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ENCHANTING IRELAND
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Amongst Women • John McGahern LITERATURE • 1995 • PAPER • 184 PAGES McGahern, one of Ireland's finest living writers of fiction, has captured the changing spirit of the nation in this story of an embittered Republican farmer and his daughters, who will go on to shape a new country. (IRE58, $14.00)
Angela's Ashes • Frank McCourt BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR • 1999 • PAPER • 364 PAGES • YOUNG ADULTS The Pulitzer Prize-winning memoir of an Irish childhood spent in abject poverty in the slums of Limerick, told with enormous wit, grace, and skill. (IRE18, $16.00)
The Aran Islands • J.M. Synge • Tim Robinson CULTURAL PORTRAIT • 1992 • PAPER • 208 PAGES A much-loved turn-of-the-century account of the islands, drenched in the Celtic soul of Ireland. Synge ("The Playboy of the Modern World"), who went there to write, contrasts the rich communal life of the islands with the culture on mainland Ireland. (IRE26, $15.00)
Art of the Celts • Lloyd Robert Laing • Jennifer Laing ART & ARCHITECTURE • 1992 • PAPER • 216 PAGES A volume in the acclaimed "World of Art" series, this is a broad introduction to Celtic art, from the 5th century B.C. to 1200 A.D. (CLT02, $19.95)
Atlas of the Irish Rural Landscape • F.H.A Aalen NATURAL HISTORY • 1997 • HARD COVER • 364 PAGES A truly informative look at the geography and history of the Irish landscape. More than an atlas, this is an analysis of how the land has effected the economical, educational and education development of the country, and vice-versa. (IRE57, $62.95)
The Big Fellow • Frank O'Connor BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR • 1998 • PAPER • 224 PAGES A reissue of the classic biography of the charismatic revolutionary Michael Collins, elegantly written and even-handed. (IRE31, $12.00)
Birds of Britain & Europe • Hermann Heinzel • Richard Fitter • John Parslow FIELD GUIDE • 1998 • PAPER • 384 PAGES • COMING IN This masterfully organized Collins Pocket Guide, featuring 3,000 color illustrations covers the birds of Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. Maps, text and illustrations for each species are organized together on facing pages for quick reference in the field. Heinzel contributed all the handsome watercolor illustrations. (EUR49, $27.50)
Blue Guide Prague • Jasper Tilbury GUIDEBOOK • 2004 • PAPER • 224 PAGES A detailed guide to the jewel of Eastern Europe complete with practical information, maps and cultural and historical background of Prague and Central Bohemia. With a color map, site plans and line drawings. (CZH56, $21.95)
A Book of Migrations, Some Passages in Ireland • Rebecca Solnit CULTURAL PORTRAIT • 2010 • PAPER • 208 PAGES In this intriguing book, the American-born author (now an Irish citizen) introduces the country, its history and literature in a series of essays. Solnit, a wonderful writer, is a thoughtful questioner of the modern Irish identity. (IRE44, $16.95)
Bradt Guide Eccentric Britain • Benedict le Vay GUIDEBOOK • 2011 • PAPER • 384 PAGES From Longleat's Marquess of Bath and his 'set' of 62 'wifelets' to Biddeford's four acre Gnome Reserve, home to over a thousand of the little red-capped critters, and Chipping Campden's World Shin-kicking Championships, le Vay's book is an engaging and amusing read as well as being a practical travel guide. Lost for ideas? A calendar to the Eccentric Year is at hand - it's May so it must be the Randwick Wap religious cheese rolling festival. If you can wait a while August sees Tatton Park host the English Open Chainsaw Competition. Elsewhere, the guide details the Falkirk Wheel's triumph of eccentric engineering, which raises up to six boats at a time 155 feet from a canal to an aqueduct. However, if all this weirdness leaves you feeling a little jaded a trip to Salcombe, Devon and an encounter with Overbeck's Rejuvenator, just one of the items on display at the Electric Shock Museum, may ginger things up a bit... (GBR586, $24.99)
The Burning of Bridget Cleary, A True Story • Angela Bourke HISTORY • 2001 • PAPER • 279 PAGES The harrowing account of the turn-of-the-century murder of a young woman in rural Ireland and the subsequent trial of her husband. It's both a detailed social history and a riveting story that transports the reader to another time and place. The ditty "Are you a witch or are you a fairy or are you the wife of Micahel Cleary?" still reverberates in South Tipperary, where Cleary's greatest crime may have been that she was a vivacious, outspoken and beautiful woman. (IRE89, $16.00)
Cathedrals and Castles, The Cathedral Builders of the Middle Ages • Alain Erlande-Brandenburg ART & ARCHITECTURE • 2010 • PAPER • 175 PAGES This pocket-size encyclopedia of the art, architecture and culture of the Middle Ages features hundreds of drawings, color illustrations and a brief chronology. Take it along to gain a better appreciation of the Middle Ages and its legacy in Europe. (MED07, $15.95)
A Celtic Miscellany • Kenneth Hurlstone Jackson ANTHOLOGY • 1975 • PAPER • 352 PAGES A survey of Celtic literature through the ages from bardic elegies to heroic sagas. (IRE93, $16.00)
Celtic Myths and Legends • T.W. Rolleston LITERATURE • 1990 • PAPER • 457 PAGES The enchantment of the timeless world of the Celtic heroes, especially in Irish but also in Welsh myths and tales, is depicted in the legends of Arthur and many other traditional tales. Genealogical tables and a glossary complete this classic collection of the great Celtic myths first published in 1917. (GBR55, $12.95)
Clara's Grand Tour, Travels With a Rhinoceros in Eighteenth-century Europe • Glynis Ridley HISTORY • 2006 • PAPER • 240 PAGES The entertaining history of a most unusual eighteenth-century European celebrity. Clara the Indian rhinoceros was brought to Europe in 1741 by the Dutch sea captain Douwemout Van der Meer, and toured for seventeen years, to the delight of heads of state such as Louis XV and Frederick the Great. A marvelous and unique look at the introduction of Eastern wildlife into the Western world. (FRN536, $12.00)
The Collected Poems of W. B. Yeats • W.B. Yeats • Richard Finneran LITERATURE • 1996 • PAPER • 544 PAGES This magnificent volume collects all of the poetry published during the lifetime of the great Irish poet William Butler Yeats, considered by many to be the finest of his generation. His poems, especially the later works, project a verbal brilliance that few have matched. The volume is also wonderfully evocative of the Irish character, regularly drawing on mythology, politics and history. Yeats had the unique habit of drafting his poems in prose, then laboriously sculpting them into the polished pieces you find here. They seem, finally -- effortless. With an introduction and commentary by editor Richard Finneran. (IRE34, $20.00)
The Complete Jewish Guide to Britain and Ireland • Toni Kamins GUIDEBOOK • 2001 • PAPER • 148 PAGES A well research compact travel guide with a short overview of Jewish history and plenty of practical travel information on where to go and what to do. Organized geographically, the book includes synagogues, cemeteries, museums and other sites of Jewish interest (GBR366, $17.95)
Complete Works of Oscar Wilde • Oscar Wilde LITERATURE • 1989 • PAPER • 1216 PAGES A one-volume edition of all the works of Wilde, including stories, plays, poems and essays. (IRE35, $25.00)
The Confession of Saint Patrick, And Letter to Coroticus • Saint Patrick • John Skinner • John O'Donohue BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR • 1998 • PAPER The autobiography of the patron saint of Ireland, a short collection of his memories and ideas on the Christian faith written in the fifth century. This new translation also includes his "Letter to Coroticus," thus combining in one volume the two known works written by Patrick. (IRE102, $6.95)
Ireland, A Concise History • Maire O'Brien • Conor Cruise O'Brien HISTORY • 1985 • PAPER • 192 PAGES • COMING IN With its lively, even-handed tone and hundreds of well-integrated photographs and illustrations, this book conveys the essence of Irish history and the Irish experience. Historian, scholar and statesman O'Brien is a grand figure in Ireland, and he sure can write. (IRE20, $19.95)
The Course of Irish History • T.W. Moody • F.X. Martin HISTORY • 2002 • PAPER • 504 PAGES An collection of excellent essays on the history of Ireland from prehistory through the 1990s, written by 21 leading scholars. Arranged chronologically, this popular text is a well-balanced survey that includes Protestant and Catholic scholars from both Northern Ireland and the Republic. (IRE74, $18.95)
Dublin Map • Borch Maps 2004 • MAP A laminated, folded map of the city center of Dublin, at a scale of 1:12,000. Two Sides. 20 X 26 inches. (IRE96, $7.95)
Early Ireland, An Introduction to Irish Prehistory • Michael O'Kelly HISTORY • 1989 • PAPER • 392 PAGES An illustrated introduction to Irish prehistory, from the end of the Ice Age to the the first centuries of the Christian era. (IRE81, $82.00)
Emerald Fairways and Foam-Flecked Seas, A Golfer's Pilgrimage to the Courses of Ireland • James W. Finegan CULTURAL PORTRAIT • 1996 • HARD COVER • 192 PAGES In this wonderful companion to Finegan's book on Scotland, Blasted Heaths and Blessed Greens, the author returns to his native Ireland to explore both golf and the Irish people. (IRE25, $52.00)
Emigrants and Exiles: Ireland and the Irish Exodus to North America • Kerby A. Miller HISTORY • 1988 • PAPER • 704 PAGES An epic account of the trans-Atlantic Irish emigration. Much of Miller's research is focused on the personal letters, journals and memoirs of Irish emigrants. (IRE83, $24.95)
The End of Hidden Ireland • Robert James Scally HISTORY • 1996 • PAPER • 288 PAGES A scholarly, imaginative re-creation of a difficult period in the history of the townland of Ballykilcline. Subtitled "Rebellion, Famine and Emigration, it's a sympathetic account of of the small farmers and labors of the irish midlands, a community devastated by the black famine years of the 1840s and ongoing emigration to America. (IRE63, $50.00)
Europe in Our Time, A History, 1945-1992 • Walter Laqueur HISTORY • 1993 • PAPER • 617 PAGES An update of the classic general history of Europe since World War II, this enormously readable book offers a great overview of the events that have shaped our modern world. (EUR14, $17.95)
Eyewitness Guide Dublin • Eyewitness Guides GUIDEBOOK • 2011 • PAPER • 192 PAGES A compact guide to sites, attractions and places of Dublin featuring excellent maps and hundreds of full color photographs and site diagrams. With select recommendations on where to eat and stay. (IRE85, $20.00)
Eyewitness Guide Ireland • Eyewitness Guides GUIDEBOOK • 2012 • PAPER • 416 PAGES This superb guide is a wonderfully illustrated introduction to the country, featuring photographs, maps and short background essays on history and culture. Organized geographically, it surveys the attractions of Ireland from Dublin's best pubs, to the Book of Kells and charming rural villages. Take it along. (IRE02, $25.00)
Far From the Shamrock Shore • Mick Moloney MUSIC • 2002 • CASETTE TAPE The Irish immigrant experience as expressed through song-by a popular ethnomusicologist, performer and founder of Irish Folkways. A music CD (IRE116, $17.98)
Folktales of Ireland • Sean O'Sullivan LITERATURE • 1968 • PAPER • 321 PAGES No nation is better known for its folktales than Ireland. These are not myths and legends but a representative collection of fables and tales, often with a moral, by the chief archivist of the Folklore of Ireland Society including stories about animals and birds, kings and warriors, saints and sinners, magicians and witches, and people of the otherworld. (IRE24, $32.00)
The Gothic Enterprise, A Guide to Understanding the Medieval Cathedral • Robert A. Scott ART & ARCHITECTURE • 2005 • PAPER • 294 PAGES Scott, whose interest in the history of cathedrals began when he first saw the magnificent Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Salisbury, England, takes his reader on a historical, architectural and sociological tour of the magnificent spires and stained-glass windows that dot the landscape of Europe. It's an accessible, personable overview. (EUR190, $21.95)
The Great Hunger: Ireland, 1845-1849 • Cecil Woodham-Smith HISTORY • 1995 • PAPER • 510 PAGES A masterful account of the Irish potato famine in which over one million people died. Woodham-Smith is especially good at describing the suffering of the Irish emigrants and in exposing the hostile Anglo-Irish relations of the time. (IRE76, $18.00)
Green Shadows, White Whale • Ray Bradbury BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR • 2002 • PAPER • 237 PAGES Set in Dublin, this 1953 hymn to Ireland recounts Bradbury's hilarious experiences writing the Moby Dick screenplay with John Huston (who Bradbury refers to affectionately as the "Devil Himself"). Whether fact, fiction or thinly disguised memoir, Bradbury is one terrific guide to Ireland, the Irish, the ways of writers and movie makers -- and how to write the perfect sentence. It's dedicated to the staff of the Royal Hibernian Hotel. (IRE53, $13.99)
Here Is Where We Meet • John Berger LITERATURE • 2006 • PAPER • 256 PAGES This novel weaves a portrait of several European countries through encounters with the dead, from the narrator's mother, whom he discovers on a park bench in Lisbon, to a childhood friend wandering a market in Krakow. "The dead don't stay where they are buried," the protagonist's mother tells him, and this becomes the mantra for this most unusual journey through Europe's history and people. (EUR189, $15.00)
The History and Topography of Ireland • John O'Meara • Gerald of Wales CULTURAL PORTRAIT • 1984 • PAPER • 144 PAGES Arguably the most authoritative primary source for what is known about medieval Ireland, this lively history by a twelfth-century Norman describes the land's topography, natural resources, and inhabitants in vivid detail. (IRE92, $14.00)
An Illustrated History of the First World War • John Keegan HISTORY • 2001 • HARD COVER • 448 PAGES • COMING IN An illustrated edition of Keegan's outstanding history of the Great War, considerably enhanced by his selection of almost 500 photographs, maps, drawings and illustrations. The visuals clarify and augment his wide-ranging narrative of the origins, battles and consequences of WWI. (WAR16, $50.00)
In a Time of Violence • Eavan Boland LITERATURE • 1995 • PAPER • 70 PAGES Irish poet Boland writes of her native land, and of the violences there -- personal, political, historical and familial in this powerful collection. (IRE86, $15.95)
In Search of England • H.V. Morton • James Morris TRAVEL NARRATIVE • 2002 • PAPER • 274 PAGES The much-beloved, enduring account of Morton's ramblings through the English countryside in the early days of the motorcar. As in all of his many travel books, Morton charmingly mixes a deep appreciation of the art, culture, and especially, the history of a place with his own keen observations. First published in 1927 and now returned to print in a handsome paper edition with an introduction by Jan Morris. (GBR368, $16.00)
An Innocent in Ireland, Curious Rambles and Singular Encounters • David W. McFadden TRAVEL NARRATIVE • 1995 • PAPER • 320 PAGES A Canadian poet and essayist embarks on an ambitious journey in the footsteps of H. V. Morton's 1930's route through Ireland. Soon abandoning his quest, McFadden finds himself simply walking the Irish countryside, exploring the modern day Irish character and history. Determinedly eccentric, McFadden has an ear for dialogue and a penchant for evocative descriptions of his encounters. (IRE22, $18.95)
Inventing Ireland, The Literature of the Modern Nation • Declan Kiberd CULTURAL PORTRAIT • 1997 • PAPER • 736 PAGES This engaging, and often passionate, study of Ireland's modern literature is an introduction to the panorama of Irish culture during the last century. It may change the way you look at the works of Beckett, Joyce and Swift, and Irish literature as a whole. (IRE54, $40.50)
Ireland East Holiday Map • Ireland Ordnance Survey MAP A locally published, detailed map of the eastern part of Ireland at a scale of 1:250,000. One Side. 42x26 inches. (IRE117, $19.95)
Ireland in Mind • Alice Powers ANTHOLOGY • 2000 • PAPER • 288 PAGES Powers selects from three centuries of great writing about Ireland by writers, local and foreign, including Oscar Wilde, James Joyce, Virginia Woolf and Frank McCourt for this spirited anthology. Taken as a whole the anthology evokes the spirit of the country and character of the Irish people. (IRE71, $13.00)
Ireland North Map • Ireland Ordnance Survey 2005 • MAP A locally published, detailed map of the northern part of Ireland at a scale of 1:250,000. One Side. 26x42 inches. (IRE48, $17.95)
Ireland, a Bicycle, and a Tin Whistle • David Wilson TRAVEL NARRATIVE • 1995 • PAPER • 176 PAGES Whether it's the author's adventures in crowded pubs or out in the wild, this travel account is a modest, humorous report on Ireland, its people, festivals and cultures -- with a particular focus on traditional music. Cartoons by Justin Palmer add to the fun. (IRE17, $19.95)
Ireland, A Concise History from the Twelfth Century to the Present Day • Paul Johnson HISTORY • 1996 • PAPER • 262 PAGES This best-selling author's look at the Emerald Isle through siege, rebellion, civil war, and independence is a stimulating and sometimes provocative history. He explores the land from its Gaelic roots to conquest by the British, rebellion and union, famine and the diaspora, freedom and partition. (IRE03, $15.95)
Ireland, A Social and Cultural History, 1922 to the Present • Terence K. Brown HISTORY • 1895 • PAPER • 302 PAGES A well written history of Ireland, emphasizing the relationship between the country's cultural influences and its politics, economics and church-state affairs. A popular college text. (IRE73, $23.95)
The Irish Experience, a Concise History • Thomas E. Hachey • Lawrence John McCaffrey • Joseph M. Hernon, Jr. HISTORY • 1996 • PAPER • 303 PAGES A chronological review of the Irish historical experience, from the Celts to the modern conflict in Northern Ireland written for a North American audience. Originally published in 1988 and revised in 1996 for this second edition. (IRE87, $38.95)
Irish Journal • Heinrich Boll TRAVEL NARRATIVE • 2011 • PAPER • 144 PAGES Insightful, witty and deeply human, German novelist Boll records his impressions of Ireland on a 1950s journey through the country with his family. He writes of his escalating difficulties exchanging money, his adventures in Irish pubs and his impressions of the people. (IRE12, $14.95)
Karen Brown's Ireland, Exceptional Places to Stay & Itineraries • June Brown GUIDEBOOK • 2010 • PAPER • 210 PAGES A survey of inns, castles and other lodging of character, along with suggested itineraries and highlights of each region. (IRE88, $19.95)
The Lie of the Land: Irish Identities • Fintan O'Toole CULTURAL PORTRAIT • 1998 • PAPER • 172 PAGES O'Toole's essays -- informed by an appreciation of history and the arts -- reveal through interviews a complex nation in the midst of change. This book collects some of his best writing over the last two decades, an elegantly written, witty and insightful portrait. (IRE60, $14.00)
Life of St. Columba • Adomnan of Iona • Richard Sharpe BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR • 1995 • PAPER • 395 PAGES An early account of the life of St. Columba (521-97), the 6th-century abbot who established the monastery on Iona. Written by Adomnan of Iona at the turn of the 8th century, it introduces the profoundly spiritual man as well as his famous abbey. A Penguin Classic. (IRE103, $17.00)
The Luck of the Irish, Our Life in County Clare • Niall Williams • Christine Breen BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR • 1995 • HARD COVER • 234 PAGES The fourth book (all with cute titles) of life in rural Ireland from an Irish-American family, this one was written after nearly ten years living on a farm. It focuses on the economic realities -- Niall and his wife get part-time jobs -- and day-to-day life in Ireland. (IRE32, $20.00)
Mammals of Europe • Priscilla Barrett • David W. MacDonald FIELD GUIDE • 2002 • PAPER • 320 PAGES Published by Princeton, this is a field guide to land and marine mammals throughout Europe, both endemic and introduced. With more than 600 color illustrations of over 200 mammals, it's a comprehensive handbook, with detailed descriptions, range maps and commentary on behavior. (FG61, $38.50)
Modern Ireland, 1600-1972 • R.F. Foster HISTORY • 1990 • PAPER • 688 PAGES Highly regarded historian R.F. Foster balances scholarly research with his own masterful analysis of Ireland's history over the past four centuries. Foster's perceptive narration through Ireland's key events and most complex issues will engage academic and general readers alike. (IRE67, $20.00)
Mythologies • W.B. Yeats LITERATURE • 1998 • PAPER • 384 PAGES This collection of three classic legends by the great Irish poet includes "The Celtic Twilight", "The Secret Rose" and "Stories of Red Hanrahan." (IRE38, $17.00)
O Come Ye Back to Ireland, Our First Year in County Clare • Niall Williams • Christine Breen BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR • 1989 • PAPER • 233 PAGES The first of four engaging chronicles of life on a farm in rural County Clare by an Irish-American couple who realized their lifelong dream of returning to Ireland. They settled in Kilmihil on Ireland's west coast, a far cry from New York City. (IRE16, $12.00)
Opened Ground, Selected Poems 1966-1996 • Seamus Heaney LITERATURE • 1999 • PAPER • 464 PAGES The definitive collection of poetry by Irish Nobel Laureate Seamus Heaney. Chronicling his best work from the last 30 years, this volume is an invaluable piece of modern Irish literature, and a wonderful display of the evolution of an artist's style. Includes poems from The Haw Lantern, Seeing Things, North, Death of a Naturalist and other collections. (IRE65, $19.00)
Oscar Wilde • Richard Ellman BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR • 1988 • PAPER • 680 PAGES Considered the definitive biography of Wilde, this Pulitzer Prize-winning book has been much celebrated since its original publication in 1988. Elliman paints a vivid picture both of Wilde's flamboyant life and of his tremendous literary accomplishments. (IRE33, $24.00)
The Oxford Illustrated History of Ireland • R.F. Foster HISTORY • 2001 • PAPER • 346 PAGES A handsomely illustrated, comprehensive history of Ireland, written by a team of scholars. With 200 illustrations, many in color. (IRE82, $29.95)
Passing the Time in Ballymenone: Culture and History of an Ulster Community • Henry Glassie CULTURAL PORTRAIT • 1995 • PAPER • 852 PAGES A lyrical study of the people of Ballymenone in Northern Ireland. With depth and an anthropologist's awareness, Glassie reveals the farming community's folklore, traditions, language and way of life. (IRE84, $41.50)
The Penguin Book of Contemporary Irish Poetry • Peter Fallon ANTHOLOGY • 1991 • PAPER • 462 PAGES An anthology of modern poetry, including selections from modern masters Seamus Heaney, Paul Durcan and John Montague. (IRE49, $17.00)
Pilgrimage in Ireland • Peter Harbison HISTORY • 1995 • PAPER • 256 PAGES The medieval Irish pilgrimage (and the monuments associated with it) is the subject of this book, a clear examination of the early Christian world in Ireland. (IRE78, $19.95)
A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man • James Joyce LITERATURE • 1992 • PAPER • 247 PAGES This autobiographical novel, a literary classic, depicts the Irish Catholic boyhood and intellectual awakening its young hero, Stephen Dedalus. It follows Dedalus from his impressionable youth to deep religious conflict at school in Dublin to college where he challenges the conventions of his upbringing and the understanding of faith. (IRE11, $14.00)
Reading in the Dark • Seamus Deane LITERATURE • 1998 • PAPER • 256 PAGES Combining the intimacy of a memoir and the suspense of a detective story, this novel follows a young Catholic boy growing up in a Northern Ireland of the 1950's, dealing with a family full of secrets and a city full of hatred. (IRE59, $15.00)
The Redress of Poetry • Seamus Heaney LITERATURE • 1996 • PAPER Based on a series of lectures given at Oxford, Ireland's great poet and Nobel Laureate celebrates such diverse luminaries as Christopher Marlowe, Oscar Wilde, Dylan Thomas and Elizabeth Bishop. For those that are interested, Heaney has written dozens of books, including a 1998 selection of poetry called Opened Ground. (IRE51, $21.00)
Rivers of Ireland, An Angler's Guide • Peter O'Reilly GUIDEBOOK • 1999 • PAPER • 335 PAGES A comprehensive guide to how, where and when to fish in Ireland. O'Reilly, an officer at Ireland's Central Fisheries Board, knows his territory. Fourth edition. (IRE118, $34.95)
The Romance of Tristan and Iseult • Joseph Bedier • Hillaire Belloc LITERATURE • 1994 • PAPER • 205 PAGES This chivalric myth -- of Arthurian fame -- features a Cornish knight and an Irish princess who are under a spell of love. It's Joseph Bedier's translation (Belloc rendered Bedier's French into English in the early 1900s). (GBR246, $13.00)
Round Ireland in Low Gear • Eric Newby TRAVEL NARRATIVE • 2011 • PAPER • 328 PAGES This time much closer to home and traveling on a bicycle, far-ranging British travel writer Newby applies his usual charm and wit to his neighbors on the Emerald Isle, with suitable commentary on ancient history, hermits, and the lack of dry accommodations. He and Wanda elect to set out in the dead of the winter (so, perhaps, they should have expected less than perfect weather!) (IRE29, $18.95)
Round Ireland With a Fridge • Tony Hawks TRAVEL NARRATIVE • 2001 • PAPER • 256 PAGES Smug English comics beware. Hawks accepts a drunken bet that he could circumnavigate Ireland in one month with a refrigerator, an escapade inspired by his one and only previous visit to the country. Not surprisingly, the English author, musician and comic discovers that the Irish aren't as ridiculous as he had previously thought, but instead are a warm, generous people. He captures the spirit of the country in this deeply silly, entertaining book. The stunt inspired a media circus, including a daily radio broadcast. It was a mini-fridge. (IRE70, $14.95)
Samuel Beckett, The Last Modernist • Anthony Cronin BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR • 1997 • PAPER • 672 PAGES A biography of the famously difficult Nobel Laureate Beckett, from his membership in Joyce's circle in Dublin and Paris, to his modernist plays and essays, to his death in 1989. Cronin, a Dublin acquaintance of Beckett's, concentrates on the man as an artist, and his impact on 20th-century thought and literature. (IRE36, $21.95)
A Short History of Irish Literature • Seamus Deane HISTORY • 1994 • PAPER From its Gaelic origins to its contemporary achievements, this book follows the evolution of Irish literature. An excellent overview to the country's rich literary history. (IRE55, $17.50)
The Story of Lucy Gault • William Trevor LITERATURE • 2003 • PAPER • 240 PAGES A tragedy is born of accident, guilt, religious strife and misunderstanding in another wonderful novel from Trevor -- this one set in 1920s County Cork. If the mark of an affecting novel is that it leaves readers mourning its outcome, then this is a most affecting book. (IRE119, $15.00)
Sun Dancing, A Vision of Medieval Ireland • Geoffrey Moorhouse LITERATURE • 2009 • PAPER • 280 PAGES This wonderfully inspired book carries the reader back 1000 years to Ireland's early monastic tradition. Combing scholarship and historical fiction, Moorehouse traces the influence of Vikings, Romans and Anglo-Normans on Irish culture through an imagined story of life at the monastery on Skellig Michael. The second half of the book is a more traditional history of monastic traditions in Ireland, organized thematically. (IRE13, $22.95)
The Tain, Translated from the Irish epic Tain Bo Cuailnge • Thomas Kinsella • Louis Le Brocquy LITERATURE • 1983 • PAPER • 320 PAGES An English translation of the heroic tale of Cuchulainn, the 8th-century defender of Ulster. Based on two Medieval texts, this authoritative translation of the Irish epic is also nicely illustrated with 31 black-and-white drawings. The action described includes cattle raids, rival armies, local royalty and superhuman efforts of our hero, the Hound of Ulster. Kinsella is an Irish poet and translator who also edited "The New Oxford Book of Irish Verse." (IRE100, $19.95)
A Traveller's History of Ireland • Peter Neville HISTORY • 2009 • PAPER • 288 PAGES From the Celts to the Norman invasions and modern-day Ireland, this short history is highly recommended for those who would like a brief overview of the Emerald Isle through the centuries. (GBR39, $14.95)
The Vintage Book of Contemporary Irish Fiction • Dermot Bolger LITERATURE • 1995 • PAPER A wide-ranging and highly readable collection of late 20th century fiction by 50 Irish writers. This is a varied and up-to-the-minute look at modern Irish literature. Contributors include John Banville, Samuel Beckett, Roddy Doyle, Neil Jordan and William Trevor. (IRE61, $16.95)
Wildflowers of Britain and Europe • Margaret and Roland Spohn FIELD GUIDE • 2008 • PAPER • 320 PAGES This indispensable guide to the Wild Flowers of Britain and Europe in Black's Nature Guide series covers 450 species, each beautifully illustrated with detailed paintings and clear photographs. The images not only show you what the plant looks like in its habitat, but also focus in on specific features such as the leaves or flower head, to aid identification. (EUR46, $21.95)
Wine Country Europe, Touring, Tasting, And Buying At European Regional Wineries • Ornella D'Alessio • Marco Santini FOOD • 2005 • HARD COVER • 324 PAGES Part how-to, part guidebook, part picture book, this charming coffee table treat covers sprawling French vineyards as well as lesser-known hidden treasures in Austria and Hungary. The authors, both Italian journalists and wine connoisseurs, provide helpful tips alongside the hundreds of magnificent color photographs. (EUR191, $35.00)

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