In a previous life, when Bookworm drove a leaky antique BSA 350, the bible of all do-it-yourself motorcycle mechanics was the Haynes manual. With the Haynes, a screwdriver and vice-grips, you could strip down and rebuild almost any machine. Now Richard P. de Kerbrech and David Hutchings have applied the same formula—cutaway diagrams, detailed drawings, … Read more
Sentiment is not something that one would normally associate with Henry Ford, who once remarked that ‘History is bunk!’ (Readers of a certain age might recall that this was a question—followed by ‘discuss’—on the 1975 honours history Leaving Cert. paper. Did anyone out there actually attempt it?) Yet it was largely sentiment that determined the … Read more
The history of the Irish soldier remains a subject of fascination for both scholars and general readers alike. Recent years have seen a steady growth in the literature on this subject, while the National Museum of Ireland’s ‘Soldiers and Chiefs’ exhibition remains hugely popular. For centuries successive generations of Irishmen have served in foreign armies, … Read more
Bruce Nelson starts his book with a clear statement: ‘this book is about race’. Over 257 pages he describes how Irish nationalists developed their own conception of the Irish race in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. He does this in an enjoyable, well-written and thought-provoking way. Nelson traces how in the nineteenth century … Read more
At first glance, judging by the title, I thought this was a book in the Michael Richter mode, treating Irish history in a wide international spectrum. But it turns out that the world framework in question is for the most part Scotland, Wales and England from the twelfth century onward. In the latter part of … Read more