A History of Ireland

by Peter Fry

Peter and Fiona Somerset Fry present here a concise and enjoyable introduction to the history of Ireland. Starting in about 6,000 BC, they cover the neolithic, bronze, and iron ages, describing Irish tombs, artifacts, and buildings; the arrival of Christianity in Ireland; the golden age (500-800 AD.) when Irish scholars were the most renowned in Europe; the great Viking period; the takeover of Ireland by Henry II in 1171; the long and painful association with England; the struggle between Protestant and Catholic, colonial settler and native Irishman; and the fight for independence, achieved by the south in 1921. They take the story up to 1972, when the Northern Ireland parliament was suspended. Peter and Fiona Somerset Fry explain the origins of the present troubles in the north, emphasizing the line of continuity in religious faith and in social organization which still plays a key role in Ireland today. They do not put forward any cut-and-dry solution, but the book ends hopefully, reflecting the authors' faith in the courage and intelligence of the different peoples of Ireland.

Genres: History, Ireland, Nonfiction, European History, Historical

366 pages, Hardcover

First published December 1, 1988

Reviews

[Michael N. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an easy, conversational read but definitely not an in depth study. This is one of those "casual histories" that are so easy to read, give one enough to use as a conversation point, but little more.

[Mary Ellen]

This book provides a brief history of Ireland in 340 pages. It is clearly written and, though footnoted and bibliographed, aims as the everyday reader. Its chief drawback is its age - published in 1988 by Barnes & Noble; a lot has happened since then to make the final chapters rather out of date.

[Peter Harrison · Rating 3 out of 5]

A basic introductory text book of Irish history, which to be fair is what I was looking for when I bought it. The authors come at the subject with a clear assumption that English motives were generally pure - where things go wrong for the Irish it is either the result of individual bad actors or accident rather than the English actively seeking to exploit an oppressed colonial people. The authors also really like Gladstone. But if you approach it with a critical eye, covers the basic overview of Irish history.

[Colleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Readable history of Ireland. It stops in the 70's so can't focus on present. Worth reading

[Anthony · Rating 3 out of 5]

A SHORT history of Ireland covering about 8,000 years in 340 pages!

Not exactly packed with details, but it's indexed and has enough references and descriptions of key people and events to provide a good starting point for further reading. My edition was published in 1993 by Barnes & Noble and it doesn't appear to have been updated since the first edition in 1988; it still ends in the early 70's, with no updates on the modern "Troubles" in Northern Ireland. If your interest is in anything later than the 60's, you need to look elsewhere.

[CD · Rating 2 out of 5]

This history of the green isle is both broad and narrow in coverage. The depth of the work is eclectic in what the authors have chosen to delve into thoroughly such as the beginning with the variety of ancient tombs and the peoples they built them. Other eras and topics do not receive equivalent coverage.

The most important element to this book is the emphasis is the duration of Irish history. That elements of civilized behavior, such as forts, tombs, and a rudimentary at least social structure has been around for over 7000 years is the best part of the work.

Alone this book barely rises above a tourist guide, except in those moments where it dives off into greater details.

Only moderately well written and not a captivating read. Deserves more than two stars but not three.

[David · Rating 1 out of 5]

One of the worst authors I have encountered. Thank goodness this was free

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable read. A cursory and, perhaps, a bit pro-Irish history. It stops in the 1970's, so not a good source of information about current events.