Seems like appropriate further reading
21 likes
Seems like appropriate further reading
@BethM wow I love it I haven‘t read either of these and I have Say Nothing on my wish list in another book app thank you so much excited to read these I‘m going to start say nothing today and I‘ll let you know what I think when I‘m done these #staycationintimeswap was so much fun thank you @Chrissyreadit and @DinoMom great book swap can‘t wait for the next one
pickDamning account of how the English government suppressed Ireland's economy for centuries, then victim blamed them when the famine happened and mostly refused to help. Lots of quotes from respected English officials expressing anti-Irish and anti-Catholic bigotry and occasionally coming right out and publicly stating the famine was a fortuitous way to bring down the unsustainable population. Good but long and repetitive.
pickI‘ve had this book on my wishlist for a while. “Killing Thatcher” is a very exciting, but still impeccable researched political thriller about the very long plot of killing Prime Minister Thatcher, by the IRA. I highly recommend it if you‘ve ever been to Ireland and/or are interested in Irish history.
Random book from our home library:
📖 The Big Fellow: Michael Collins and the Irish Revolution by Frank O'Connor
2010 review: ★★★★★
Recent acquisition:
📖 Sun Dancing: A Vision of Medieval Ireland by Geoffrey Moorhouse
so-so★★★☆☆
I have a problem with the fact that the Irish were barely mentioned before page 70, that the author's main point didn't emerge until page 183 (this in a book of only 250 pages), and that the final 50 pages of core subject matter felt rushed. Also, the Irish didn't save civilisation in general as the title seems to say - they played a critical role in preserving Greek and Roman writings.
Cahill finally getting to his thesis on page 183:
'While Rome and its ancient empire faded from memory and a new, illiterate Europe rose on its ruins, a vibrant, literary culture was blooming in secret along its Celtic fringe.'
p. 108: 'So Patrick was really a first - the first missionary to barbarians beyond the reach of Roman law. The step he took was in its way as bold as Columbus's, and a thousand times more humane.'
pick★★★★★
? Through Irish Eyes: A Visual Companion to Angela McCourt"s Ireland by David Pritchard, forward by Malachy McCourt
