No comments about Brian Boru King of Ireland.

3 comments about Erin's Blood Royal: The Gaelic Noble Dynasties of Ireland.

1. Erin's Blood Royal: The Gaelic Noble Dynasties Of Ireland by Celtic scholar Peter Berresford Ellis is a stately and informative study of the Irish aristocracies that ruled Ireland until Henry VIII forced them to obey the English crown. Individual chapters relate the sagas of numerous Gaelic noble families, including O'Carroll, O'Connor, McCarthy, Maguire, O'Grady and many more. A highly recommended contribution to Irish Studies supplemental reading lists and reference collections, Erin's Blood Royal is an articulate and impressive account of the family branches whose descendants live in Ireland, Great Britain, America, and many other nations throughout the world today.



2. It may come as a shock to some that Ireland still has nineteen documented native "royal" families, probably because the island's ruling dynasties were suppressed nearly five centuries ago by the imperialist Tudors. The conquest of Ireland was followed by the Flight of the Wild Geese, in which much of the Irish aristocracy fled to other Catholic countries (notably France and Spain) and was largely forgotten at home. The government of today's Ireland, however, has been granting courtesy titles to claimants who can prove their descents. Ellis is a noted scholar and popular writer in the area of Celtic studies and history and this enabled him to be "invited in" by the heads of the families to examine their claims. Each of these is "the chief of the name" -- though some also hold other Gaelic titles, such as Conor O'Brien, "The O'Brien," who also is hereditary Prince of Thomond (as well as being a baronet and Baron Inchiquin in the Peerage of Ireland under the UK). They generally have more money (based on land ownership) and education than average, and their influence in Irish culture can be considerable. The author does a very creditable job of outlining the lineage and political history of each of these families, each in its own chapter, as well as the modern-day activities of the chiefs in regaining their social positions. Following the publication of the first edition, a scandal erupted around Terence McCarthy, recognized as The McCarthy Mor, who turned out to be a complete fraud, and that episode, which badly damaged the credibility of the chiefs of Ireland, is also recounted in detail in this edition. An articulate, informative, and very well written book.



3. This is an interesting read despite the overlapping and otherwise confusing lineages. Ellis provides ample texture and tangential history to flesh out the timelines. Following the royal lines brings focus to a lot of the loose ends and myths that have plagued my grasp of Irish history. However, this is the first time in a long time that I find a text so frequently crippled with typos and proofreading errors. The publisher, Palgrave, has not served the author well, perhaps, in hastily revising the earlier text following disclosure of the MacCarthy Mor fraud.

1 comments about Philippe, Duc D'Orleans: Regent of France.

1. Knowing nothing about this historical personage or his period, I was pleasantly surprised with the intriguing, contradictory character of Philippe, the nephew of Louis XIV, and Regent for King Louis XV. The author relied heavily on primary sources to describe the Regent and his times, particularly on the letters of his mother (the second duchesse d'Orleans, Elizabeth Charlotte) and Saint Simon's writings. Since both famous writers were close to the Regent, there are lively sketches of Philippe. It is a balanced biography; the Regent's controversial personal life is addressed, too. The author establishes the background carefully, describing Louis XIV's overly long reign at its end; the old, rigid court at Versailles, the King's control of the nobility, the "liberal" movement towards Paris, the problems encountered by Louis XIV's grandson as the first Bourbon king of Spain, military and economic problems. Then, the Regency: politics and coup, social issues, and fiscal reforms. The author also presents cultural affairs (the arts) with great sensitivity. There is an excellent genealogy table and "cast of characters" preceding the text; also, a few pages of illustrations. This is an engrossing biography with useful"extras."

No comments about St Wulfstan And His World (Studies in Early Medieval Britain).

No comments about King John: England's Evil King?.

No comments about The Misfit Soldier: Edward Casey's War Story, 1914-1932 (Irish Narrative Series).

2 comments about Casualty of War: A Childhood Remembered (Eastern European Studies, 18).

1. Luisa Lang Owen's recounting of her childhood and the losses she and others experienced before, during and after the war, including three years in a concentration camp is, at once, both hauntingly beautiful and horrific. Her captors, in seeking to exterminate individuals and their culture ironically distilled, in this young woman, the essence of being. Her lush and loving attention to detail, her artistic perceptions were heightened and strengthened in those years, and what we sometimes refer to as the "strength of the human spirit" is clearly defined in the telling of this woman's coming of age under life-threatening conditions. Both fascinated and saddened by the telling, I felt as if I'd entered the spirit of someone who has always lived and continues to live fully and attentively in the world.



2. This book should be read by all Danube Swabians and their offsprings as well as all freedom-loving, truth seeking and fair minded people of this world.

No comments about The Legend of Napoleon.

No comments about Casement (Life & Times) (Life&Times).

No comments about Rising Out: Sean Connolly of Longford (Cih).