Emma Howard

This 191 page book is filled with attractive, color photographs of Ireland. The photos focus on scenic views of natural vistas: pastures, bogs, and seacoasts, along with ruined castles, abandoned monasteries, ancient cemeteries, statues and monuments, and old ships. Very few show anything but a rural environment (and only a couple show any human figures), which makes for an attractive book but one not entirely representative of Ireland.

The photos are organized regionally by county, and show more those are listed alphabetically; as a result, in reading the pages in order, the reader seemingly skips around the country at random. Furthermore, no map is included; thus, a reader not highly familiar with Ireland will be unable to tell where in the country they are. The overall impression is of a beautiful, historic land, but one devoid of people, and whose attractions all reflect the distant past. Nine partial- pages of text recount Irish history. show less