3/5 Worth the read. It is certainly concise and attempts in earnest to be impartial, but some of the early scholarship is quite dated and proto-British. And there is little to no understanding of Gaelic culture, particularly that which existed before Strongbow's incursions. I suppose this could not be helped given the time period the author was writing in, but still. This is more a short history of Ireland in relation to the United Kingdom and its expansion than of Ireland itself.
This is an older book first written in the 60’s, so it doesn’t go into the period of the Troubles. Nevertheless I found it an excellent analysis of Irish History written without prejudice to any of the protagonists. If you are looking for a concise and very readable account of Irish History I would recommend it very highly.