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will love Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book.  jak1886 | Nov 20, 2009 |  This was an excellent book and has become one of my favorites. It is an easy read with maps and genealogical charts to help you keep track of characters and changes that occur as centuries pass. An excellent explanation of early Irish history, Rutherfurd has a knack for making even the most trivial aspects of history personable. This isn't just watching events occur in an orderly fashion or looking at an important family. This book is about everyday people doing everyday things as history unfolds around them. (  ) Saieeda | Jun 5, 2009 | Rutherfurd is a modern day Michener, and if historical fiction is your cup of tea, Rutherfurd is a worthy successor. I first read his novel, Russka, and have subsequently read all his works (Sarum, London and Prices of Ireland). Of these, Russka is still my favorite. I don't put Rutherfurd in quite the same league as Michener and Clavell, but I'd be hard pressed to find anyone better at this genre at this point in time. (  ) santhony | Sep 26, 2008 | Mildly interesting as a story, I did learn something about the history of Dublin, especially its anachronistic and ambiguous relationship to the rest of the island. ( ) jaygheiser | Jul 27, 2008 | Rating: incomplete I finished the first section and started the second. The story is interesting, but the characters are a bit thin. Not gonna stick with it at this length when there are several other high-priority reads suddenly available. Might well come back to it. Jim53 | Jul 11, 2008 |  no reviews | add a review
Amazon.com Product Description (ISBN 0385502869, Hardcover)From the bestselling author of LONDON and SARUM - a magnificent epic about love and battle, family life and political intrigue in Ireland over the course of eleven centuries. THE PRINCES OF IRELAND brilliantly weaves impeccable historical research and mesmerizing storytelling in capturing the essence of a place and its people.Edward Rutherfurd has introduced millions of readers to the human dramas that are the lifeblood of history. From his first bestseller, SARUM, to the international sensation LONDON, he has captivated audiences with gripping narratives that follow the fortunes of several fictional families down through the ages. THE PRINCES OF IRELAND, a sweeping panorama steeped in the tragedy and glory that is Ireland, epitomizes the power and richness of Rutherfurd's storytelling magic. The saga begins in tribal, pre-Christian Ireland during the reign of the fierce and mighty High Kings at Tara, with the tale of two lovers, the princely Conall and the ravishing Deirdre, whose travails cleverly echo the ancient Celtic legend of Cuchulainn. From that stirring beginning, Rutherfurd takes the reader on a powerfully-imagined journey through the centuries. Through the interlocking stories of a memorable cast of characters - druids and chieftains, monks and smugglers, noblewomen and farmwives, merchants and mercenaries, rebels and cowards - we see Ireland through the lens of its greatest city. While vividly and movingly conveying the passions and struggles that shaped the character of Dublin, Rutherfurd portrays the major events in Irish history: The tribal culture of pagan Ireland; the mission of St. Patrick; the coming of the Vikings and the founding of Dublin; the glories of the great nearby monastery of Glendalough and the making of treasures like the Book of Kells; the extraordinary career of Brian Boru; the trickery of Henry II, which gave England its first foothold in Medieval Ireland. The stage is then set for the great conflict between the English kings and the princes of Ireland, and the disastrous Irish invasion of England, which incurred the wrath of Henry VIII and where this book, the first of the two part Dublin Saga, draws to a close, as the path of Irish history takes a dramatic and irrevocable turn. Rich, colorful and impeccably researched, THE PRINCES OF IRELAND is epic entertainment spun by a master. (retrieved from Amazon Fri, 24 Apr 2009 07:58:20 -0400) The first test round has been closed. Visit the Open Shelves Classification group for details. |
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Once the story begins, it gets much better. Rutherfurd helps the reader track who comes from what family by having certain traits passed down through the generations, such as the green eyes of the Ui Fergusa, though having that eye squint of the MacGowan's passed down seems a bit weird.
If anyone comes to this novel fairly ignorant of Ireland's history, as I was, it does a wonderful job of describing the historical events and doesn't leave the reader confused as to what was happening or why it was, or may have been, happening. If something about an event is not clear, such as who started it, why it started, etc., it's usually stated in some way.
Overall, this book is well written. Rutherford keeps you wanting to know what's going to happen to the families with the situations that he puts them in. His story includes tales of love (though this isn't a major plot line), intrigue, family relationships, and of course, history. (