Irish History for Dummies

By: Mike Cronin

Narrated by: Patrick Moy

Length: 12 hrs and 33 mins

Publisher's Summary

Putting history into a perspective, Irish History for Dummies is an engaging, entertaining and educational trip through time, packing in equal parts fun and facts, providing listeners with a riveting history of this ancient land. The history of Ireland has shaped the world far beyond its borders. And few stories have a greater need for a balanced and light-hearted telling than the complex and often controversial saga of Ireland and her people.

With more than 250 million books in print and more than 1,800 titles, For Dummies is the most widely recognized and highly regarded reference series in the world. Since 1991, For Dummies has helped millions make everything easier. For Dummies audiobooks offer listeners proven experts presenting even the most complex subjects in plain English.

©2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. (P)2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

I Don't Know How the Irish Managed to Endure

I purchased this book to prepare for a vacation in Ireland. Knowing little about Irish history except the relatively recent tragic events in Northern Ireland, I was stunned to read how much the Irish endured mainly at the hands of the English. For centuries, into modern times, the Irish suffered prejudice, religious persecution, exploitation, injustice, poverty, illness, and cruelty as a result of England's superior military strength, unstoppable aggression, and insatiable greed.

Now I can't wait to take my trip and meet my hosts, whom other travelers have described as hospitable, warm, and generous. This is a great tribute to their strength and faith.

The narrator did a wonderful job. He read beautifully. He had an Irish accent (that would seem obvious, but Johnny Depp, with an American accent, read Keith Richards's autobiography--a choice I'll never understand). Although the facts of the country's history are grim, for some reason the book came across as very interesting rather than depressing and painful. The content struck me as thorough and complete.

I highly recommend this book.

15 of 15 people found this review helpful

Great history

If you could sum up Irish History for Dummies in three words, what would they be?

Clear, fascinating & enjoyable

What does Patrick Moy bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Such an accent. I will never read a book about Ireland if I instead could listen to this voice dancing and melting over the text.

Any additional comments?

After visiting Ireland I felt like I had broken bits of history - Viking invasion, English nobles taking over the land, Easter rising - but no clear narrative of how these events wove together into one history. This book was great for that. I could imagine listening to it again just because it is both interesting and narrated by a wonderful voice.

11 of 11 people found this review helpful

Thoroughly enjoyed

This is a good overview of Irish History, it's culture and it's beginnings. I listened to it while on a recent road trip, and it kept my attention. I will probably re-listen to it soon, gleaning some things that I might have missed the first time around.

I returned from a two week trip to Ireland this past October, and wanted an over-view of it's history and so I chose "Irish History for Dummies". I will probably read more books in the future, expanding upon what I have learned. I recommend this book as a start at least, in Irish History. I enjoyed the narrator as well. He has an Irish accent but completely understandable brogue. I thought his pace was perfect.

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

Excellent for total beginners on Irish History...

The narrator's Irish accent added much to the overall enjoyment of this book. Yes, "enjoyment", not just a dry recounting of the history, but some very interesting tidbits about past heroes and past failures.
It put the Troubles in a perspective that I would never have combed out of news stories. Britain does not come off as very nurturing, but as an American, I knew that already. I ready for a trip to Ireland now!

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Nice summary of Irish history.

I have read many articles about different parts of Irish history but it is nice to have a chronological story to fill in the blanks. It was very informative to understand the various conflicts with England and English culture.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Terrific telling of Irish History!

The dry humor made the listening to 1500 years if history pleasant. I recommend this audio book to those who seek to be introduced to an overview of Irish history!

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Love it!. Love Irish people more ever.

I am from Pakistan and working with Irish poeple in U.S for 18 Years. This book has given me a different perspective of their struggle and character more than just culture and accent. I laughed on so many words that I always used to hear but did not know their origin and history behind them. I loved Narrator. His accent was not new to me at all. Great work.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Great overview of Irish History!!!

Loved it. It's amazing how corrupt the English were and how resilient the Irish are. The English took everything they could for 700 years. They took the land and even their native language, supplanting it with English. But the English couldn't take the Irish's steadfast adherence to the true faith of Roman Catholicism and replace it with a manmade counterfeit of Anglicanism. The Irish never sold their soul.

3 of 4 people found this review helpful

Comprehensive military/government history...

But in a 22 hour audiobook I would have liked to hear more from the cultural and female perspectives. So few females mentioned. However, I learned a lot and feel that this was a good place to start.

thorough, interesting, and often amusing.

a pleasant walk through Irish history. I thoroughly enjoyed the many witticisms. The narrator was very very good.

Fun and Interesting in every way

Would you listen to Irish History for Dummies again? Why?

Ignore the wannabe history professors reviewing this and read the title. I am Irish and like most; think I know the full story in a kind of patch work way. This is what this book does. It's all your History classes from school brought together in a humourous and well constructed way. I purchased this knowing I would be on a long journey home and I loved it.
It is not supposed to an intellectual thesis; but a easily accessible story with some brilliant characters that perhaps we have forgotten about.
So never mind some would-be, late night, boring as hell reviewer who wants to really just say how clever he is...and enjoy a nostalgic trip back to 3rd year double history on a Wednesday afternoon and remember how bloody rich our little land is.

If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Ireland - The Years Before Bono

5 of 5 people found this review helpful

Mediocre would be a compliment too far!

This guide to Irish history, tailored as it is for 'Dummies', will serve poorly all who hear it. There are a large number of inaccuracies - wrong dates, misleading causal statements, etc., which for anyone familiar with Irish history, flash like beacons. For those who use this book to give themselves a basic grounding in Irish history, or, God forbid, use it as a reference, they'll be embarrassed when what they believe to be facts are outed as fiction.
The narrator's voice is not bad, if lacking the gravitas required for a book on history. Obviously the youthful tone imparted by the narrator helps negate the austerity that history audiobooks often impart, yet it just seems incongruous in too many contexts. The 'jokes' that are often stapled into the narration are invariably so obvious as to be painful.
Irritatingly, the book is poorly written, quite repetitive in parts and generally sloppy in its conversion to audiobook format.
In the version I downloaded, the introduction is forced on the listener twice; at the start of each part - two times more than it should be!
Too poor to recommend.

8 of 10 people found this review helpful

Excellent book

I have to say I was very surprised at how good this book is. I have read a lot about Irish history and bought this book for an easy listening refresher. It is my for book in the for dummies series. I will now look at what else they have on offer.

1 of 2 people found this review helpful