Reccomend a good book on the history of ireland

Rebelheart

JoeSchmoe wrote: »

I recently wanted to fill in my gaps and general ignorance on the history of our land so I bought "the couse of Irish History"


http://www.amazon.com/Course-Irish-History-T-Moody/dp/1570980152


but I find it's written in a very staid and matter of fact manner and frankly boring, some parts are basically just lists of names/places and general times.
it does very little to keep my interest and make history "come alive"

can you recomend some thing written in a less academic style, and has a balance between and historical facts and figures and passages about normal life/ social and culture theories.,

Something with a bit more personality or a more flowing writing style?

Tom Barry, Guerilla Days in Ireland
Dan Breen, My Fight for Irish Freedom
Ernie O Malley, On Another Man's Wounds
Bobby Sands, One Day in My Life

PS: Roy Foster is indeed anti-nationalist, unless the nationalism in question is British nationalism. He's quite a cheerleader for that. For instance, he gave a massive four lives to Oliver Cromwell in the above recommended book. He'd rather dedicate pages to some bizarre English political tactic (such as Wentworth's 'rule of thorough') in an attempt to normalise British colonial rule, and overlook the barbarism upon which that rule has been based. When it comes to what he chooses to highlight in Irish history, he's the great normaliser of the abnormal.

Denerick

There are a few good meta narratives about Irish history. The best would probably be Lyons' 'Ireland since the Famine'. The revisionist's bible is Foster's 'Modern Ireland'. For the unionist perspective get Bew's book 'Ireland, the politics of enmity'. After those three there really isn't much point in reading any more grand narratives, you'll get the picture from a variety of standpoints. Better from therein to read the specialised monographs.