Irish History For Dummies

From Norman invaders, religious wars--and the struggle for
independence--the fascinating, turbulent history of a tortured
nation and its gifted people

When Shakespeare referred to England as a "jewel set in a silver
sea," he could just as well have been speaking of Ireland. Not only
has its luminous green landscape been the backdrop for bloody
Catholic/Protestant conflict and a devastating famine, Ireland's
great voices--like Joyce and Yeats--are now indelibly
part of world literature. In Irish History For Dummies,
readers will not only get a bird's-eye view of key historical
events (Ten Turning Points) but, also, a detailed,
chapter-by-chapter timeline of Irish history beginning with the
first Stone Age farmers to the recent rise and fall of the Celtic
tiger economy.

In the informal, friendly For Dummies style, the book
details historic highs like building an Irish Free State in the
1920s--and devastating lows (including the Troubles in the
'60s and '70s), as well as key figures (like MP Charles Parnell and
President Eamon de Valera) central to the cause of Irish
nationalism. The book also details historic artifacts, offbeat
places, and little-known facts key to the life of Ireland past and
present.

• Includes Ten Major Documents--including the Confession of
  St. Patrick, The Book of Kells, the Proclamation of the Irish
  Republic, and Ulysses

• Lists Ten Things the Irish Have Given the World--including
  Irish coffee, U.S. Presidents, the submarine, shorthand writing,
  and the hypodermic syringe

• Details Ten Great Irish Places to Visit--including Cobh,
  Irish National Stud and Museum, Giants Causeway, and Derry

• Includes an online cheat sheet that gives readers a robust and
  expanded quick reference guide to relevant dates and historical
  figures

• Includes a Who's Who in Irish History section on
  dummies.com

With a light-hearted touch, this informative guide sheds light
on how this ancient land has survived wars, invasions, uprisings,
and emigration to forge a unique nation, renowned the world over
for its superb literature, music, and indomitable spirit.

Autorentext

Mike Cronin, PhD, is the Academic Director at the Centre for Irish Programmes, Boston College, Dublin. Mike has taught history to university students for close to 20 years, and he has written five books on Irish history.

Klappentext
Learn about:

• Early Irish history
• Ireland's proud religious history
• Britain and Ireland's complex relationship

• Irish culture and its impact throughout the world A whistle stop journey through Ireland's past Understand the people, disasters, and triumphs that have shaped the Ireland we know today. From the early Irish kings to political struggles and upheavals, discover more of Ireland's rich history and uncover the past. This book takes you on a rollercoaster journey through the highs and lows of Ireland's past, including invasions, battles, executions, religious divides,uprisings, emigration – and hurling! Ireland's story is amazingly dramatic and intense – and today the influence of Irish culture can be felt around the globe.

• Saints and kings – discover the early years of a great nation, from the arrival of the first hunters and gatherers to the introduction of Christianity
• Invasion! Middle Ages style – check out the Viking and Norman invaders that made their way to the Irish shores
• Here come the English – rebellion, a Henry or two, the Wars of the Roses, the Reformation, and more rebellion leave their mark on the island
• A nation divided – the history of Catholicism, Protestantism, and the Troubles

• More top-ten lists than you can shake a hurling stick at – ten turning points, ten things the Irish have given the world, ten great places to visit, and more Open the book and find:

• Great places to visit – and their history
• The great turning points in Irish history
• Irish culture and its evolution around the globe
• The Reformation and its effects on Ireland
• Richard II, Henry IV and a lot of turmoil
• The Irish Cultural Revival
• The Revolution, the Irish Free State, and the Troubles

Zusammenfassung
From Norman invaders, religious warsand the struggle for independencethe fascinating, turbulent history of a tortured nation and its gifted people When Shakespeare referred to England as a "jewel set in a silver sea," he could just as well have been speaking of Ireland. Not only has its luminous green landscape been the backdrop for bloody Catholic/Protestant conflict and a devastating famine, Ireland's great voiceslike Joyce and Yeatsare now indelibly part of world literature. In Irish History For Dummies, readers will not only get a bird's-eye view of key historical events (Ten Turning Points) but, also, a detailed, chapter-by-chapter timeline of Irish history beginning with the first Stone Age farmers to the recent rise and fall of the Celtic tiger economy.

In the informal, friendly For Dummies style, the book details historic highs like building an Irish Free State in the 1920sand devastating lows (including the Troubles in the '60s and '70s), as well as key figures (like MP Charles Parnell and President Eamon de Valera) central to the cause of Irish nationalism. The book also details historic artifacts, offbeat places, and little-known facts key to the life of Ireland past and present.

• Includes Ten Major Documentsincluding the Confession of St. Patrick, The Book of Kells, the Proclamation of the Irish Republic, and Ulysses
• Lists Ten Things the Irish Have Given the Worldincluding Irish coffee, U.S. Presidents, the submarine, shorthand writing, and the hypodermic syringe
• Details Ten Great Irish Places to Visitincluding Cobh, Irish National Stud and Museum, Giants Causeway, and Derry
• Includes an online cheat sheet that gives readers a robust and expanded quick reference guide to relevant dates and historical figures
• Includes a Who's Who in Irish History section on dummies.com
  With a light-hearted touch, this informative guide sheds light on how this ancient land has survived wars, invasions, uprisings, and emigration to forge a unique nation, renowned the world over for its superb literature, music, and indomitable spirit.

Inhalt
Introduction 1 Part I: The Snakes Leave Ireland 9

Chapter 1: No Man Is an Ireland 11

Chapter 2: The First People Arrive 21

Chapter 3: The Early Irish Kings 35

Chapter 4: Snakes Alive! Christianity Comes to Ireland 45

Part II: The Normans Are Coming! The Twelfth and Thirteenth Centuries 63

Chapter 5: The Vikings Arrive First 65

Chapter 6: Irish vs Norman Invaders But Who's in Charge? 79

Chapter 7: Boy Meets Gael: The Norman-Irish Alliance 93

Part III: The Invading English Kings: The Fourteenth and Fifteenth Centuries 109

Chapter 8: The Scottish-Irish Rebellion and Its Aftermath 111

Chapter 9: From Richard II to Henry IV: More Turmoil in Ireland 127

Chapter 10: Family Feuds I: The Wars of the Roses 139

Part IV: Religious Wars and Family Feuds: The Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries 155

Chapter 11: Popes Versus Archbishops: The Reformation and Ireland 157

Chapter 12: Religious Roundabouts and Irish Rebellion 169

Chapter 13: James I and the Plantations; Charles I and Chaos 185

Chapter 14: Family Feuds II and III: The English Civil War, then William and James 201

Part V: Catholic and Protestant: The Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries 217

Chapter 15: Going Irish? Grattan's Parliament and Wolfe Tone's Rebellion 219

Chapter 16: Going British: The Act of Union 231

Chapter 17: Three Strikes for Irish Independence: O'Connell, Davis, and Mitchel 247

Chapter 18: The Great Hung…