserves five stars.
The author, greatly to his credit, does not attempt to hide the worst features of British rule, even though he ultimately comes down as pro-partition, at least in the sense that he clearly believes that some form of partition was inevitable by 1912. Nor does he over-simplify complex issues, or regard Nationalism as homogenous and unchanging as many other appear to. At the end of this book I felt I had learned an awful lot about the belieefs of Irish Unionists & Nationists, and a lot of the "why?" too.
It's not always an easy read, but repays the effort. It's not perefect - I would have liked more on the Curragh mutiny and the 1920's Boundary Commisison, for example - but no book on such a contentious subject ever will be, so it deserves five stars.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Disappointing
I found some conclusions made by Dr. English peculiar. For example States, as fact, that the Catholic/Nationalist grievances of discrimination in Northern Ireland were grossly... Read more
Published 17 months ago by touchtheclouds
Difficult to read, but very informative
A very difficult book to read because it was written by an Oxford don, and you have to have a dictionary at hand for that sole reason. Read more
Published 23 months ago by Mr. Colin J. Adams
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