Ireland: A History

This history of Ireland is complete, reliable, and sometimes surprising. It is also entirely readable. Where there is a choice between repeating familiar legends and setting out the facts, it always chooses that latter option. That means it does not tell us more about ancient Ireland than we actually know and does not simply repeat any of the romantic myth that often pass for modern Irish history.

The college class I am taking has greatly broadened my understanding of the reasons why Irish History developed the way it did. This book is a carefully thought out description of the facts and events. The writing style is very pleasant. The time period covered begins in 431, the date of the arrival Palladius, the first bishop of Ireland, and proceeds up to 2010. This is especially good that it is current enough to go beyond the Celtic Tiger. I enjoyed the book very much. A picture is worth a thousand words. The photographs and illustrations included have a lot to say.

This was my introduction to a thorough history of Ireland and I found Bartlett to be an enjoyable yet difficult read (much worth it). His history is appreciative of the Gaelic and Catholic sensitivities delivered in passive-voice prose giving the reader an atmospheric experience, not achieved, I believe, in most history texts. Bartlett has a mastery of nuance – of critical importance for really understanding Ireland and her people. It has an authenticity that gives it the *feel* you’re getting a first-hand account told on location *in* the vernacular. Very pleasing.

Thorough history presented in an understandable and entertaining fashion.

Detailed, academic and well written. This is a good book for anyone reading about Irish history, largely void of personal opinions from Nationalists or Loyalists, the book gives a good detail of the history of Ireland all the way to its current state in the Republic and in the North. This one is written with a slight bent towards Irish nationalism, despite the fact that it is written by a Scot. Or one can say history favors the Irish, but I'm not a judge of that. I enjoyed the book and I recommend it.

Bartlett is a great scholar, teacher and writer. I was super fortunate to take a history class of his some years past, and I am halfway through reading this master work of his. I am slowly savoring each rich page.

It is indeed a very well written and comprehensive one volume history of Ireelaand. Textbook size but neither tiresome nor dull ... one gets a feel for the ebb and flow of events in the life of the Emerald isle. I recommend it highly.

This book was very helpful for a grad class on Irish literature; knowing Ireland's history definitely helped with my understanding of the country's literature. My only gripe is that the book isn't organized in the best way, and is kind of sloppy with it's chronology. You often have to reference several different sections for information on one topic, which made a quick reference a bit annoying and difficult.

I managed to read a whole book from cover to cover. When you finish you hardly remember first parts of the book. Neverthless it is a very well written book and a must for everyone who wants to understand history of Ireland a little bit. I would not dare to travel to Ireland without first reading a book. If you want to have some idea about: - catholicism in this country through the centuries and relations with protestantism - bloody historic events that led to partition - character od politicians and ordinary people - and celtic tiger till great financial crisis, then take a time and digest this tome. It is a heavy, exausting read especially for me who live tousand miles away and I am not germanic or celtic, but it is worth it. For me the most shocking item was unbelivably rapid decline of Irish catholic Church and secularization of society. And beside you must take into account that Ireland never had communist regime and has weathered second world war rather well. So I hardly understand that society transformed itself so rapidly without political repression in last 50 years as a pure product of western materialism. That is my impression that I got from this book. I never was in Ireland but I intend to visit it. I hope it would be as interesting as content of this book.

Great overview, generally quite entertaining, but a bit uneven. For example, it takes 80 pages to get from 1572 to 1772, but the following 80 pages only get us as far as 1802, with far too much detail on the run-up to Union. The style also varies, from punchy, light-hearted and almost comic at times to academic and a little long-winded at others, as if chunks had been imported from other earlier work by the author. Excellent generally on the Troubles. Maybe the overview of 21st century Ireland could have highlighted the good degree of political and social cohesion, with little of the polarisation evident in other advanced societies (although the publication date means the author wouldn't have been in a position to witness the relative absence of a populist right - and the unusual presence of populist left - in Ireland).

This is a tremendous one-volume history of Ireland, from St Patrick through to the present day. It serves as a great introduction to Irish history and should whet the appetite for further reading. Professor Bartlett is scrupulously fair and well-balanced. He writes with an easy style and with frequent flashes of humour. Highly recommended.

Bought this as a present for my mother. She loved the book.

Un pavé, en anglais, mais complet. Peu se lire par chapitres. Un réel livre d'histoire, pas un roman. Demande un peu de concentration. Pour les amoureux des faits historiques.