The Oxford illustrated history of Ireland. [Prehistoric and early Christian Ireland; Norman invasion and the Gaelic recovery; Early Modern Ireland, c.1500-1700; Ascendancy and union; Ireland since 1870; Irish literature and Irish history] by Foster, R. F. (Robert Fitzroy), 1949- ; Donnchadh Ó Corráin, Katharine Simms, Nicholas Canny, R.F. Foster, David Fitzpatrick, Declan Kiberd - 1989

Oxford ; New York : Oxford University Press, 1989, 1989. Book. Fine. Soft cover. xii, 382 p., [24] p. of plates : ill. (some col.) ; 26 cm. ; LC: DA910; Dewey: 941.5 ; OCLC: 20012663 ; ISBN: 0192852450 (pbk); 9780192852458 (pbk); LCCN: 89-16168 ; color pictorial stiff paper wrappers ; Contents: Prehistoric and early Christian Ireland / Donnchadh Ó Corráin -- Norman invasion and the Gaelic recovery / Katharine Simms -- Early Modern Ireland, c.1500-1700 / Nicholas Canny -- Ascendancy and union / R.F. Foster -- Ireland since 1870 / David Fitzpatrick -- Irish literature and Irish history / Declan Kiberd. ; "Few countries have such a compelling and stirring history as Ireland. This sumptuously illustrated volume captures all of the color of the Emerald Isle, from the earliest prehistoric communities and the first Christian settlements, through centuries of turbulent change and creativity, to the present day. Written by an expert team of scholars--all of whom are Native to Ireland--this book offers the most authoritative account of Irish history yet published for the general reader. Unlike most single-volume histories which tend toward oversimplification, this book emphasizes the paradoxes and ambiguities of Irish history, presenting a more realistic picture. And in a special section, it investigates the interaction between Irish history and literature, demonstrating how the importance of language to everyday Irish life has engendered a body of fiction that is virtually a history of Ireland itself. With over two hundred photographs, a variety of helpful maps, and twenty-four beautiful color plates,The Oxford Illustrated History of Ireland brings to life the conflicts, settlements, and traditions that constitute Irish history. Wide-ranging and highly readable, this vivid view of Ireland will entertain and inform anyone interested in this fascinating and colorful island nation." ; FINE.