The Green Flag: A History of Irish Nationalism

A wealth of information and a lifetime of research went into this trilogy of volumes covering Irish Nationalism up to the formation of the Free State. The amount of heroism, suffering, waste, and tragedy chronicled in this book is astonishing and often moving. Kee, a former RAF officer and an Englishmen, certainly has his biases as do all authors. His description of the Easter Rebellion and it's aftermath are indicative of this. He doesn't seem to understand or adequately explain why the masses of Catholic Ireland treated these rebels as heroes after their executions. In general, his main theme is that the problem with the British rule of Ireland wasn't that they treated the Irish as an inferior race or that they did not care about their problems, it's simply that they ignored the problems of the Irish until it was too late to avoid yet another rebellion or crisis. That is one take on the sad history of misgovernment, and one that I don't agree with. The British Empire viewed Ireland as a colony, and only thought of it in terms of how it could benefit England and the Crown. The poverty of the native people, their aspirations for freedom, their desire to choose their own government, etc... these were all things that didn't register with the ruling elite in London. They only paid attention when the Irish people gave them no choice. Due to the narrative being extremely well written and well researched, it deserves a solid 4 stars if not more. It is an invaluable book which covers the confusing evolution of Irish nationalism from the birth of United Irishmen to the atrocities of the Civil War. I find myself going back to it from time to time, sometimes for reference and sometimes for pleasure. Though Kee tends to repeatedly downplay nationalism and later republicanism as legitimate (if chaotic and at times incoherent) mass movements, it is still a book that any student or enthusiast needs to have.

Robert Kee, contrary to previous reviews, is almost surprising in the objectivity he brings to a segment of history notorious for being incredibly emotionally charged -- historical objectivity rather surprising to find in someone that doesn't make history their calling. His well researched trilogy sheds light on the tragic effects of English misrule in Ireland, as well as the startling contrast of nationalist myth and fact -- that militant republicanism, despite the whitewash radicals would like to use, succeeded more in spite of itself than anything, and that it is deeply unrepresentative of Irish political opinion. Indeed, the final success of militant republicanism can be more attributed to the extreme political missteps of the English administration in Ireland than the supposed correctness of their methods. Hardly the imagery painted in Republican music and myth. I highly recommend this book to anyone that seeks an understanding of the underlying causes of the centuries of political strife and violence that have plagued Ireland, and -- despite steps toward peace -- may continue to plague Ireland in the future.

This is a famous and well reputed book. It has been in print now for almost 30 years-deservedly so I might add. I suspect it will still be in print another 30 years from now.Robert Kee was a journalist and a famous World War 2 P.O.W. escapee. He writes lucidly and with great style, eloquence even. Yet above all his books are a darn good read. This book is vividly written, fleshed out with characters and facts that are dispassionatly but richly detailed.This book follows the course of Irish nationalism from the distant past of the Tudor wars and Anglo-Scottish Settlements up through the rise of DeVelera.Its true strength is in parts two and three which recount, in great detail, the growth of Irish nationalist sentiment (and rebellion) and land reform/Catholic emancipation, during the 19th Century. Kee demonstrates clearly the ever so slight, but vital, strand of personal connection that linked Wolfe Tones' United Irishmen to Emmet, Parnell, the Fenians and eventually the I.R.A..Part three details the rise of the Nationalist cause in the wake of Parnell's fall and the rise of the I.R.B./I.R.A. in the late Victorian era up through the Civil war of the 1920s. This book painted very clearly the horror of the Black and Tan war as well as the subsequently even more nasty Irish civil war.Up until the 1970s a great many people in Ireland would not even speak to each other because of the bitterness engendered by the latter conflict. It spawned Ireland's two major parties and the emotions, recriminations and even hatred caused by the Collins/DeVelera conflict still has significant effect today. This era also shaped the course of the present day three I.R.A.s (Provisional,"Real" and "Stickie").This book does not deal with the Present Ulster 'troubles' at all. But you can not understand them, nor modern Ireland without reading this book. Above all, this book was written in a 'neutral' fashion, by an outsider, who deeply loved his subject. It lacks the usual bombast of many other slanted histories. At the same time none of the drama, emotion, glory nor hatred are lost in the telling.To illustrate what I mean by the above review: in 1987 I asked a series of Irish politicians of all persuasions what history book would still be in print in 2037 and what volumes would they use if they had to teach Irish history to a class at Harvard. Every politician (except the Rev.Ian Paisley) mentioned this book.