Book Reviews – Page 112 – History Ireland

The British Problem, c.1534-1707: State Formation in the Atlantic Archipelago, Brendan Bradshaw and John Morrill (eds.), (MacMillan £42.50 hb, £13.50 pb). Uniting the Kingdom?:The Making of British history, Alexander Grant and Keith J. Stringer (eds

There is a spectre haunting Irish historiography, one more ominous perhaps than revisionism or nationalism—the spectre of the ‘British Problem’, carrying with it the threat of another colonial impulse. Still reeling from Anglocentrism, scholars now have to face Britocentrism. Introducing Paddy and Mr Punch, Roy Foster assured his readers that his focus on English rather … Read more

Cities in Eastern & Western Europe

The third conference of the European Association of Urban Historians was held at the Central European University, Budapest, on 29-31 August 1996 where papers dealt with a variety of aspects of the European city from early modern times to the twentieth century. The key-note speech by Professor Heinz Schilling (Humboldt University, Berlin), delivered in Budapest … Read more

Reflections on the Irish state

Garrett FitzGerald (Irish Academic Press, 332.50) ISBN 0716527758 For good or for bad, intellectuals don’t figure prominently in Irish politics so Garrett FitzGerald can only be regarded as an exception, not only for being one of Fine Gael’s most successful leaders but also for leaving us with an interesting account of his thoughts on the … Read more

Rebellions: memoir, memory and 1798

Tom Dunne (Lilliput Press, 320) ISBN 1843510391 In this ambitious and often deeply personal book, Tom Dunne offers his own perspective on Irish history, on the process of historical commemoration and on current interpretations of the 1798 Rebellion in Wexford. Dunne’s book is divided into three quite distinct parts that might each have formed the … Read more

Harry Boland’s Irish revolution

David Fitzpatrick (Cork University Press, 335) ISBN 1859182224 In writing this biography at the request of Harry’s nephew and namesake Annraoi Ó Beolláin, David Fitzpatrick declared his objective to be ‘a balanced and impartial account of an outstanding life’. With unlimited access to the family archive, it undoubtedly presents an unprecedented wealth of detail. … Read more