Product Description

The Easter Rising began at 12 noon, 24 April, 1916 and lasted for six short but bloody days, resulting in the deaths of innocent civilians, the destruction of many parts of Dublin, and the true beginning of Irish independence. The 1916 Rising was born out of the Conservative and Unionist parties' illegal defiance of the democratically expressed wish of the Irish electorate for Home Rule; and of confusion, mishap and disorganisation, compounded by a split within the Volunteer leadership. Tim Pat Coogan introduces the major players, themes and outcomes of a drama that would profoundly affect twentieth-century Irish history. Not only is this the story of a turning point in Ireland's struggle for freedom, but also a testament to the men and women of courage and conviction who were prepared to give their lives for what they believed was right.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #111177 in Books
• Published on: 2005-03-03
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 192 pages

About the Author
Tim Pat Coogan was editor of the Irish Press and is now recognised as Ireland's leading popular historian of the twentieth century. He is based in Dublin, Ireland.

Customer Reviews

Gripping account of the Rising, but short on detail
If you are looking for an exciting, easily-readable account of the Easter Rising, then this is the book for you. It's written in Tim Pat Coogan's usual engaging style, and covers the background to the Rising, the events and the key personalities. The accounts of the street fighting are very well done, with lots of anecdotes from those who fought.

The only criticisms I have are firstly that it's very sympathetic to the Rebels - of course, this is no bad thing in itself, but it does affect the author's analysis of the events and reduces the book's objectivity, which makes it harder to see what was really going on. Secondly, it leaves out a lot of details that are covered in Charles Townshend's 1916 book, such as Austin Stack's critical failure to signal to the Germans to land the guns at Fenit, and the reasons for the failure of most of the country outside Dublin to rise, especially "rebel" Cork.

This is no dry academic account though, so maybe it's unfair to fault Coogan on these grounds. It's a great, brief history of the single most important event in modern Irish history, which started us on the path to freedom.