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2013 Book Review #109: A Traveler's History of Ireland
Title: A Traveler's History of Ireland
Author: Peter Neville
Genre: History
Thingummies: 3
Synopsis: Concise summary of Irish history, from pre-historic to modern times.
Thoughts: I've really liked other entries in this series as a way of getting a fast, high-level overview of the entire history of a country. At their best, they give you a framework to use for further exploration, making events comprehensible and hinting at specific time periods worth further reading. This one was mediocre--it's not terrible, but it's a bit on the repetitive and boring side.
How much of that is a characteristic of Irish history? I'm not sure. The sheer bloody wastefulness of the country's history is appalling. The oppression, the constant warfare, the hatefulness, the ritualistic holding of grudges from literally centuries ago--it's just a never-ending cycle of rebellion, invasion, and retribution. It gets kind of mind-numbing after awhile. So much of the country's energy is spent by being subjugated and trying to resist, and fighting amongst themselves, that they don't seem to ever actually accomplish anything of note. It's an incredibly tragic waste for century after century. But it also makes for some surprisingly dull reading. I do have a better perspective on the Troubles, though, and gratitude that much of it has calmed down in my lifetime. I hope that's a long-term solution, and not merely one of the temporary lulls.
Author: Peter Neville
Genre: History
Thingummies: 3
Synopsis: Concise summary of Irish history, from pre-historic to modern times.
Thoughts: I've really liked other entries in this series as a way of getting a fast, high-level overview of the entire history of a country. At their best, they give you a framework to use for further exploration, making events comprehensible and hinting at specific time periods worth further reading. This one was mediocre--it's not terrible, but it's a bit on the repetitive and boring side.
How much of that is a characteristic of Irish history? I'm not sure. The sheer bloody wastefulness of the country's history is appalling. The oppression, the constant warfare, the hatefulness, the ritualistic holding of grudges from literally centuries ago--it's just a never-ending cycle of rebellion, invasion, and retribution. It gets kind of mind-numbing after awhile. So much of the country's energy is spent by being subjugated and trying to resist, and fighting amongst themselves, that they don't seem to ever actually accomplish anything of note. It's an incredibly tragic waste for century after century. But it also makes for some surprisingly dull reading. I do have a better perspective on the Troubles, though, and gratitude that much of it has calmed down in my lifetime. I hope that's a long-term solution, and not merely one of the temporary lulls.