The Rebels of Ireland

The Dublin Saga

By: Edward Rutherfurd

Narrated by: Richard Matthews

Length: 29 hrs and 45 mins

Publisher's summary

The Princes of Ireland, the first volume of Edward Rutherfurd’s magisterial epic of Irish history, ended with the disastrous Irish revolt of 1534 and the disappearance of the sacred Staff of Saint Patrick.

The Rebels of Ireland opens with an Ireland transformed; plantation, the final step in the centuries-long English conquest of Ireland, is the order of the day, and the subjugation of the native Irish Catholic population has begun in earnest.

Edward Rutherfurd brings history to life through the tales of families whose fates rise and fall in each generation: Brothers who must choose between fidelity to their ancient faith or the security of their families; a wife whose passion for a charismatic Irish chieftain threatens her comfortable marriage to a prosperous merchant; a young scholar whose secret rebel sympathies are put to the test; men who risk their lives and their children’s fortunes in the tragic pursuit of freedom, and those determined to root them out forever.

Rutherfurd spins the saga of Ireland’s 400-year path to independence in all its drama, tragedy, and glory through the stories of people from all strata of society - Protestant and Catholic, rich and poor, conniving and heroic.

His richly detailed narrative brings to life watershed moments and events, from the time of plantation settlements to the “Flight of the Earls,” when the native aristocracy fled the island, to Cromwell’s suppression of the population and the imposition of the harsh anti-Catholic penal laws. He describes the hardships of ordinary people and the romantic, doomed attempt to overthrow the Protestant oppressors, which ended in defeat at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690, and the departure of the “Wild Geese.”

In vivid tones Rutherfurd re-creates Grattan’s Parliament, Wolfe Tone's attempted French invasion of 1798, the tragic rising of Robert Emmet, the Catholic campaign of Daniel O’Connell, the catastrophic famine, the mass migration to America, and the glorious Irish Renaissance of Yeats and Joyce. And through the eyes of his characters, he captures the rise of Charles Stewart Parnell and the great Irish nationalists and the birth of an Ireland free of all ties to England.

A tale of fierce battles, hot-blooded romances, and family and political intrigues, The Rebels of Ireland brings the story begun in The Princes of Ireland to a stunning conclusion.

©2006 Edward Rutherfurd (P)2006 Books on Tape

Critic reviews

"Ambitious in scope, teeming with a huge cast of finely drawn and realized characters, and dripping with authentic historical detail, this lengthy but eminently readable narrative will satisfy the appetites of discerning historical fiction aficionados." (Booklist)

“A giant, sprawling, easy-to-read story told in James Michener fashion.” (Maeve Binchy)

“A sweeping, carefully reconstructed portrait of a nation...Leaps through the centuries.” (New York Times)

Amazing

This book is phenomenal and the reader is just as well! I will definitely be getting the rest of the Rutherford books.

wonderful excellent!

Well written, great characters, great story. Edward Rutherfurd is a great writer and doesn't disappoint.

Can't Wait for "New York"

Just finished this series (do 2 books qualify as a series?), and I'm disappointed - not in the books but in being finished with them.

I'm a Rutherfurd fan; I must be b/c finishing these brings me up-to-date in having read everything he's written. Makes me a fan, right? I've heard it said of Rutherfurd that his characters are shallow - just as you get interested, he moves on. In his defense, to that I say, give the guy a break. After all, he's covering pre-history to modern day (in most cases, in one book). How much time could he really spend on in-depth individual character development?

The book is worth a 4, but I gave this a 5 b/c, in addition to an author I enjoy, I discovered a splendid narrator in Simon Vance. Love his voice - somewhere between totally relaxing and keeping me focused so as not to miss a word.

It's a great read; I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Good story, good narration

I have to admit a certain bias to Edward Rutherford's books. He makes history come alive with interesting characters and sprinkling of well worked fiction faithful to the time and history of a place.

This is another outing with a very good narrator. I enjoyed it very much.

The one quibble that I have is that the history jumps a little and that can be a tad jarring. I feel that he has never written a better book than Sarum. But I still enjoy the latter books.

I can't get enough of Rutherfurd

The story is a good way to obtain a general understanding of Ireland's history while being entertained at the same time. I became completely invested in the characters and their outcomes. That is the mark of a great storyteller. I want to learn more about the Irish plight but also am able to see present political agendas and philosophy in my own Western Nation as I heard in the book. How are we this far along and still the same? I find myself fantasizing about visiting Ireland and the places in the book. Not a matter of it but when.

Peerless storyteller

Rutherfurd novels are how I learn my history. And the Dublin saga is as good as it gets. Enthralling.

Amazing portrait of Ireland and those that peopled it

Read The Princes of Ireland first then go through the rebels. Be enthralled You won't be able to get out of the car!

Masterful!

The book and the reader were perfect. Another Rutherford masterpiece. Felt like I wasn't back in time to learn that apparently we have learned little to nothing of history.

Another don't miss series

I love these historical series where you follow a couple of families through time. This is one of the best. I found every excuse I could to plug in and listen and absolutely whizzed through all three. The narrator is perfect.

An Irish Must Read

This book offers the historical insight into the deep long history of the religious conflicts in Ireland. The story is well written, characters believeable and the book moves along. Do not be scared away by the book's length, it does not drag. excellent work and terrific follow-up to the original Dublin saga.