A SHORT history of Ireland covering about 8,000 years in 340 pages!

Not exactly packed with details, but it's indexed and has enough references and descriptions of key people and events to provide a good starting point for further reading. My edition was published in 1993 by Barnes & Noble and it doesn't appear to have been updated since the first edition in 1988; it still ends in the early 70's, with no updates on the modern "Troubles" in Northern Ireland. If your interest is in anything later than the 60's, you need to look elsewhere.
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This was an easy, conversational read but definitely not an in depth study. This is one of those "casual histories" that are so easy to read, give one enough to use as a conversation point, but little more. ( )

My mother turned me on to this book and i'm very happy she did. I like history and love to get the accounts of things. However it did occur to me i didn't really get Irelands history. As i asked around it seemed that noone was really very clear or straight on Ireland's history.
This book was very accurate and complete. It covered it all but did so in a way that flowed. It would probably be classified more along the lines of a text book but it didn't read like one.
I do have to say though if you just read the last few pages it pretty much tells you all you need to know. Who and what part of ireland is on what side and why they, basically, are fighting. I came away much more educated but i don't think it will ever be clear. ( )

I read this book about 6 years ago. I seem to remember it being fairly dry. I can say that because I honestly don't remember a lot of it. I do remember some of the Michael Collins bits because I read this right after watching the movie with Liam Neeson. Helps to read if it is winter, you have a fire, and a Guineess. ( )