comments on books about irish republicanism

[petee]

i'm almost done finn's One Man's Terrorist. reading it sent me to my copy of The Lost Revolution. i noticed that that book is now ten years old. pushing a little further i read of sean swan's Official Irish Republicanism 1962 - 1972, but i know nothing of it.

so first, any comments on swan's book.
second, any recommendations for books about republicanism in the 1930s.

mise le meas.

 

[Pickman's model]

not read swan's book yet - i'll get it off the shelf and have a look
republicanism in the 1930s? i'd try to find a copy of 'the ira in the twilight years' by uinseann maceoin (try WorldCat.org: The World's Largest Library Catalog to locate a copy in a library near you, and don't forget the power of interlibrary loans)

 

[butchersapron]

i'm almost done finn's One Man's Terrorist. reading it sent me to my copy of The Lost Revolution. i noticed that that book is now ten years old. pushing a little further i read of sean swan's Official Irish Republicanism 1962 - 1972, but i know nothing of it.

so first, any comments on swan's book.
second, any recommendations for books about republicanism in the 1930s.

mise le meas.

What did you reckon to FInn's book petee? I'm re-doing Lost revolution but i'm doing it with a better mind. I'm following it with INLA: deadly divisions (horrible title) and then the SF book SF and the politics of left-republicanism, then i'm circling to Tartan Gangs and Paramilitaries: The Loyalist Backlash

The official book is self published which is always good for no bullshit stuff.

 

[butchersapron]

BREAK THE CONNECTION WITH CAPITALISM

 

[Proper Tidy]

That tartan gangs and paramilitaries looks interesting butchers, would be interested to know how you rate it before spending £17

 

[petee]

BREAK THE CONNECTION WITH CAPIITALISM

next on my list in fact

i'll get to your question about finn but not today

 

[LiamO]

This one is one of my favourites from the Easter Rising/War of Independence.

It's a personal account by an ordinary footsoldier.

Enchanted by Dreams: The Journal of... by Good, Joe

Buy Enchanted by Dreams: The Journal of a Revolutionary Illustrated by Good, Joe, Good, Maurice (ISBN: 9780863222252) from Amazon's Book Store. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders.

www.amazon.co.uk

Amazon link cos it's unavailable, or really expensive, elsewhere.

 

[N_igma]

I'm following it with INLA: deadly divisions (horrible title)

Good read that. It’s a shame really what happened to the IRSP and the revolutionary left politics to what the INLA and IPLO eventually turned into.

 

[kenny g]

Good read that. It’s a shame really what happened to the IRSP and the revolutionary left politics to what the INLA and IPLO eventually turned into.

Reading INLA: deadly divisions as well at the moment. Tragic wastes of life on almost every page.

 

[Limerick Red]

Deadly Divisions is a fairly terrible book, written in an extremely tabloidy style, it is extremely useful as a chronology of events if little else.

Paddy Hoeys -Shinners, dissos, and dissenters is supposed to be excellent, I havent read it yet.

Marisa McGlincheys new book -Unfinished Business – The Politics of ‘Dissident’ Irish Republicanism has been fairly roundly bashed.

Gearóid Ó Faoleáns new book A Broad Church: The Provisional IRA in the Republic of Ireland, 1969–1980 looks very interesting , Ive just started it.

Obviously Finns book is getting fantastic reviews.

 

[kenny g]

Deadly Divisions is a fairly terrible book, written in an extremely tabloidy style, it is extremely useful as a chronology of events if little else.

I think its relentless chronology stops it being terrible. Obviously could do with a re-edit but well worth a read.

 

[Pickman's model]

Paddy Hoeys -Shinners, dissos, and dissenters is supposed to be excellent, I havent read it yet.

i've got it and it is really good

Marisa McGlincheys new book -Unfinished Business – The Politics of ‘Dissident’ Irish Republicanism has been fairly roundly bashed.

i've also got it and this will learn me to get stuff before reading reviews

 

[gawkrodger]

I'm 80 pages into the Finn book and really enjoying it so far

 

[butchersapron]

What did you reckon to FInn's book petee? I'm re-doing Lost revolution but i'm doing it with a better mind. I'm following it with INLA: deadly divisions (horrible title) and then the SF book SF and the politics of left-republicanism, then i'm circling to Tartan Gangs and Paramilitaries: The Loyalist Backlash

The official book is self published which is always good for no bullshit stuff.

I've now read the Sean Swan one on Official Republicanism - and contra my post above, it's not a gossipy type thing at all, It's very detailed and in-depth (it was the authors's Phd basically). There is a bit in the conclusion where he lets lose on Eoghan Harris which is worth the price of admission alone. The basic premise is that despite any formal positions stated and re-stated the OIRA followed in the tradition of Pearse not Connolly and so had a an all-ireland fantasy that had no grounding in the realities of the north and that this would be sorely exposed as soon as real trouble came and then the cahill's with their immediate sectarianism would be waiting - as would FF and the southern sate. I also learnt that secular hero of non-sectarian republicanism Joe McCann was a lay brother of the Third Order of St Francis.

 

[Fedayn]

What did you reckon to FInn's book petee? I'm re-doing Lost revolution but i'm doing it with a better mind. I'm following it with INLA: deadly divisions (horrible title) and then the SF book SF and the politics of left-republicanism, then i'm circling to Tartan Gangs and Paramilitaries: The Loyalist Backlash

The official book is self published which is always good for no bullshit stuff.

That tartan gangs and paramilitaries looks interesting butchers, would be interested to know how you rate it before spending £17

I follow the author of Tartan gangs on twitter, worth a follow, interesting lad. His twitter has some interesting if rather gutter followers mind. Also Balaclava Street on twitter and a website, was really good reading bur has slowed up massively on new posts/articles.

Henry Macdonald, one of the co-writers of Deadly Divisions, which is a bit 'touty', was a stickie and in many ways it shows in his writing. I met him a few times years ago (he is the mate of a mate) always came across as a bit 'look at me'. A former Provo Volunteer I know once remarked he was rather surprised he had never been whacked, given the book.

 

[Joe Reilly]

A former Provo Volunteer I know once remarked he was rather surprised he had never been whacked, given the book.

He visibly gulped when a couple of Red Action members turned up at a book signing in Archway.

 

[Fedayn]

He visibly gulped when a couple of Red Action members turned up at a book signing in Archway.

To be fair Joe, I was on your side and I gulped at a few of you chaps

 

[petee]

What did you reckon to FInn's book petee? I'm re-doing Lost revolution but i'm doing it with a better mind. I'm following it with INLA: deadly divisions (horrible title) and then the SF book SF and the politics of left-republicanism, then i'm circling to Tartan Gangs and Paramilitaries: The Loyalist Backlash

The official book is self published which is always good for no bullshit stuff.

i'm re-reading it now, i like it better than i did the first time.
will post observations when i get to the end.

 

[Limerick Red]

This is now streaming Re: Sticks:

 

[butchersapron]

i'm almost done finn's One Man's Terrorist. reading it sent me to my copy of The Lost Revolution. i noticed that that book is now ten years old. pushing a little further i read of sean swan's Official Irish Republicanism 1962 - 1972, but i know nothing of it.

so first, any comments on swan's book.
second, any recommendations for books about republicanism in the 1930s.

mise le meas.

I've just finished Radicals and the Republic: Socialist Republicanism in the Irish Free State, 1925-1937 by Richard English which is a very thorough demolition job on the myths around the republican congress, Peadar O' Donnell and ultimately the very idea of republican socialism. One of the most vituperative 'academic' books i think i've ever read. Good challenging read.

 

[petee]

I've just finished Radicals and the Republic: Socialist Republicanism in the Irish Free State, 1925-1937 by Richard English which is a very thorough demolition job on the myths around the republican congress, Peadar O' Donnell and ultimately the very idea of republican socialism. One of the most vituperative 'academic' books i think i've ever read. Good challenging read.

i'd be sympathetic to that, thanks for the tip!

 

[N_igma]

I've just finished Radicals and the Republic: Socialist Republicanism in the Irish Free State, 1925-1937 by Richard English which is a very thorough demolition job on the myths around the republican congress, Peadar O' Donnell and ultimately the very idea of republican socialism. One of the most vituperative 'academic' books i think i've ever read. Good challenging read.

He tutored me in University, great man and one of the most authoritative figures in modern Irish history.

 

[Idris2002]

I've just finished Radicals and the Republic: Socialist Republicanism in the Irish Free State, 1925-1937 by Richard English which is a very thorough demolition job on the myths around the republican congress, Peadar O' Donnell and ultimately the very idea of republican socialism. One of the most vituperative 'academic' books i think i've ever read. Good challenging read.

I remember when his book on the 'ra was published - even though he was from the "protestant tradition" the people I knew in Belfast, including republicans, said his book was as fair-minded as would have been possible. But what myths about the republican congress does he demolish in this one?

(NB, I have that new book about the Arms Crisis on the shelf - would anyone be interested if I posted a review of same on this thread?)

 

[butchersapron]

I remember when his book on the 'ra was published - even though he was from the "protestant tradition" the people I knew in Belfast, including republicans, said his book was as fair-minded as would have been possible. But what myths about the republican congress does he demolish in this one?

(NB, I have that new book about the Arms Crisis on the shelf - would anyone be interested if I posted a review of same on this thread?)

I read the big IRA one years back, may well give it another read now. May appreciate it more.

That Socialist Republicanism was ever anything but a tiny non-decisive part of the IRA/SF never mind wider nationalism, that there was ever political space for them to lead the irish workers and small farmers to a successful anti-capitalist revolution, that the latter were ready and raring at the bit for that revolution if not led astray by a succession of bad leaderships selling out their pure vision, that the IRA was ever a suitable body for their actions rather than acting in direct opposition to them, that they were close to taking the IRA support over with them lock stock and barrel, in the break, that they ever had an understanding of two rather big issues - land and the north-eastern working class, and that they ever actually made a real break with classical republicanism rather than the old conservative gaelicist militarist conspiratorial elistist etc strain living on in all those above failings.

 

[butchersapron]

The Irish Left Archive has just done a show with Brain Hanley on The Lost Revolution: The Story of the Official IRA and the Workers' Party:

In this episode we talk to historian Brian Hanley about The Lost Revolution: The Story of the Official IRA and the Workers’ Party, the book which he co-authored with Scott Millar, published in 2009. We discuss the history of Official Republicanism from the move to the Left in the 1960s up to the contemporary, and how Brian and Scott went about researching and writing the history of that movement.

 

[Limerick Red]

New book on the history of the IRSM, written by the RSM

 

[Pickman's model]

New book on the history of the IRSM, written by the RSM

Thanks for the tip

 

[Fallon]

My favourite republican book this year was The Yank: The True Story of a Former US Marine in the Irish Republican Army.

Everyone I know who has read it rates it very highly too.

 

[hitmouse]

This seems like as good a place to ask as any: can anyone recommend a good article about the various Bodenstown commemorations, past and present?