Story of Ireland
and over one million other books are available for Amazon Kindle .
Learn more
| ||||||||||||||||||
Did you know you can trade in your old books for an Amazon.co.uk Gift Card to spend on the things you want? Plus, get an extra £5 Gift Certificate when you trade in books worth £10 or more before June 30, 2012. Visit the Books Trade-In Store for more details. |
Frequently Bought Together
Product details
|
More About the Author
Product Description
Book Description
An ambitious new one-volume history of Ireland, published to coincide with a landmark series on the BBC presented by Fergal Keane
Product Description
The history of Ireland has traditionally focused on the localized struggles of religious conflict, territoriality and the fight for Home Rule. But from the early Catholic missions into Europe to the embrace of the euro, the real story of Ireland has played out on the larger international stage.
Story of Ireland presents this new take on Irish history, challenging the narrative that has been told for generations and drawing fresh conclusions about the way the Irish have lived. Revisiting the major turning points in Irish history, Neil Hegarty re-examines the accepted stories, challenging long-held myths and looking not only at the dynamics of what happened in Ireland, but also at the role of events abroad. How did Europe's 16th century religious wars inform the incredible violence inflicted on the Irish by the Elizabethans? What was the impact of the French and American revolutions on the Irish nationalist movement? What were the consequences of Ireland's policy of neutrality during the Second World War? Story of Ireland sets out to answer these questions and more, rejecting the introspection that has often characterized Irish history.
Accompanying a landmark series coproduced by the BBC and RTE, and with an introduction by series presenter, Fergal Keane, Story of Ireland is an epic account of Ireland's history for an entire new generation.
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
18 of 19 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
As a history student who has ploughed through many books on Irish history in the course of research, I would say this is a rare, perhaps unique, example of a text that gives you a comprehensive sense of the main currents of Irish history, while still being entertaining to read and easily digestible. Neil Hegarty's style is light and accomplished, making you feel that you are in the company of a writer who not only has the central developments of each major phase of this story at his fingertips, but who is also able to offer reliable, well considered, yet pithy, sometimes witty judgments on the significance of key events and historical actors. A central insight and achievement of this book is the way in which it reveals the simultaneous operation of several different processes and influences in the main phases of Irish history: the divisions within the island itself, and the impact of international forces and transformations. This history forges a new path in offering a way of approaching the 'Irish story' that is not dominated by the teleological account of the progress towards national independence in the Republic, proving at the same time that the complexities of Irish history need not be confined to the intricacies (or the partisanship) of scholarly debate, but can be a fun adventure for the ordinary reader. An ideal introduction to Ireland's past for anyone who has little knowledge of it, and a pleasurable new illumination of familiar territory for those who have some.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Neil Hegarty provides a fresh look at well-trod ground in an engaging and often humorous style. It's impressive that he spans Ireland's history from geological formation to the current financial crisis in a little over 300 pages. While this necessitates skimming the surface of some topics, there's plenty here that may surprise even the dedicated Irish history reader. Although written to accompany the BBC/RTE series, I like the book far better and found it much more informative.
Fergal Keane's intro is dry and seems a bit disconnected from the book's meaty content. I found this also was true in his narration of the accompanying BBC series. There's too much Fergal's personal Ireland for my taste.
Fergal Keane's intro is dry and seems a bit disconnected from the book's meaty content. I found this also was true in his narration of the accompanying BBC series. There's too much Fergal's personal Ireland for my taste.
13 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This book is indeed "The Story of Ireland". Hegarty tells the story in a fluid and accessible way and with wry humour. His command of the material is obvious but he doesn't feel the need to show off his expertise, rather he invites us to share his enjoyment as he takes us through the journey from the 5th century to the present day. This is an excellent overview of Irish history. For anyone new to the subject it is an ideal introduction and to those with some knowledge it will bring some new insights.
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
Was this review helpful?
Let us know
Most Recent Customer Reviews
good one volume history of Ireland
Neil Hegarty takes us through the key events in the development of Ireland, both North and South of the border, from its geological formation to the present. Read more
Published 1 month ago by markr
Informative
I realised from the TV series how ignorant I was of Irish history so decided to buy a book and this had high ratings on Amazon. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Peter
Good but..
Coming from Mayo people who came to Scotland in the 1920's, I really enjoyed the book. The earlier histories are well documented and very interesting to read but the book really... Read more
Published 9 months ago by Rob04
skippy
This book attempts the telling of Ireland's turbulent history over the centuries. It is not an easy voyage reading the story but perhaps puts into some perspective the troubles... Read more
Published 10 months ago by skippy
Story of Ireland
Pretty good - but did it really emphasise the full horror of the Irish experience? Not quite revisionist, but perhaps a teeny touch of whitewash - perhaps to prepare the ground... Read more
Published 10 months ago by Daibhi O Cathain
Compelling Reading
I concur with the plaudits already given by other reviewers. This is certainly the book for anyone interested in an overview of Irish history and who has not already researched... Read more
Published 10 months ago by smiley494
A fresh take on Irish history
In the Story of Ireland Neil Hegarty achieves that rare balance of a highly engaging read and well researched rich, historical content. Read more
Published 12 months ago by darcy tudor
Loved this book
''I found this book immensely enjoyable. Being an Irishman living in England I sometimes forget about where my roots are to the point of forgetting my history. Read more
Published 13 months ago by S. faloon
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
- Books > History > Britain & Ireland > Ireland
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
|
