Irish and Irish-American History at The Nyack Library: a list of books and web sites: Home

First published in 1967 and now updated to cover such recent events as the Good Friday Agreement and the withdrawal of British troops from regular patrols in Northern Ireland, this new edition of a perennial bestseller narrates and interprets Irish history as a whole.

"A companion to be cherished," "judicious and authoritative," "informative and entertaining," "an invaluable work of reference"--these are just some of the phrases used by reviewers to describe theOxford Companion to Irish History.
With over 1,800 entries, this acclaimedCompanion--now available in the Oxford Paperback Reference series--offers a comprehensive and authoritative guide to all aspects of Ireland's past, from earliest times to the present day. There is coverage not only of leading political figures, organizations, and events, but also of subjects such as dress, music, sport, and diet. Traditional topics such as the rebellion of 1798 and the Irish Civil War sit alongside entries on newly developing areas such as women's history and popular culture. In addition to the alphabetical entries, theCompanionincludes a selection of historical maps depicting such time periods as Ireland circa 800, Ireland circa 1350, Ireland in the late 15th century, modern Ireland, and much more. There is also a subject index, which groups headwords into thematic batches to provide an alternative way to access the entries.
Interest in Irish culture, politics, and society, both ancient and modern, never seems to falter.The Oxford Companion to Irish Historywill be valued by students as a reference work and treasured by general readers eager for information about the Emerald Isle.

Roy Foster is one of Ireland's leading historians, the author of the much acclaimed two-volume biography of Yeats as well as the definitive historyModern Ireland, which has been hailed as "dazzling" (New York Times Book Review) and "elegant, erudite, wise, witty" (Irish Times). Now, this brilliant writer offers a "short and combative" account of Ireland's astonishing transformation over the last three decades.
Has there really been an "economic miracle"? Where does the explosion of cultural energy in music, literature, and theater come from? Has the power of the Catholic Church really crumbled? Focusing largely on contemporary events, living people, current controversies, and popular culture,Luckand the Irishexplores these questions and raises other provocative questions of its own. Foster looks at the astonishing volte-face undertaken by Sinn Fein, eventually taking office in a state they had once fought to destroy. He describes how Catholicism, once the bedrock of Irish identity, has been decisively compromised, as evidenced by the exploitation and abuse scandals and the drastic decline in devotions. At the same time, the position of women in Irish society has been transformed, with the growth of feminism, a revolution in sexual attitudes, far more women in the work force, the ascendancy of President Mary Robinson, and the movement of women to front-rank Cabinet posts--all of which have put the position of Irish women ahead of that in many European nations.
Many old molds have been broken in Irish society over the last 30 years, and the immediate results have been breath-taking. But are these developments really as permanent or even as beneficial as they appear? Everyone curious about the recent past, the burgeoning present, and the unclear future of Ireland will want to read this superbly written and deeply thoughtful book.

A century of Irish life, strife, famine, and prosperity is chronicled here in a visual history that tells not only a gripping political story, but a story of a people, a landscape, and a lost way of life. 271 illustrations.