Books Ireland (October 2003)

    Architecture
  • A Glorious Extravaganza: the history of Monkstown Church. Etain Murphy. Wordwell. 308pp €35 hb 24 cm 1-869857-63- 1. Illustrated history of one of John Betjeman’s favourites with material on architect Semple. November

    Autobiography
  • All of Us There. Polly Devlin. Virago. 192pp £7.99 pb 1-84408-044-7. Reissue her childhood as art of a poor Catholic family in county Tyrone. December

  • Rebellions. Tom Dunne. Lilliput. 288pp €20 pb 23 cm 1-84351-039- 1. Part autobiograghy, part local history: politics and family. November

  • From the Cradle to the Stage. Alan Swan. Poolbeg. €19.99 hb 1-84223-164-2. Irish musicians’ pop, classical and inbetween, on their lives and inspirations. November

    Biography
  • Julius Pokorny, 1887-1970: Germans, Celts and nationalism. P. 0 Dochartaigh, Four Courts Press. 160pp , €45 hb 23 cm, 1-85182-769-2. Celtic scholar survived the Holocaust and became professor of Celtic philology in Berlin mentioned in Ulysses. November

  • Sir Edward Newenham, MP, 1734-1814: defender of the Protestant faith. James Kelly, Four Courts Press. 320pp , €pb 23 cm 1-85182-752-8. Popular politician and conservative reactionary, his estates included Belcamp, Co, Dublin. November

  • The Bankrupt, the Conman, the Mafia and the Irish connection. Chris Moore. Gill & Macmillan. 256pp. £7.99 pb 20 cm 0-7171-3594-2. True  account of scams and stunts of Colin Lees. November.

    Criticism
  • Contexts for Frank McGuinness’s Drama. Helen Heusner Lojek. Catholic University of America Press. $69.95 hbO-8132-1356-8. Critique of a major playwright. January

  • The Irish Times Book of the Year. ed. Peter Murtagh. Gill & Macmillan. 256pp €24.99 £19.99 hb 25 cm 0-7171-3663-9. Fourth year’s summary of events, September to September. November

    History
  • The Exercise of Power in Medieval Scotland,  1200-1500. ed. Chris Boardman & A. Ross. Four  Courts Press, 240pp , €65 hb 23 cm, 1-85182 749-8. November

  • A Guide to Irish Military Heritage. 8. Hanley, Four Courts Press. 120pp E30 hb 23 cm 1-85182788-51; €14.95 pb -789-7. Guides students where papers are held, and what heritage sites are accessible. November

  • Historical Essays 1939 -2001. R. B. McDowell. Lilliput. 256pp €25 hb 23 cm 1-84351-028-6. Articles and essays by a distinguished scholar. November

  • Ireland, Germany and the Nazis: politics & diplomacy 1919-1939. M. O’Driscoll, Four Courts Press. 160pp , €E45 hb 23 cm, 1-85182480-4. On our relationship with Germany beforE WWII. December

  • Irish Women’s History. ed. Diane Urquhart and Alan Hayes. Irish Academic Press. 256pp €49.5 £42.50 hb 0-7165-2702-2; €22.50 £17.50 pb -2716-2. New research on the impact of work, religion, politics and gender on Irish women from 6th to 20th century. November

  • Remaking of Modern Ireland, 1750-1950: Beckett Prize essays in Irish history. ed. Raymond Gillespie, Four Courts Press. 288pp €55 hb 23 cm, 1-85182-660-2. November

  • Revolutionary Dublin: the letters of Francis Higgins to Dublin Castle, 1795-1801. T. Bartlett, Four Courts Press. 480pp , €75 hb 23 cm, 1-85182-754-4. Assesses the role of informers in the 1790s. January

  • Shalom Ireland: a social history of the Jews in modern Ireland. Ray Rivlin. Gill & Macmillan. 256pp €29.99 £24.99 hb 23 cm, 0-7171-3634-5. Chronicle and celebration of Irish Jews in the past century plus. November

  • The Threatening Letters of Pre-Famine Ireland. S. Gibbons, Four Courts Press. 304pp , €75 hb 23 cm, 1-85182-753-6. Over 500 anonymous letters (analysed) many relating to land disputes and dealings with neighbours and RIC. January

  • Ulster and the Isles in the 15th century. S. Kingston, Four Courts Press. 208pp , €55 hb 23 cm 1-85182-729-3. A study of Gaelic lords in the middle ages. December

  • William King and the Anglican Irish Context. Christopher Fauske. Four Courts Press. 192pp €55, 23 cm, 1-85182-681-5, November

  • Irish Flour Milling: a thousand year history. ed. Andy Bielenberg. Lilliput. 288pp €40 bb 1-84351-020-0, 20 pb -0 19 7. A history of flour milling in Ireland. November

    Local History
  • Irish Historic Towns Atlas: no. 13, Fethard. Tadhg O’Keeffe. Royal Irish Academy. €30 0-95438557-8. Another in the brilliant series of unbound map facsimiles, well backed up with data. November

  • Irish Villages: studies in local history. ed. K. Holton et al. Four Courts Press. 320pp , €55 hb ills. 23 cm, 1-85182-766-8. Essays on Portlaw, Waterford, and Sixmilebridge in Co. Clare among others. November

  • Portavoe: an Irish townland and its peoples. Peter  Carr. White Row Press. 368pp £18 pb 25 cm  1-870132-11-4; £30 bb - 16-5. No. 1 (up to  1844) of two volumes. 4 November

  • The Clogher Valley Railway (new edn). E. M. Patterson. Colourpoint. 192pp £15.99 pb 23 cm 1-904242-15-4. Updated from the 1972 edition with more photos. November

    Reference
  • The New Dictionary of Irish History 1800-2000. D. J. Hickey and J. E. Doherty. Gill & Macmillan. 544pp €29.99 £24.99 hb 23 cm 0-7171-2520-3. Updated reference. November

  • A Terrible Beauty: an illustrated history of Irish battles. Martin Marix Evans. Gill & Macmillan. 160pp €29.99 £24.99 hb 28 cm 0-7171-3542-X. With photographs of their sites. November

    Novels
  • Amazing Grace. Clare Dowling. Poolbeg. €14.99 pb 1-84223-121-9. Her husband has seven alarm clocks and now she has a younger boyfriend. November

  • Making it Home. Marian Murphy. Poolbeg. €9.99 pb 1-84223-077-8. The course of househunting doesn’t run smooth. Author of Millions! November

  • Star of the Sea. Joseph O’Connor. Vintage. 432pp £6.99 pb 0-09945526-9. Famine ship story. January

    Philosophy
  • Tarot in the Spirit of Zen: the game of life. Osho. Gateway. 256pp €16.99 £12.99 pb 21 cm, 0-7171-3638-8. ’Playful and accessible’. November

  • Done into English. Pearse Hutchinson. Gallery. 208pp €13.90 pb 1-85235-3 15-5; 622.50 hb -3 16-3 hb. His collected translations, reflecting a lifetime’s love of the languages of Spain. November

  • Fire & Ice: nine poets from Scandinavia and the North. ed. Gordon Walmsley. Salmon. 144pp €15 pb 22 cms 1-903392-37-3. English translations of contemporary poets, including Inger Christensen, Einar Mar Gudmundsson and Didda. November

  • One Another. Michael Coady. Gallery. 192pp €13.90 pb 1-85235-356-2; C22.50 hb -357-0. Poems, prose and i 1 lustrations by the author of All Souls and Oven Lane. December

    Politics
  • Commemorating Ireland: history, politics, culture. ed. Eberhard Bort. Irish Academic Press. 288pp €40 £30 hb 0-7165-2768-5. The role commemorations play in politics and society; contributors include Neal Ascherson and Mary Daly. November

  • Our Own Devices: national symbols and political contlict in twentieth-century Ireland. Ewan Morris. Irish Academic Press. 240 pp €37.50 £29.50 hb 0-7165-2663-8. On the history and politics of national symbols and their role in Northern Ireland. November

    Religion
  • Eaglais na gCatacómai. Pidraig Standún. C16 lar-Chonnachta. 250pp €12 pb 21 cm 1-902420-67-5. A personal view of the Catholic Church over the last 30 years. December.

    Travel
  • Seal i Neipeal. Cathal Ó Searcaigh. Cló lar Chonnachta. 150pp €12 pb 20 cm 1-902420 -60-8. A travelogue by the renowned Donegal poet on his time in Nepal. December.

    Children
  • Iceman: The Antarctic Adventures of Tom Crean. Michael Smith. Collins. 128pp €7.99 pb 2 1cm 1-903464-44-7. We recorded this in last month’s list but mistook it for an adult title.

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