Having read and entertained my guests to the wonderful delights of this truly Irish cookery book, I felt I should share my enthusiasm of it with fellow Amazon readers. It adds a touch of traditional Irish cuisine to our rather Scottish based diet! Clare Connery really has produced a Gem with this book and may she continue to do so.

Clare Connery has never lost touch with her roots in the countryside of the north of Ireland. Not for her the ephemeral fashion food fads which are here today and gone tonight! She chooses to concentrate on all that is good and wholesome from the land of green and plenty.

Her first major book 'In an Irish country kitchen' is an outstanding work tracing the culinary history of Ireland set against the colourful social development of the island.It is Easy to read and beautifully illustrated.If you cannot travel to Ireland then read this book and you'll be transported there.

'Irish Food and Folklore' is her third Irish book (she has other subjects close to her heart and her other books include a beautiful Salad book now also available in softback, and the very recent 'Vegetable Book').

'Irish Food and Folklore' is a super introduction to the essence of Irish food. Read about the myths and legends that have contributed to many people's fascination with Ireland and try the many easy to follow traditional recipes which really do work!

Oh, the book is too serious to describe it just in few words. It is extremely detailed and requires broad knowlegde of the subject. It covers Irish history from the earliest times of written sources or even earlier - from the times that we only know from sages and myths to approximately 12th century. This book is a must for all the people who are scholarly interested in Irish history, but can be hard to read for people who are not that serious about it. So, I stronly recommend it to all history students, but I would advise all the diletans to prepare themselves better before they begin reading this great and very important book.

Medieval Irish history is a minority-interest field to begin with, but finding a good secondary source that accurately separates myth from history is difficult at best. F. J. Byrne, always a thorough historian, has produced what could be the definitive history of the medieval Irish political world. It is a general work, to be sure, and in that lies its strength. Until recently, the histories available to students of medieval Ireland had a fair amount of questionable data and did not focus specifically on the ever-changing political and ecclesiastical influences that the rulers of the time had to deal with.
Byrne's work is also invaluable because, unlike many other histories, it is not provincial in scope, but rather manages to grasp the political climate of medieval Ireland in total. His presentation is effective, and his writing style is far from boring. This work belongs in the forefront not only of medieval Irish history, but also of regional historical studies worldwide.

If you're researching your Irish roots, this two-volume set is an invaluable resource. I found ancestors that I have been searching several years for neatly described and catalogued. There is a wealth of information here that I haven't been able to find anywhere else!

This reprint of the 1892 edition makes available rare source material on Irish geneaology. Much of the material on which it was based has since been destroyed. John O'Hart traces the genealogy of all the major famiies of Ireland from ancient to late Victorian times. Some families are even traced back to Adam! His material provides valuable clues for reseachers and those fortunate enough to be able to link with families included may add centuries to their pedigress! Not limited to the aristocracy, many quite ordinary people are identified and linked to the ancient families. There are numerous references to American branches of the Irish families. An essential reference work and interesting reading besides.

This book has amazing insight into the realms of Irish and German espionage history. I found the reading to be thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining. Dr. Mark Hull brings a bit of humor into a subject that is difficult to entertain. I have never been an advent reader of any type of historical writings and found that once I started reading, I honestly felt capitivated by the reconstruction of history in this book. Unlike most history books, Dr. Hull has brought to life a writing that is serious in depth of subject, yet could be viewed world wide on a theatre screen as thoroughly enjoyable (James'Bond anyone?).

I would recommend this book for a history class or just for the enjoyment of sitting down on the sofa with a good book and a cup of wine for a relaxing evening at home.

Irish Secrets provides a stunning insight into a now forgotten aspect of the Second World War - Nazi Germany's secret overtures to neutral Ireland, 1939-1945. Berlin sent a "dirty dozen" agents by parachute and U-boat to Ireland, whose wartime leader, Eamon de Valera, was striving to maintain strict neutrality in the face of strong pressure to join the war (mainly from British Premier, Winston Churchill).
Mark Hull, a professor of modern history at St. Louis University, has produced the most detailed study of the agents sent to Ireland by Germany. They included a German circus weight-lifter, an Indian and two South Africans. Most were en route for missions in England, but all were caught and incarcerated in Athlone army camp in the Irish midlands (luckily for them because they would have faced executiion if discovered in wartime Britain).
The most colourful agent by far was Dr Hermann Goertz, who parachuted into Ireland just north of Dublin in 1940. Goertz was wearing his Luftwaffe uniform and medals in the mistaken belief that he would be shot if caught in civilian attire. Goertz who was in his 50s and a First World War veteran, asked a startled Irish farmer if he had landed in Northern Ireland by mistake. The farmer asked the German agent "You wouldn't happen to know Ballivor?" (the nearest village), at which point the conversation abruptly halted as Goertz went on the run.
As Professor Hull points out, Goertz had the most success among the German agents, remaining at large for 18 months. But it's believed that the Irish Army deliberately kept him on a long leash, checking all those with whom he came in contact, including the German ambasador, Dr Eduard Hempel.
Goertz was unsuited to a spying mission, however, and spent his time in prison writing love stories, practising suicide drills, and dreaming about taking over the leadership of the IRA (Irish Republican Army). After his post-war release, he was so alarmed at the prospect of being repatriated to Allied-controlled Germany (he feared he would be tortured to death by the Russians) that he took a cyanide pill and died instantly, in 1947.
Professor Hull's book - which is destined to become a standard work of historical reference - will prove an invaluable read for anyone intersted in recent Irish history, Ireland's historical links with Germany and, in particular, Nazi Germany's attitude to Europe's neutral states (which included Ireland, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden and Turkey).
It is noteworthy that the foreword for Irish Secrets was written by none other than Enno Stephan (the former head of German Radio's French-language service), whose 1963 book "Spies in Ireland" did much of the spadework on this fascinating topic.

(Dr David O'Donoghue, Dublin, Ireland).

This unconventional perspective helps to shed light on an aspect of Irish nationalism many writers have shamefully and unforgiveably neglected. Writing with passion, the author manifests the exploits of Irishmen and women during the euphemistically renowned "Great War", via the employment of official war sources and contemporary letters from those at the front line. The book sets the scene and the building miasma around some of the war's major conflicts that were to result in serious loss of life borne out of the ineptitude of senior command. In short, it is a lugubrious reflection of the horrors and realities of war, and of the previously "unknown" heroes Ireland can now rightly call its own.

A very good exposition of a little documented aspect of Irish history. The bravery of these men displayed in defense of an empire that subjugated them is unfathomable

I'm a college student and generally if it's not required reading I don't usually have time for a book. But, once I started reading it I couldn't put it down. The author made what I would usually consider a rather dry and uninteresting subject come to life. I recommend this book to anyone interested in a plain, old fashioned good read.

Christopher Fauske's study offers valuable insights into a period of Swift's life that has been neglected. Fauske's work also explores aspects of Swift as an Irish writer. Moreover, the study is written in a fluent and easy style. The book should appeal to both scholars and casual readers.

The book is a treasure. The love and care are evident in its making with all the little nooks and crannies filled with surprises for the reader. The authors return to you more than poetry and information, they surprise you with gifts on just about every page. Delightful.

This is a great book to get for yourself or for anyone interested in a quick but very compelling read about the history of immigration from Ireland to America. I'd particularly recommend it for young readers, as it contains a wide assortment of compelling pull-out letters and other "souvenirs" showing everyday items from and about those brave immigrants who left behind their homeland, its poverty, and starvation for a more hopeful (though far from easy) life in America.

"Kaddish in Dublin" is a brilliant police procedural as well as a gripping and touching story of decent people trying to understand our world. Matt Minogue is an interesting, complex person as well as a likeable police inspector.

John Brady has captured the real Dublin in all his, unfortunately too few, books. Warts and all, the place and the people come alive in a way that few authors can match. Inspector Matt Minogue is one of the most interesting, complex and real characters ever to inhabit any book. John Brady is a national treasure and should be revered as such.

I had forgotten I wrote the other review on here. A long time ago, that was. It's so wordy and descriptive and sparkling with life and vitality, too. So I'm going to try to do this book more justice, now that I've had more practise writing reviews.

I believe this book is the fullest of tragedy and melodrama of the five in the series, and at the time I wrote that other review it was my favourite book of all. When I think of this book, I think primarily of Morgan, Finola, and the rest of the clan in Dublin, because most of the action really takes place there. Occasionally you cut back to New York City for a dose of Nora's, "When am I ever going to have a baby, sweetheart?" or "Sara, darling, you will take down your hair just for me!" It must be that I didn't read the New York episodes as often and they aren't implanted in my mind as the Dublin ones are.

In New York, Nora is married, Michael is engaged, and Tierney is working for a crime boss. In Dublin, Morgan is still trapped in the wheelchair. There is no miracle cure here, unfortunately. A Nun (capital N) named Sis. Louisa and a wolfhound named Fergus join the staff at Nelson Hall. Finola becomes the victim of unfortunate circumstances in the red light district and is brought to live at Morgan's house while she recovers, and her "wicked woman" friend Lucy comes along. I think somebody dies too, but I won't say who. Oh, and I think Nora finally was going to have a baby, too. Sandemon's deep, dark past is uncovered, Aine waits patiently to be adopted by Morgan, and so forth and so on. I love the part when there IS a miracle cure - not for Morgan, but for Finola - when she can suddenly talk again. It is a very incredible scene, perhaps a bit unrealistic, but perfect for fifteen or sixteen year old girls who dote on that kind of romantic dramatisation and swoon over it with their friends.

I shall say no more of the wonders between the front and back covers of this book. You must read it yourself and find out all about it.

I love this book. A friend loaned it to me and once I started reading it I couldn't put it down. It is filled with excitement and inspiration. I was very encouraged to read this wonderful story.

A very well- rounded introduction to a period of British history that should be better known. The author strikes a good balance between the political narrative and his coverage of the social, economic, cultural, and military developments of the age. This book should be accessible to anyone with a serious interest in this period in European history.

Writes Professor Roger Hainsworth, formerly of Adelaide University, South Australia: Students of English history will welcome this new volume in the New Oxford History of England series.1689-1727 is a very significant period for the history of the British people and indeed it proved important to many European people also for this reason: during it Britain became a great power and in the process the growing hegemony of France over western Europe was first confronted, fought against and finally halted. More of this later. Dr. Hoppit, although his eye is undimmed by romantic illusions about past eras, has a positive tale to tell. He writes that in late seventeen and early eighteenth century England "political discord was contained and then undermined. Warfare was endured and survived. Britain's empire was extended and its value increased. Population began slowly to grow. Many towns flourished. Agriculture, industry and commerce all showed signs of expansion .... society was not stagnant, it was on the move." This favourable assessment might have astonished contemporaries both at home and abroad. They still perceived England as politically unstable, riven by party ("faction"), and menaced by the apparently unbridgeable dynastic dispute between the Jacobite supporters of the exiled James II and then of his son (the Old Pretender) and the Whig and Orange Tory supporters of William III, Anne and the Protestant Succession (the Hanoverians). Meanwhile the British state was menaced by growing poor rates, menacing numbers of unemployed, seemingly endless foreign wars, and a growing mountain of debt: all presided over by a government which appeared more powerful and uncheckable every year and was backed by that worst of all English nightmares: a permanent army. Dr. Hoppit explores these fears and traumas incisively and expertly and makes it clearer than it perhaps has ever been made before why the positive developments prevailed and the worst fears ebbed away. The fundamental problem for historians of the period is to explain how England become a great power during the reigns of William III and Anne. Cromwell's disciplined army and a powerful navy had made England a great power fleetingly during the 1650s. However, there was no way to finance these prodigies on a long term basis. The restored Charles II almost went broke disbanding these extravagant instruments of power. England's resurgence in the two decades following the Glorious Revolution of 1689 astonished foreign observers who had believed, reasonably enough, that England's small population doomed it to the side-lines of European politics. In a long contest between Britain and France surely there could be only one result? England with Wales had only about 5.25 million in 1700. Scotland had 1.23 million and Ireland about 2 million. France, the most populous country in Europe (including Russia) had 22 million. These bare statistics proved deceptive. Although eighty per cent of England's population were rural dwellers, almost thirty per cent of the population were engaged in some form of industry. Manchester was then only a large village but Defoe estimated it provided "outside" employment to 40,000 weavers and allied trades. In fact England was the most urbanised country in Europe and if this was partly because ten per cent of the people lived in London her urbanisation was to increase hugely during the eighteenth century while London's population stagnated. Industrial strength and a powerful navy were gradually joined by a formidable army. During Anne's reign it would be led by one of history's greatest commanders who was also a remarkable diplomat and builder of alliances: the Duke of Marlborough. The financial problems of the mid seventeenth century were resolved by taxation passed freely if grumpily by the House of Commons which had now become a permanent institution of state rather than an irregular occurrence. The taxes funded that unusual novelty the National Debt which was partly managed by an enlarged Treasury assisted by an inspired creation, the Bank of England. The two great European wars of the period weakened the Continental powers, especially France, but left Britain stronger than when she entered them. Many speculated about this paradox but no great power seemed able to copy the method even supposing they understood it. All these matters receive due attention in this volume. So also does a range of other important topics: the remarkable growth of parliamentary government which in time would make possible the political peace of Sir Robert Walpole's long prime ministership during the 1720s; the decline into impotence of the Jacobites; the astonishing efflorescence of a print culture of books, newspapers and pamphlets; the slow decline of the Anglican hegemony in the face of stubborn Dissenters and ideas of religious tolerance; the extraordinarily rich burst of public and private building ranging from Wren's St Paul's to Vanbrugh and Hawksmoor's masterpieces (Castle Howard and Blenheim the best known of many); and the steady advance of pragmatic, experimental science. This last owed much to one man and in a fine passage Hoppit writes that the year his period ends is better defined not by the death of George I but by the death aged 84 of one of his subjects. Interred like a prince in Westminster Abbey with the Lord Chancellor, two dukes and three earls among his pall-bearers, he was Sir Isaac Newton. That indeed was the end of an era. This is a worthy addition to a very collectable series. There are the minor flaws often found when the author has to shoehorn a complex discourse into a confined space. Stylistic faults occasionally jar and infelicities of sentence structure ("there were those (such as Locke had done) who strongly argued ...") often require the reader to turn back to disentangle the sense. However, Dr. Hoppit's text is informative, interesting, thought-provoking and engrossing. He has explored the diverse facets of his subject with care and sensitivity to their nuances. All students of this significant period will be in his debt for decades to come. Had it been put in my hands when I was studying this period as an undergraduate I would have gnawed on it like a famished wolf.