An Irish Century 1845 - 1945

The size and weight of this make it more of a coffee table book than a typical academic hardback. The obvious advantage to this is that Small has more room for b/w photos, which he uses copiously. As the title suggests, Small covers Ireland from 1845 to 1945, from the famine to the end of WWII. Though it is useful as a history text, the book truly showcases wonderful photographs, some of well-known Irish personalities and some of the beautiful rural landscape. There are newspaper sketches and political cartoons to illustrate the changes that took place throughout the 100 year span Small addresses. He divides the book into six parts: From Famine to Parnell, Independence and Beyond, The United States Connection, Working Life, Arts and Literature, and Religion. He also includes relevant timelines at the book's conclusion. The first two sections focus on politics, the third on the tremendous kinship shared between Ireland and America, the fourth on agriculture and the changes in Irish industry, the fifth on Ireland's many magnificent contributions to the humanities, and the sixth on Ireland's important religious composition. I believe this is a very good book on Irish history and I am quite surprised that it has gone out-of-print. If you are able to find a copy, buy it. Both the gorgeous pictures and the text are well worth your money.