A Pocket History of Ireland

by Joseph McCullough

Encompassing stories of some of Ireland s best known characters as well as key moments in Ireland s past, this pocket history recalls the country s struggles through dark times, its successes, its people and places. The wealth of Irish culture and tradition is described as well as the key events and people that have shaped the country today.

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Genres: History, Nonfiction, Ireland, Historical, Reference, Travel

256 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[Cinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Succinct guide to Irish history that was very helpful during recent research visit

[Daniel Kukwa · Rating 4 out of 5]

By rights, a book this small shouldn't be a success in trying to tell the story of an entire nation. And yet, it does...and with a terrific and astonishing amount of detail for such a compact work. If you see this on the shelf and think of it as nothing more than a tourist souvenir book, you couldn't be more mistaken. This is the archetype for all works that claim to be concise, informative, and readable.

[Adrian Trujillo · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Pocket History of Ireland is a great short read of the history of Ireland that includes Northern Ireland and Britain. This is the perfect book for someone who wants to learn about the major historical events that transpired in Ireland without reading a huge book. Joseph McCullough writes in understandable English for all ages. This book also includes many illustrations which is always a bonus. I have always been interested in Ireland and I had to pick up this book when I had previously visited Ireland. 🇮🇪

[Poovy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting read especially having visited a lot of the places mentioned. It really helped me understand the rich history, the fight for freedom and hardships. It's also rather honest and describes the bloody and sometimes violent means the Irish also undertook showing us their humanity. Even if you don't visit Ireland, it's still worth reading.

[Leone · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was recommended to me by my tour guide in Ireland. It is wonderfully succinct as it covers the hidStory of the island from the Stone Age to present day. It gave me a much better appreciation for what the people have lived through and also a good understanding of the waves of emigration from Ireland. I read it after my trip but it would have also been a good introduction for those planning a trip to Ireland and Northern Ireland.

[Emilija · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was pretty decent at giving a quick overview of the history of Ireland. It doesn't go into depth or anything beyond surface level, but to introduce people who are vaguely interested in the topic, its a decent book.

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was recently in Ireland and wandered into a bookstore looking for something comprehensive on Irish history and this was a recommended book by staff, and boy, did it hit the mark. A rich and simple narrative of the complex history of Ireland, it was so good! Highly recommended!

[abril ☀️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

que pesats els anglesos

[Mário Rocha · Rating 5 out of 5]

The great and unsettling Irish history is told here as an unforgettable journey.

[Tom Conroy · Rating 5 out of 5]

a fine overview of Irish history, from the ancient times to the 20th century. I read this last year while travelling around the south of Ireland and it helped provide historical context for all of the things I was seeing and experiencing. Its a short read and meant for a quick overview and it serves this purpose very well. But it also lead me to want to go more in depth. Five stars for being engaging, well illustrated and for offering good suggestions for further reading

[Norbert Dąbkowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just as the title says, it is a "Pocket" history of Ireland. I love the diplomatic approach towards the relationship with the British, I would make it even more separatist... so to speak. :-) i enjoyed reading it immensely, it gives inspiration to explore the topic and implies where to look...

Great book to own indeed. :)

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The was a great short recap of the entire Irish history. It is no replacement for a true history book if a true and deep understanding of Ireland's traumatic and bloody past; but, for someone with very limited knowledge on the subject and wants to know more, this book is perfect. Plus, for a book that is solely a history book, I found it very interesting and read the last 56% in one sitting.

[Bonnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

On a recent trip to Ireland I picked up this book at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. During our trip it became apparent that I knew very little About the history of Ireland and I wanted a survey from the earliest inhabitants to today. I learned a lot!

[Carolyn Dawson · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent little book.

[Mary Ellen Woods · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice concise history for someone traveling to Ireland and wanting more than a few pages of overview but nothing too in depth.

[Dan Cohen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not really sure what is the purpose of this book. It's too Noddy and simplified to make the reader feel like they know anything about the subject and it doesn't have any sort of flowing narrative. It feels more like a slightly overgrown children's primer and perhaps that was the intention. I could see myself dipping into it to remind myself of a few bullet points' worth of information on someone whose name I recognise but whose significance I have forgotten - like a miniature encyclopedia.

As for the text, I found it a little simplistic. The history is presented as a series of catastrophes, each seemingly worse than the last. The author does attempt to avoid blaming absolutely everything on England but this attitude peeps through repeatedly. Perhaps this is inevitable.

[Ashley Nicholson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The primary criticism of this book is possibly its greatest strength, it covers a wide range of Irish history, covering the major events and characters required to understand how Ireland came to be the Ireland of today, however in order to do so in such an easily digestible and accessible format, it unfortunately does not delve particularly deeply into many aspects of Irish history. A great starting point, however further reading on the particular topics that interest the reader would definitely be recommended.

[Skye (Skye's Scribblings) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Came across this randomly and decided to binge it to learn about Ireland, which I knew next to nothing about going in (my childhood education was eclectic). Clear and concise with lots of colorful images to bring everything to life, it gave me a good overview of the history and some of the culture without feeling like a textbook. Very glad I read it.

[Danielle Grenier · Rating 5 out of 5]

I fell in love with Ireland during a lovely summer trip and bought this pocket book there. It does what it says on the cover, it helps the reader have a concise understanding of the rich history of this beautiful place. Joseph McCullough did a good job of it.
I will also keep reading pocket books from Gill Publishing. They have an entire selection of pocket books and much more!

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this on a recent trip to Ireland in one of the gift shops and finished reading it on the plane home. On my trip I realized that my knowledge of Irish history was definitely lacking and this gave a very nice overview.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

***An outstanding historical overview***

Bought this during a road trip around Ireland and can honestly say Irish people and their history will never leave me. What a great book about an even greater nation.

[Roberta Rosa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfectly summarized the main points in Irish History. Best souvenir I bought in Ireland

[Geneviève BENDALL-GODQUIN · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent ! Tout savoir sur ce merveilleux pays. Merci frangine!

[Henni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Selvom det er en lille og, giver den et fint indblik i Irlands historie og nogle af nøglepersonerne.

[Ada · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short notes: very readible for somebody who knows nothing about the history of Ireland. Begrippenlijst was wel prettig geweest. Mistte een tijdlijn. Pictures were pretty.

[Lindsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent summary of the most prominent events in Irish history.

[Sonee Singh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short and informative

[Willina Carr · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s short and gets to the point and at the start i loved it, but i felt it needed more detail in the recent years and got a little biased.

[Sara Feldhaus · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was gifted to me and I read it cover to cover

[Kathleen McRae · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well done!