Recommend books on the Irish revolution

youcancallmeal

With the 1916 centenary fast approaching I am hoping to read some good books on that period right up to and including the civil war. I've read some of Diarmuid Ferriter's "The Transformation of Ireland 1900–2000" but found it a bit dry and more like reading wikipedia. So anyone got any recommendations?

Mr.Nice Guy

I'd recommend JJ Lee's 'Ireland, 1912-1985: Politics and Society' which is well regarded in academic circles and is written in a very interesting and non-boring style. The first few chapters are on the revolutionary period.

Swiper the fox

youcancallmeal wrote: »

With the 1916 centenary fast approaching I am hoping to read some good books on that period right up to and including the civil war. I've read some of Diarmuid Ferriter's "The Transformation of Ireland 1900–2000" but found it a bit dry and more like reading wikipedia. So anyone got any recommendations?

The problem I see here is that you probably don't like reading history books, the Ferriter book you referenced is unquestionably the most accessible history of twentieth century Ireland, he delves into an awful lot of the cultural aspects you don't get in other history books such as the JJ Lee book which was recommended in the last post.
I've noticed a few new books on the shelves recently, I find that with history books it is often best to go with the ones that have been published recently.

Arghus

One book I'd always recommend is The Green Flag: A History of Irish Nationalism by Robert Kee. While it's not solely concerned with the events early twentieth century period per se, it does contain so much information on that period, that it's as good as many stand alone books on the time. The purpose of the book was to trace the historical evolution of the idea of "Ireland" as a nation and how that was a complicated and unwieldy process. By the time 1916 comes around you feel that you've gained a deeper understanding of the historical forces that drove those times and you appreciate what's at stake. For a readable but yet thorough read through Irish history, it's hard to beat. I thought I knew a bit about events like 1798, but Kee's book was great at contextualizing it and really making you feel the brutal savagery and hardship of the lives lived then. It made the dry stuff of the school history textbooks come alive.

Going back to what the previous poster has said about trying to stick to what's recently published - I think that's not bad advice, most of the time, but not always. Historians can build on what's been published before, or new facts or documents that have come to light. So in one sense the more contemporary the historian, the bigger their advantage. But at times like this, when there's a clearly noticeable push by publishers to capitalise on the Centenary of 1916, a lot of dross can be found in bookshops - stuff with nothing new to say, regurgitating old ideas. Look at all the World War One literature that was clogging up bookshelves last year, mutton dressed as lamb in some cases You're better off to stick with established names like Diarmuid Ferriter, who does indeed have a book out about the period, unsurprisingly enough

Swiper the fox

I just started Gene Kerrigan's 'The Scrap'last night which seems to be a factual novel (based on testimony to the military archives) based on the Rising itself, it has started very well, may suit those who find undergrad textbook style tomes tough going.

TwoGallants

I second Lee & Ferriter, both fine historians who write very well indeed (the former a more classical approach based on politics, the latter very much a modern historian with a focus on cultural evolution) The biggest problem though is if you don't like reading history books full stop... I find that I like to read biographies which are more accesible in a way than a general history. A Dutch guy (name impronouncable, I'm sure you'll find it linked to on the Pearse wikipedia page) wrote a great book on Pearse - there is also a novel by a Peruvian (Mario Vargos Llosa... I think thats his name anyway!) called 'The dream of the Celt'. Its a novel about Roger Casement, but most of the action is about his earlier, pre-revolutionary life. It might give you an insight into the politics though.

Trying to think of other novels set during this period but I'm left coming up short... Most of the novels I've read set in this period focus more on the 30s and 40s so not sure I can help you.

echo beach

Strumpet City by James Plunkett is a novel based around the experiences of the slum dwellers of Dublin at the time of the 1913 Lockout. Well worth a read.

Carawaystick

James Stephens the Insurrection in Dublin is a account of the rising. Its free on kindle or project Gutenberg too.

Tom Barry's book is his account of a later time in the war of Independence

fiachr_a

Iris Murdoch - Red and the green.

Fr Tod Umptious

I found Peter DeRossa's "Rebels" to give a very good telling of the build up to and the events of the week itself.

It was easy enough reading.

For anyone in Kerry I'd recommended "The civil war in Kerry" but I can't remembers the author.
Again an easy read with a good narrative on local events.