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The Shortest History of Ireland
The captivating story of a small island’s vast history – its struggle, spirit and survival
Galloping from the Ice Age to the present, The Shortest History of Ireland will completely change the way people see the Irish past.
Guiding us through centuries of bitter struggle and fierce resistance, James Hawes charts the importance of Ireland’s links to its real mainland – Europe – and to its exiled children in America. For centuries, Europe provided hope in the face of near-genocidal colonisation – and then Greater Ireland (as it was sometimes called) across the Atlantic took over.
Today, Ireland finds itself in an era of renewal. Bolstered by huge economic growth, a young and growing population and support from both its diaspora and its allies, the nation just has to sidestep the last, toxic wreckage of the British Empire, and its fascinating past will flow into a bright future.
A tale of triumph, tragedy and revival, this is popular history at its thrilling best.
Galloping from the Ice Age to the present, The Shortest History of Ireland will completely change the way people see the Irish past.
Guiding us through centuries of bitter struggle and fierce resistance, James Hawes charts the importance of Ireland’s links to its real mainland – Europe – and to its exiled children in America. For centuries, Europe provided hope in the face of near-genocidal colonisation – and then Greater Ireland (as it was sometimes called) across the Atlantic took over.
Today, Ireland finds itself in an era of renewal. Bolstered by huge economic growth, a young and growing population and support from both its diaspora and its allies, the nation just has to sidestep the last, toxic wreckage of the British Empire, and its fascinating past will flow into a bright future.
A tale of triumph, tragedy and revival, this is popular history at its thrilling best.
363 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 28, 2026
56 people are currently reading
161 people want to read
About the author
James Hawes
37 books81 followersJames Hawes grew up in Gloucestershire, Edinburgh and Shropshire. He took a First in German at Hertford College, Oxford, then did a postgrad theatre studies in Cardiff, Wales. Having failed as an actor, he worked as an English teacher in Spain. In 1985-6 he was in charge of CADW excavations at the now-UNESCO World Heritage site of Blaenavon Ironworks. He took a PhD on Nietzsche and German literature 1900-1914 at University College, London 1987-90, then lectured in German at Maynooth University (Ollscoil Mhá Nuad) in Ireland between 1989 and 1991 before doing so at Sheffield University and Swansea University.
James has published six novels, all with Jonathan Cape. He turned to creative non-fiction with a Kafka anti-biography, Excavating Kafka (2008) which became the subject of a BBC documentary. In 2015, Englanders and Huns was shortlisted for the Paddy Power Political Books of the Year 2015. The Shortest History of Germany, published in May 2017, reached #2 in the Sunday Times bestseller charts in April 2018, being pipped for #1 only by Noah Yuval Harari. The Shortest History of England appeared in October 2020 and reached #4 in the Times bestseller charts in July 2021.
James has reviewed and/or written for every UK broadsheet, on topics from DIY to Prince Philip. His journalistic high-points to date were the cover-story for The New Statesman in September 2017 and the long read The England Delusion in Prospect in August 2021; this was publicly described by Prof Ciaran Martin, CB, founding Chief Executive of the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre, as “a really brilliant essay on the historical origins of UK constitutional tensions”. He has appeared on Radio 4 Today, Channel 4 News, Sky News and GB News.
In 2022, he was “series story consultant” and key on-screen commentator in the eight-part BBC TV series “Art that Made Us”. He also wrote the accompanying book.
His next book will be The Shortest History of Ireland.
James has published six novels, all with Jonathan Cape. He turned to creative non-fiction with a Kafka anti-biography, Excavating Kafka (2008) which became the subject of a BBC documentary. In 2015, Englanders and Huns was shortlisted for the Paddy Power Political Books of the Year 2015. The Shortest History of Germany, published in May 2017, reached #2 in the Sunday Times bestseller charts in April 2018, being pipped for #1 only by Noah Yuval Harari. The Shortest History of England appeared in October 2020 and reached #4 in the Times bestseller charts in July 2021.
James has reviewed and/or written for every UK broadsheet, on topics from DIY to Prince Philip. His journalistic high-points to date were the cover-story for The New Statesman in September 2017 and the long read The England Delusion in Prospect in August 2021; this was publicly described by Prof Ciaran Martin, CB, founding Chief Executive of the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre, as “a really brilliant essay on the historical origins of UK constitutional tensions”. He has appeared on Radio 4 Today, Channel 4 News, Sky News and GB News.
In 2022, he was “series story consultant” and key on-screen commentator in the eight-part BBC TV series “Art that Made Us”. He also wrote the accompanying book.
His next book will be The Shortest History of Ireland.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
May 2, 2026
This is a hyper-partisan book, it talks of "the inevitability of a United Ireland" and how it will be accompanied by the "dissolution of the UK". My excitement at seeing a book about my home island at the front of an English bookshop was quickly turned to disappointment at the pronouncements the English readers will take as fact, this being a history book.
As an Irish catholic I have always found it frustrating how people assume that a UI is the "natural" state of affairs and also that we are being prevented from exorcising our freedom by the oppressive British state and how this is something presumably that I am very upset about. This book only aids that perception.
As an Irish catholic I have always found it frustrating how people assume that a UI is the "natural" state of affairs and also that we are being prevented from exorcising our freedom by the oppressive British state and how this is something presumably that I am very upset about. This book only aids that perception.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Fantastic. A brilliant look at Irish history from an Irish perspective while still respecting its standing in the world. Irish people should absolutely give this a read
May 4, 2026
A short review of The Shortest History of Ireland: The English suck.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews