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barrypierce's review against another edition
The only way you can read the Atlas of the Irish Revolution is if you set up some kind of makeshift pulpit in a quiet room. Weighing in at 5kgs and almost 1,000 glossy pages, this book is an utter nightmare to actually read. Thankfully, its contents make up for pain.
Spanning a period of roughly the beginning of Home Rule to the end of the Civil War, the Atlas of the Irish Revolution is a step-by-step account of the creation of the modern Irish Republic. Presented as a book of essays from basically of all the country's leading historians, the Atlas is truly a landmark of research.
However it is not without its flaws. Perhaps the most glaring omission, in my opinion, is that the section on the Anglo-Irish Treaty begins with the signing of the Treaty. There is no essay discussing the Treaty negotiations. I am aware that they weren't exactly the most riveting of talks, but considering what an important document the Treaty was, the exclusion of its creation is glaring.
Then there is also the fact that many of the essays in this collection are but the briefest summaries of events. Many of the essays are essentially a condensed version of the book that the author has written on that specific subject. Therefore it is best to think of these essays as samplers. If you really enjoyed one essay, then you can go and read the author's book.
Special praise must be given to the emphasis given to the role of women in this book, as well as a fantastic selection of female historians (it is just wonderful to see the great Margaret Ward on these pages). The history of the Irish Republic is often summarised by the recitation of the names of the seven men who signed the Proclamation. The Atlas does its absolute best to emphasise the 'Irishwomen' mentioned at the beginning of that document.
It is not surprising that this book won Irish Book of the Year at the Irish Book Awards. Its editors deserve free drinks in every bar for life for the sheer amount of time and effort that must have gone into compiling this mammoth volume. Was the effort worth it? Absolutely. This is the definitive account of the Irish Revolution.
Spanning a period of roughly the beginning of Home Rule to the end of the Civil War, the Atlas of the Irish Revolution is a step-by-step account of the creation of the modern Irish Republic. Presented as a book of essays from basically of all the country's leading historians, the Atlas is truly a landmark of research.
However it is not without its flaws. Perhaps the most glaring omission, in my opinion, is that the section on the Anglo-Irish Treaty begins with the signing of the Treaty. There is no essay discussing the Treaty negotiations. I am aware that they weren't exactly the most riveting of talks, but considering what an important document the Treaty was, the exclusion of its creation is glaring.
Then there is also the fact that many of the essays in this collection are but the briefest summaries of events. Many of the essays are essentially a condensed version of the book that the author has written on that specific subject. Therefore it is best to think of these essays as samplers. If you really enjoyed one essay, then you can go and read the author's book.
Special praise must be given to the emphasis given to the role of women in this book, as well as a fantastic selection of female historians (it is just wonderful to see the great Margaret Ward on these pages). The history of the Irish Republic is often summarised by the recitation of the names of the seven men who signed the Proclamation. The Atlas does its absolute best to emphasise the 'Irishwomen' mentioned at the beginning of that document.
It is not surprising that this book won Irish Book of the Year at the Irish Book Awards. Its editors deserve free drinks in every bar for life for the sheer amount of time and effort that must have gone into compiling this mammoth volume. Was the effort worth it? Absolutely. This is the definitive account of the Irish Revolution.
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