Fenian Chief: A Biography of James Stephens

James Stephens was born in Kilkenny, Ireland in 1824. He watch as his country was wracked by the Great Hunger (Irish Potato Famine), and saw the effects of a revolt carried out without careful planning and preparation. And so, after years spent in exile, he returned to Ireland in 1856 and began to organize the Fenians, named after the heroes of ancient Ireland, coupling the efforts of the Irish-American and Irish communities. And when he saw that his own efforts would result in another ill-planned and ill-prepared uprising, he tried to put on the brakes, only to be removed from his leadership position. This is the story of the rise and fall of James Stephens, inexorably linked with the rise and fall of the Fenians. Overall, I found this to be a very interesting book. The author, noted author and Irish nationalist Desmond Ryan, did a great job of digging into the story of James Stephens, drawing together a lot of facts, and bringing his story into sharp focus. If you are interested in nineteenth century Ireland, then I cannot think of a better resource than this - it talks a lot about Ireland, particularly after the Great Hunger, and goes into great depth on the workings of the Irish nationalist cause during that time.