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Easter Rising: A History from Beginning to End

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Easter Rising In the midst of World War I, the Easter Rising took place in Dublin and throughout Ireland in April, 1916. The revolutionary movement faced many problems from the beginning, including splintered leadership, disorganized support, opposition from moderate supporters of home rule, and prepared retaliation from the British. Inside you will read about... ✓ Background of the Easter Rebellion ✓ Planning the Easter Rising ✓ The Easter Rising Begins ✓ The Easter Rising, Days Two and Three ✓ The Easter Rising, Days Four and Five, and the Easter Rising Across Ireland ✓ The Easter Rising Comes to an End on Saturday ✓ Aftermath of the Easter Rising Even though the rebels did not achieve their ultimate goal of Irish independence, they were successful, because they rallied many more of their countrymen to the cause of independence. The legacy of their bravery and love of country inspired generations of Irish men and women, and helped lead to independence. This is the story of what led to the uprising, the events of the rising, and its impact.

109 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 17, 2016

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Hourly History

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5 stars
137 (34%)
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147 (37%)
3 stars
91 (23%)
2 stars
11 (2%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
Profile Image for Young Kim.
Author 5 books22 followers
July 7, 2023
Informative, but still an incomplete work, therefore a thorough revision/ editing needed

The book starts with a very good entr'/ intr'o-duct'ion.

I mean the Intro does have a good point, but the author better rewrite it anyway due to the poor Engl'ish that disappoints the serious readers.

Informative lines continue throughout pages in the body part'/ port'ion of the book.

The whole Body is definitely en-/ in-form'at-ive and well-pre-sented.

I read the old 2016-Kindle Edition, so the book might have been revised and edited by now, but if not, this is my mid’/ mess’age to the author that the sentences are pretty rough, and so they need to be refined.

Here’s some errors I’ve found and corrected for readers’ sake.

(Kindle Ed., p. 1)
...they did not see the current political situation as worthy of risking their lives, especially since a Home Rule Act—which would allow Ireland to largely govern itself while remaining part of the United Kingdom—was passed and only waiting for the end of World War I to be enacted.

Correction: ...they did not see the current political situation as worthy of risking their lives, especially since the Home Rule Act was passed that would allow Ireland, while remaining part of the United Kingdom, to largely govern itself. As a matter of fact they were just waiting for the World War to be over like the rest of the world.

(Ibid., p. 2)
In terms of casualties, immediate impact, or regime change, the Easter Rising was not drastic, but its eventual effect is immeasurable...

Correction: ...In terms of casualties or immediate impact, the Easter Rising was not as drastic as history’s "successful" risings or revolutions known to us, but its eventual effect was immeasurable...

(Ibid., p. 2)
...Without the Easter Rising, it is not outside the realm of possibility to say that Ireland as we know it today might not exist.

Correction: ...It is true that without the Easter Rising, "Ireland we know today" might not exist.

(Ibid., p. 4)
...and is well recognized as a source of great strife on the island; that it was a factor contributing to the Easter Rebellion should come as no surprise.

Correction: ...and is well recognized as a source of great strife on the island; it was, indeed, one of the factors contributing to the Easter Rebellion as well.

(Ibid., p. 8)
...These plots were almost always less that fifteen acres...

Correction: ...These plots were almost always less "than" fifteen acres...

(Ibid., p. 14)
It is also important to remember that while we can look back at the timing of the Easter Rising and note that it fell right in the middle of World War I, those who participated could not have known that. World War I was unlike any war that Europe or the world had seen in the past...

Correction: It is also important to remember that those who participated in WWI could not have known the Easter Rising as we can look back at the timing of the event and note that it fell right in the middle of the great war...

(Ibid., p. 14)
...By 1916, it had already inflicted unprecedented death and destruction. From the perspective of all involved, including the Irish, it also showed no signs of abetting. Most battles ended in stalemates, and armies were fighting in trenches in order to gain very small advances. What was more, the U.S. did not appear likely to intervene: In 1916, U.S. President Woodrow Wilson was re-elected on a promise to keep America out of the war. From the perspective of those at the time, it probably looked like the war was never-ending...

Does the writer realize that the event happened in 1916? What, the United States of America at the time was already like she is today, the world's no. 1 superpower, and the world was expecting to see an end to the war with her intervention?

(Ibid., p. 22)
...Then, destroy the fort, a formidable symbol of British power in and control over Ireland...

Correction: ...Then, destroy the fort, a formidable symbol of British power and control over Ireland...

(Ibid., p. 26)
Because the British controlled Ireland, presumably, they had an interest in maintaining and preserving infrastructure, despite the high amount of destruction it experienced over the course of the week...

Correction: Nonetheless, the uprising caused serious destruction to many of important infrastructures the British had controlled and, of course, the British didn't want to see further damage to them...

(Ibid., p. 32)
Just as elsewhere in Ireland, the British response—whether from troops or members of the RIC—was harsh. This helped spread anti-British sentiment throughout the country, not just in Dublin...

How many readers the author believed would bother looking up to find out that RIC stood for the Royal Irish Constabulary? What, was this book only written for the experts of Irish history, not for any beginners to the subject?

(Ibid., p. 35)
As people swapped stories and more information was printed in newspapers, it became clear that the British were primarily responsible for this suffering. It was the British who used shells and heavy artillery, and they who used machine guns and armoured vehicles...

Correction: ...and they used machine guns and armoured vehicles...

Lastly, what is this weird, short and “pathetic” two-paragraph conclusion?

The author drew a wrong line between the Body and Conclusion; the book's con-clos'/ clus'ion clearly started in one of the last pages of the Body much earlier than this point.

Nothing to add or deduct, but just move the line, and it will be a gre’at conclusion as it is.

The book’s quality as a complete pr’o-duct is below stand’ard. Nonetheless, it is super informative with many good and fresh points. Once the book’s thoroughly revised and edited, it will be a great addition to the world of hi-stor’y archive.
Profile Image for Thom Swennes.
1,822 reviews58 followers
May 7, 2017
England, and later Britain and Ireland have long shared a tumultuous and turbulent relationship. For centuries, Ireland has parceled out to English (and later British) aristocrats for deeds or services to the crown, with no consideration given to the indigenous population that lived off the land. Representation in the government was only given to land owners and these were further abridged by religious restraints. Roman Catholics, the religion practiced by a vast majority of Irish, were prohibited from holding a seat in parliament.
During the nineteenth century, British landowners adopted a scorched earth policy in regards to their Irish tenants. Rents were raised for the express purpose of ridding the countryside of the people that had occupied it for centuries. Grazing for cattle was deemed easier and more cost efficient that tenants. In the 1840’s to compound the dilemma facing the disenfranchised population, a potato blight ruined crops, causing mass starvation and death. Help or aid from the British government was insufficient or nonexistent. Tens of thousands died and thousands more immigrated to the United States.
In 1914, a Third Home Rule (the two previous Home Rule Bills failed to be passed by Parliament) was passed, becoming The Government of Ireland Act of 1914. This bill would afford Ireland home rule without independence. A stipulation to this bill postpones its implementation until the end of The Great War, now raging in Europe. This was the state of affairs on Monday, April 26, 1916. The protest was primarily staged by citizens opposed to home rule and demanding total independence. A new and growing sense of Gaelic and Irish identity was taking over the populace. Timing may not be everything, but it is something and supporters of Irish Independence thought, with Britain chest-deep in the trenches in France and Belgium, the scales of parliament to accede to their wishes tip in their favor.
The Easter Rising is just one of a series of protests that would tear at the political, social, and religious fabric of Ireland’s and Britain’s core values and life. This narrative provides a peephole view of a long history rife with violence and mistrust.
Profile Image for Anirudh.
299 reviews
October 1, 2017
This is a short summary of events that led to the revolution against the British in Dublin, Ireland, for Irish independence in the year 1916, six years before establishing the Irish Free State.

The book starts giving a background to Ireland’s union with the United Kingdom, which was, in fact voluntary but owing to the British policies in the constituent country, the Irish turned out impoverished and vulnerable and was very badly hit by the potato famine. The book then goes on to talk about the religious divide between Protestants and Catholics, where the former were the elites of the country and they happened to be Unionists while the latter were the majority. Eventually, exploiting Britain’s focus on the First World War, the Irish Volunteers decided to seize the opportunity by launching a rebellion in Dublin against the British forces.

The book started by establishing how a failed revolution doesn’t mean that the revolution has failed, citing how the failure in the Easter Rising laid the foundation towards the independence of the Republic of Ireland. So, it was interesting that in a short book, they were trying to establish a very interesting thought. Additionally, the events leading to the revolution and how the revolution was handled, the various factions, what turned the public sentiment in favour of the volunteers was all documented very well. Considering that this is quite a less known event in other parts of the world outside Europe, the book was highly informative on how the revolution was carried out, how the funds flowed from extended families in the United States and of course and how the revolution was planned.

The only aspect what I felt the book could have touched upon was as to whether the majority of the nationalists wished for pacifist activism or nearly everyone were hoping for an armed revolution someday; the gradual tilt in the society was captured but what was their initial frame of mind, at the juncture of war was hardly done so.

I felt the book satisfied the purpose of imparting history in an hour and is an excellent read. I would award the book a rating of four on five
Profile Image for Donna.
603 reviews
July 25, 2020
A concise "just the facts, ma'am" history of the 1916 Easter Rising, in which a relatively small group of Irish rebels fought to take control of Ireland away from Britain. The violent action, which began on the Monday after Easter and lasted five days, centered mostly in Dublin. While technically not successful, the ultimate effect of the rebellion was to galvanize the Irish people in favor of an independent Irish state and against the British whose response to the rebels was seen as extreme and barbaric. The British killed fifteen rebel leaders by firing squad and jailed more than 1800 people without trial, many of whom were most likely not directly involved. Anyone visiting Dublin today can see the bullet holes in the Dublin Post Office, the rebel headquarters, and the area at Kilmainham Jail where the executions took place.

This is just a peephole into the Irish fight for independence but it does a good job of recreating this particular event, examining its roots, and describing its impact in the larger struggle.
Profile Image for Rainpebble.
34 reviews
May 9, 2019
Easter Rising: A History From Beginning to End by Hourly History; (4*); NONFICTION; kindle; Century of Books; 2016

This is a very short but concise telling of Ireland's beginning push to free themselves from the rule and tyranny of the British.
Easily understood, it tells of the Easter Rising which occurred in Dublin, Ireland in 1916. How a couple of thousand men, women & youth of Ireland held out a week against thousands of British troops. It also tells of how the British executed some of those who had participated in the uprising. No trials were held. They simply were taken out and executed by firing squad.
I found this to be exellent preparatory reading before studying the fight of Ireland's people for their independence from British rule.
Profile Image for Nihal.
198 reviews
April 4, 2021
This book is just a brief introduction to the whole week of the Easter Rising, which is actually a battle fought by the Irish against the British. As a short book, it was good, but it wasn't concise.

When I say 'concise', I mean that it didn't contain all the facts about the battle. This book wasn't like The Battle of the Gettysburg book of the hourly history. In The Battle of Gettysburg book, the author described the places where the battle was fought, how was it fought, and the people. But in this book, it didn't have all the facts, just the place and time.

So I can conclude that this is a short and brief non fiction book about the Easter Rising, but not concise.
Profile Image for Eleanor.
133 reviews60 followers
July 23, 2023
Good short history of the Easter Rising, an important event in Irish History. This easy and quick read provides an overview of what happened, who the major players were and the outcome and results of the rising. This book is really helpful if you want to get a quick understanding of an historical event as preparation to a trip or as a overview of a subject. I found this book helpful in understand the Easter Rising and it's significance during my recent trip to Ireland and recommend it for that purpose.
3 reviews
June 28, 2018
I've been to many of the locations mentioned during the Easter Rising. Since this is a Hourly History it doesn't go into the treatment of the Irish by the English over the centuries that lead to the inevitable uprising. It was the treatment by the English of the Easter Rising rebels & innocent citizens that resulted in the freedom of the Irish from the English rule. This book is a good introduction to the history of the English and Irish struggle.
Profile Image for Madelon.
937 reviews9 followers
October 27, 2019
The history of Ireland is complex. The Easter Rising was an attempt at independence from United Kingdom that lasted six days and occurred during WWI. The Irish rebels were thwarted on several fronts and failed to gain the freedom from British rule that they sought. It was six days the devolved into British barbarism against rebels and civilians alike without consequence. It was the indifference to the suffering of the Irish people that drew more of the Irish into the bloody quest that would continue until the 1990s.

EASTER RISING is by no means a definitive history of the conflict that claimed so many lives on both sides, but it does offer a fair view of both sides where neither were willing to concede. If you are interested in the history of Ireland and its fight for independence, this is a good place to start.
2,339 reviews26 followers
February 2, 2021
This book reminds me of all the lands conquered by the British, that ended up lining the pockets of the rich as they took the land away from the people. How many people ended up struggling to survive, were killed or starved-and after the Easter Rising, how many peaceful people who had nothing to do with the fighting, were either arrested or shot. It really annoyed me when one of the soldiers who had pacifists killed pleaded temporary insanity, then only served 5 years in prison.
Profile Image for Marren.
348 reviews25 followers
September 14, 2017
A short but very easy to follow narrative of the an upraising which changed the future of Irish people. It is a fantastic introduction to the Easter Raising and the issues/ factors which led to Irish frustration of British rule.

I read this piece for an Irish Challenge for a History Goodreads Group
10 reviews
September 19, 2019
Short overview

A very complete but concise review of the most important event in Ireland 's fight for independence. A good place to start but for a more in depth look read Ernie O'Malley 's On another man's wound. It is a first hand account of the fight for independence and the civil war. It is a must read.
Profile Image for Janis.
1,053 reviews4 followers
November 25, 2017
Growing up it seemed like violence in Ulster was on the news every night. It was good to finally get the back story for that Fighting. However, I didn’t get as interested in this one as other books I’ve read in the Hourly History series.
10 reviews
April 7, 2018
Concise and to the appoint

Highly recommended to readers seeking to gain a better understanding of the events pertaining to Easter Sunday and its significance in light of full Irish independence achieved in 1949. Great read.
Profile Image for Bruce.
1,043 reviews1 follower
August 6, 2018
Brief; therefore, difficult to draw any real conclusions. Not one of England's brightest moments, but certainly consistent with their long heavy handed history. The cause of the Irish was probably just, but they Easter Rising was not one of the Irish's brightest moments either.
102 reviews
February 21, 2019
The subject matter of this book in and of itself may not be the most interesting, but it was very well written and I didn't lose interest at any point in reading it.

In my younger days, I remember constantly hearing about the violence in Northern Ireland in the news. Ulster, the Irish Republican Army, and the bombings and other violence between Catholics and Protestants seem to be so routine that you wondered if it would ever end. It was interesting to read about the issues that led up to all of the violence and how the Easter Rising preceded what I heard in the news.
Profile Image for Cheryl Prince.
39 reviews1 follower
May 5, 2019
The facts themselves were very interesting but it felt like there was a lot of opinions (mostly very anti-British) that it left me wondering about where the author is from rather than think about the events that happened.
Profile Image for Ed Barton.
1,303 reviews
August 25, 2019
Important Irish History

The Easter Rising was the final catalyst for Irish independence. This book covers it in enough detail to hit all major players and events, but sort enough to cover it in about 40 minutes. A good and interesting read.
Profile Image for Eileen Carter.
2,042 reviews9 followers
January 4, 2021
Very informative

Very informative with lots of information about why the event happened and whim it effected. There was more information than I had been expecting. The plight of the Irish people was heard throughout this book.
200 reviews
June 22, 2021
Like the other books by Hourly History, this one is great for a quick overview of the subject. For folks who want to know a bit about a person or event---without wading through a thick, dry history book---this series is perfect.
Profile Image for Eva.
11 reviews
February 11, 2022
Some issues but still good.

Maybe I’m just picky as someone from Ireland but there are a few glaring geographical issues (Ulster isn’t a county) but otherwise this is a good summary of the Easter Rising.
4 reviews
August 4, 2025
The effects of unwon rebellions have echos.

A history of a success coming from out to the ashes and example how a small number of seemingly minor events can skew history in. A different direction.
Profile Image for Carla Belkevitz.
4 reviews
June 13, 2017
Very good

Really enjoyed this quick guide to the Easter rising. It's a side of history I feel important to learn about and I glad I started here.
Profile Image for James Atwell.
53 reviews
July 6, 2020
An insightful look at the motivation for Irish independence and a look at their feelings towards the British.
56 reviews
October 29, 2020
Erin go Bragh

Very precise telling of the events that started the path to Irish independence that led to the Irish Civil War.
17 reviews1 follower
November 15, 2020
Know your neighbours “The Irish”

I did not know about the events depicted in this book other than a few vague facts. The brief primer that it has provided has wetted my appetite for more. I will seek out other books to cover more ancient and current Irish history.
Profile Image for RSGillispieJr.
23 reviews1 follower
December 12, 2022
A great insight on Irish History

What a great short book on the History of Ireland. I really enjoyed this book and learned a lot of new things
Profile Image for JediMasterPercy.
135 reviews1 follower
January 27, 2023
Another interesting story I had no idea even happened. Did you know the Irish tried to align with the Germans in world war 1? Fascinating short narrative.
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