The Great Hunger

Ireland 1845-1849

By: Cecil Woodham-Smith

Narrated by: Frederick Davidson

The Great Hunger is the story of one of the worst disasters in world history: the Irish Potato Famine of the 1840s. Within five years, one million people died of starvation. Emigrants by the hundreds of thousands sailed for America and Canada in small, ill-equipped, dangerously unsanitary ships. Some ships never arrived; those that did carried passengers already infected with and often dying of typhus.

The Irish who managed to reach the United States alive had little or no money and were often too weak to work. They crowded into dirty cellars, begged, and took whatever employment they could get. Epidemics, riots, and chaos followed in their wake.

The Great Hunger is a heartbreaking story of suffering, insensitivity, and blundering stupidity; yet it is also an epic tale of courage, dignity, and - despite all odds - a hardly supportable optimism.

Cecil Blanche Woodham-Smith (1896-1977) was a British historian and biographer. She wrote four popular history books, each dealing with a different aspect of the Victorian era.

©1962 Cecil Woodham-Smith (P)1998 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

“Mrs. Woodham-Smith has made an individual contribution to Irish history. Her thoroughness in research, compassionate fair-mindedness, and gift of narrative are all again in evidence.” ( The Times, London)

Historically interesting; audibly painful

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Frederick Davidson?

Literally ANYONE who does NOT have a British accent.

Any additional comments?

The story itself is fine, perhaps even better than that as it offers an interesting look back at a oft-forgotten episode that has gone on to play a major role in shaping the world we live in -- particularly those of us living in the United States (especially those of us with Irish ancestors). Also, let me preface my review by saying that I think Frederick Davidson (aka David Chase) is a fine reader, and think he has done great work with books such as "The Brothers Karamazov".

However, having to listen to this book read in English accent makes it **this close** to impossible to enjoy for anybody who goes in knowing a little bit about what went on. I don't mean to imply that England/Britain is solely, or even primarily, at fault for the Potato Famine. As the story rightly explains, blame can be shared on both sides of the Irish Sea, including plenty to be shared by the Irish themselves (some of them anyway). That being said, the English/British government clearly played an instrumental role in allowing the situation to spiral out of control and become the humanitarian disaster it turned out to be. Thus, the decision to have it read in Frederick Davidson's (aka David Chase) prim and proper English accent struck me as both perplexing and, to be perfectly honest, slightly distasteful. Granted, the only thing about me that is truly is Irish is my last name and, yes, my dad was born and raised in the US-of-A (as was his father and father's father). Yet I STILL felt slightly insulted having to listen to this by Davidson.

Conclusion: the story is interesting and, so long as you weren't indoctrinated by pro-Irish, anti-British propaganda as a youth, you may find Davidson's performance perfectly adequate. But don't say you weren't at least warned...

exce packed with info that i never new.

this book explained a lot to me with times dates and names and why people did to help

the great hunger

I had always knew of England's shameful treatment of the Irish but this book goes into the details of the laws pass and indecent treatment of a people that nearly resulted in genocide. Very depressing.

I was really turned off by the narrator...at first

I thought it very absurd that a brit with an upper crust accent should read this book. But when you get to the heart of this book, it's really about all that was done and not done by the great Lords of England. Nothing sounds better than to hear the abominable things written about the Irish in the most detached sophisticated way possible.
Having said that, this book was hard for me to finish. I've read a lot about horrible historical acts but this one really hurt to read. The suffering is unbearable to imagine. If only the camera was in use at this time, the haughty, self centered, perfectly correct British Government would never gotten away with this. Unbelievable.

Good book but the English reader is horrible

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

The book is somewhat old (1962) but was for years the standard book on the Great Irish Famine. There are probably more up-to-date books out there now but I'm not sure of their availability on audiobook. It is a solid introduction to one of the great tragedies of the 19th Century.

How could the performance have been better?

If I had previewed the audio before purchasing, I would not have bought this. The reader has such an insufferable, upper-crust British accent, that it is almost a comical parody of British accents. For someone in America or Canada especially, this is very hard to listen to for any extended period of time.