1014: Brian Boru the Battle for Ireland

by Morgan Llywelyn

"A deftly written history that reads as smoothly as a novel." — Midwest Book Review

In life, the eleventh-century Irish king Brian Boru held the Vikings at bay; in death, he remains a towering presence in history and legend. A thousand years have passed since the Battle of Clontarf, a turning point in Irish history in which two centuries of strife between Irish kings and Vikings climaxed in a fateful conflict in the swamps of Dublin. This fascinating survey explores the personalities on both sides and provides a vivid, accessible account of the historic clash.
Morgan Llywelyn, author of the bestselling Lion of Ireland, ranks among the world's most successful and respected historical novelists writing about Ireland and Celtic culture. With this book she departs from fiction to transmit decades of research into a page-turning exploration of a warrior king's life, loves, and battles, bringing the facts to life with a novelist's eye for detail and drama.

"Llywelyn's account is one of the most readable and dramatic on the subject. She brings the complexities of the Irish chieftain and inheritance systems to life and shows us how decisive the famous battle turned out to be." — Irish Voice

Genres: History, Ireland, Irish Literature, Nonfiction, Medieval, Military Fiction, Biography

ebook

First published January 1, 2014

About the author

Morgan Llywelyn (born 1937) is an American-born Irish author best known for her historical fantasy, historical fiction, and historical non-fiction. Her fiction has received several awards and has sold more than 40 million copies, and she herself is recipient of the 1999 Exceptional Celtic Woman of the Year Award from Celtic Women International.

Reviews

[Char Puttick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative!
I love the way she narrates the information. Makes me think it's a storybook.
History made interesting

[Mark Maguire · Rating 5 out of 5]

Llewelyn has established herself as the Queen of Irish historical fiction the last couple of decades and her prowess with translating sometimes mundane facts into readable and engaging writing pays off in this non fiction historical book of Brian Boru. She draws upon dozens of sources to bring to life a major - and somewhat unknown - event in western history. This tome has shades of Thomas Cahill's work, but she draws on different types of history and cultural touchstones than Cahill tends to do and makes this work her own. Recommended for the historian or the curious. Very accessible.

[Eleanor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel like as an Irish person and a supposed descendent of Brian Boru, it was important for me to read this and learn more about the Ard Rí himself. Definitely a worthwhile book, really shines a lot of context on Ireland at the time and what a powerful force the man was.

Obviously there is contention over what actually occurred with the Battle of Clontarf, given the lack of primary sources and all the reports being written after the fact with lots of magic and mysticism involved (the National Museum of Archaeology basically has a whole exhibit on how it didn't actually really happen). I think though, it's still important for people to know the story as it's told, as the story itself is part of Irish history and identity.

Morgan Llywelyn takes some liberties here and there but it's all in the name of telling a compelling story which I appreciate. There is a lot of backstory provided and at times I was really losing track of all the names and who did what - but overall, glad I read this!

[Steven Sproul · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would rate this book as 3 1/2 stars if Good Reads would let me, the only fault I found in the book is that I wish it would have included more content from the Irish Annals and the Norse Sagas. I really enjoyed that this book highlighted the genius of Brian Boru and the Battle of Clontarf. The battle described in this book is thrilling and epic. I think it would have been a battle of the ages. This part of history should really be turned into a Mini-series on TV.

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent and somewhat interesting book, but written in a very basic style. There's not much detail, in fact it's so simple it feels suitable for teenagers and people who don't usually read.

[Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

good well written book that is easy to read. probably better that being an historical book the author gave a more detached analysis which could then give the reader a more subjective and then stronger feeling toward the subject.!??

[Alec · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been reading and learning about Brian Boru since elementary school but this is my first time reading this book. An excellent introduction and highly recommend it. Check out Morgan Llewelyn’s fiction books as well.

[Sue Reutlinger · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have enjoyed all her books

[Heather G · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very detailed

A very detailed well written book. It was a little more descriptive than it needed to be, making some parts very dry but all in all a good read.

[Noël · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having been, I can picture these places in my mind. Well written. Caiseal na Ri, Cashel of the Kings.

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent.

[Alex Helling · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wow, that was quick. I don’t usually get through books rapidly but managed this one in a day, it is pacey – and it is short (the 244 pages are quite big font, well spaced). Most nations have a significant foundation point, 1066 – the battle of Hastings is England’s, and 1014 – the battle of Clontarf is Ireland’s equivalent. Unlike Hastings where the invaders win in Clontarf the Vikings are defeated. Except, as this book shows, there were Irish and Vikings on both sides. 1014, Brian Boru and the Battle for Ireland by Morgan Llywelyn is a very fast paced and compelling book on Brian Boru’s life, the buildup to and battle of Clontarf. Despite the name the battle itself only takes up about a third of the book – the rest is providing colour by introducing us to the fragmented politics of Ireland of the time, a range of Irish kings and Viking Jarls, and how war was fought.

This was a wonderful read. Despite knowing very little of Irish medieval history I found it easy to get into and then engrossing. You can tell that Llywelyn is a historical novelist as this reads quite like one. There is a clear arc provided by taking the whole of Brian Boru’s life rather than the battle. While not of low status Boru has a considerable rise from a younger sun of a minor chief to high King of Ireland. He works with the Vikings inviting trade rather than always fighting and takes some steps towards unifying Ireland. But ultimately Boru fails to escape the shifting politics of the time, other Irish chiefs and kings as well as Viking Jarls are jealous, and a coalition is built against him which culminates with the Battle of Clontarf.

I felt that the book was building to there being some tactical trick or innovation to win the battle – Boru studying classical warfare is mentioned (p207) but if so he looks to have ignored how the romans fought, they always had reserves, Boru had none. So, I felt a bit cheated when there was no such thing. The actual cause of the Leinster/Viking side breaking is not very well explained – as a seagoing peoples the tide coming in, even a high tide, callusing such panic does not seem to me to be very plausible. And if this is discounted then Clontarf can’t be said to be a very tactically astute battle, a battle of attrition with the Leinster/Viking side ultimately trapped - which could have led to a stand at all costs mentality rather than breaking, so perhaps Boru’s victory was partially luck. Llywelyn briefly suggests a feigned flight (pp232-3) as at Hastings may have been the breakthrough but it would be far harder to take advantage of without cavalry (although Boru did create Irish cavalry (p81) their use in the battle is not mentioned) – in an infantry battle it would just mean both sides shield walls have been breached.

Llywelyn in the introduction points out how little is known about this period of history “Three things are certain: Brian Boru actually lived. A great battle took place in 1014. And Ireland won.” (p14) Considering this I would be interested to know how much of the account is certain fact, what sources attest to for what parts, and what bits are speculative. And unfortunately, on this count the book does badly. AAARGH there are no footnotes! just a bibliography. There are lots of bits where we get quite a detailed description of a scene in an event for example a main antagonist, Sitric Silkbeard’s, journey to build an alliance with Sigurd in Orkney (pp.118-24) including details like Sigurd’s mouth falling open in astonishment which I presume to be taking license making an assumption to build the narrative but could have been mentioned in the sagas. While I don’t have a problem including speculation as it is often justified but it really should be flagged so the reader knows.

This makes it really difficult for me to provide a rating for this book. I loved the writing and narrative yet have really big concerns about not being able to tell what is from sources (which does not mean it is fact!) and what is speculative. As a readable book providing the colour of a period it is clearly a 5. If this were a dry book claiming to be a history I would have thrown it away as a 2 with a barrage of complaints! For consistency with previous ratings I have given when I have concerns about sources it is a 3.

Definitely read if you want an introduction to this period of Irish history. But perhaps best ignored if you are looking for a book to use to jump further into the period and dig into the sources.

[Daniel Welch · Rating 4 out of 5]

A brilliantly insightful book into the Battle of Clontarf, as well as the historic context of the battle. Dispelling common simplistic myths about the battle, Llywelyn reveals that 1014 and Brian Boru's legendary final battle was in fact a nuanced, complex matter - one which had a seismic impact on the the Irish climate, the embers of which can be seen and felt in modern-day Ireland.

Well-researched and intricate, the history is often narrated, almost carrying an air of historic fiction at points - the result is a carefully-woven story, rather than a historic document, and a fresh, engaging account of one of the most pivotal events in Irish history.
I do wish, however, that the book's sources were more closely engaged with, and in particular the Irish Annals and Norse Sagas were scarcely touched upon. Perhaps the narrative style is an intentional move away from traditional nonfiction to make the book more accessible, which is a completely understandable choice of direction, but it would have been nice to see the sources referenced and analysed more rigorously.
Overall, an enjoyable read that will appeal to many people, and one that is easy to recommend to anyone with an interest.

[Lucien Buhr · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was very enjoyable, very easy to read and easy to imagine. Llywelyn did a wonderful job finding a balance of historical accuracy as well as enjoyment of reading. I only deduct 2 stars as, at least in the version I have, there were several typos, as well as the fact that the book truly does not go into too much detail. Just when you are getting to something very interesting the subject is changed. But then again, this is what makes the book so easy to read. It is a very accesible book to even those who may not be so familiar with historical readings. I do recommend this one to just about everyone.

[Phil Schuler · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a history that I was completely ignorant of, now I want to read everything that exists on the topic. Excellently written and presented, it read more like a narrative than a history. In many places, when tired and my bed has been calling me, I kept reading because I had to know what happened next. This is one of those books that I did not want to end. Of course the only remedy is to get as many Llywelyn books as I can get my greedy hands on. I cannot praise this enough.

[T P Kennedy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This wasn't bad and it acted as a very handy revision guide. She provides a wider context very well and it's written concisely. That was the limitation for me. I'd have preferred more information. A more detailed historical account would have interested me whereas the author presents this almost as novel. She infers the intent of the historical actors and draws conclusions from the historical account that may or may not be merited.

[Kevin Burke · Rating 4 out of 5]

A brief yet thorough look at Brian Boru and the Battle of Clontarf. The first half is a biography up to Clontarf, and the second is a retelling of the battle (and the casus belli) itself. It's a relatively light read - not that much has come down through the 1000 years since Clontarf - but what's there is interesting. The political (read tribal) scene in Ireland, the Viking incursions, Boru gaining power, the infamous chess match that started the most famous Irish battle off. The battle is brought to life well, with references to (slightly surprisingly - yet obviously if you stop to think about the Viking connections) the Norse sagas, and Llywelyn continues the story after Boru's infamous evening death to analyse how it may have aided the ultimate English invasion the following century.

Llywelyn is American-Irish, and the little Americanisms irritate when they arise. We're told early on that Ireland is about the size of Maine, which seems a needless comparison to make in a book on a key event in Irish history. Irish names are Anglicised to make them "pronounceable", but transliterations like Duvcholly and Ayvinn in particular grate (there's no v or y in Irish, so they just look silly), as to a lesser extent does the term "Dalcassians". Is this a retelling of Irish history, or an American view of it?

The sources indicate it's almost certainly the former, so they remain relatively minor inconveniences in what's overall a succinct read on a topic that surprisingly little seems to have been written about elsewhere.

[Britta Stumpp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much as I like Llywelyn's fiction, I think she's a MUCH better non-fiction author. Her fiction always suffers from her "telling" and not "showing." Her fiction is very dry and if it were not for my deep fascination for the topics she writes about, I would probably check out of her books. This book however was riveting. I felt like she brought Brian to life far more vividly in 1014 than she did in Lion of Ireland. It's a fantastic book about a larger than life hero of Ireland's past.

[NuNu · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.Morgan Llwelyn has written a very readable account of the great Irish leader Brian Boru. Her presentation of the various important characters involved in the events of the period made for a very enjoyable reading experience.
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[Lauren Chapin karpew · Rating 3 out of 5]

I first read Llwelyn's Emperor of Ireland as a child and fell in love. I was excited to come across another of her works about Boru, but this didn't come close. It felt sporadic until almost at the end, which described the last battle itself. I enjoyed the last few chapters, but it was a tad of too little too late for me.

[Declan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read, read in one sitting. Very interested in a part of Irish history I knew nothing about. The author does a great job making history interesting, looking forward to reading more of her books.

[Kevin O · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author gave a good background of the character, customs, and major players. Too little on the battle itself since there was little written. However,the author did give a novelist color to the book. It was moving at times and I enjoyed the ride.

[Patrick Macke · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a brief, fairly straightforward look at the Ireland of a thousand years ago; it has its moments (Brian Boru is an unknown legend for most of us) but can be paralyzing with names and places ... Like many history books it could use a glossary, perhaps a family tree or two and more maps

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fairly enjoyable read, although it doesn't go into great detail. Think of it as a mere overview of that time, the events leading up to, during, and after the great battle of Clontarf.

[Richard Mulholland · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating, somwqhat speculative account of the Irish king Brian Boru and the Battle of Clontarf.

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book filled a big gap in my knowledge of Ireland. I'm so glad I read it.

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding account of the battle of Clontarf and the reign of Irish King Brian Boru

[Andre · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating account of Brian Boru's life and times and the battle of Clontarf.

[Marty · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun pop history of Brian Boru and the battle of Contarf. Good info on early medieval Ireland and the Viking Kingdoms.

[Ed Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Concise and well written.