Modern Ireland: 1600-1972 Paperback – March 6, 1990

I am a student at an Irish university and my literature professor recommended this book to bolster my knowledge of Irish history. Foster's book is highly academic, commenting deeply and brilliantly on many of the political and cultural nuances of modern Irish history. This book demands as a prerequisite a good understand of Irish history. Foster does not hold your hand and he does not explain events or figures in Wikipedia-style brevity. If this is your first time reading about Ireland and are looking for a general history, DO NOT select Foster's book. On the contrary, if you already have a solid foundation of Eire's history and want to read a brilliant analysis of a fascinating country, then proceed with Foster as your guide.

This book is hands down the most well written and informative single volume history of modern Ireland I have read. It covers the subject in a concise, thorough fashion without taking the reader down the more obscure tangents the subject tends towards. A great introduction.The first time I read it I did so straight through, it is that well written.

This is a well-respected scholarly work. Useful as a reference text, but quite ponderous.

Masterful command of primary sources and historiography, smooth prose, insightful and measured argumentation. Will go slowly if you're not familiar with English and general European history, though.

Very detailed. Well researched. The writing style needs improvement. He puts the word "ethos" on an average of every two pages - what does an author mean when the pull out this tired old word? Still, it's an excellent resource for the past four centuries of Irish history.

I intended to acquire said publication during my grad school days in Ireland; but, did not wish to carry it back to the states, and was existing on a shoestring budget. So now I have it.Thank You

I’m sure this is a great book for historians, but it is not a good first book on Irish history. I muscled through it and learned some, but there were so many names and terms and places, I was mostly lost most of the time.

the print is smaller than I can read comfortably.