All in the blood. A memoir of the Plunkett family, the 1916 Rising and the War of Independence by Geraldine Plunkett Dillon Honor Ó Brolcháin (ed.) (A. A. Farmar, E25) First, I have to declare an interest. Geraldine Plunkett Dillon was my grandmother. I grew up a few houses away from her; I knew her … Read more
Where’s where in Dublin: a directory of historic locations 1913–1923 Joseph Connell (Four Courts Press, ?15pb, ?29.95hb) ISBN 9780946841820This book has been in the making for more than ten years. A decade of research has culminated in an extremely useful compendium to the history of early twentieth-century Ireland. The author is a practising lawyer in … Read more
When Ireland a Nation, a film made in 1914 that centred on the political and military events in Ireland from the late eighteenth century to the Famine, was screened at the Rotunda, Dublin, in January 1918, it was seized by the military authorities after just two days—despite having already received a permit from the press … Read more
The Fenian ideal and Irish nationalism, 1882–1916 M. J. Kelly (Boydell Press, E85) ISBN 1843832046 This book is more a study of Irish nationalist mentalities than it is a political history. Implicit in the author’s approach is the theory that a people’s use of language is the primary factor not only in defining but also … Read more
The War of the World: History’s Age of Hatred Niall Ferguson (Allen Lane, £25) ISBN 9780713997088This book is a tremendous read, thoroughly researched and presented in a style easily followed. Despite often sickening subject-matter, the author holds the reader’s attention. Yet the text raises serious questions that it never answers. It gives facts that do … Read more