Frank Pakenham, Earl of Longford (1905–2001)

The seminal work on the negotiations of the Anglo-Irish Treaty Pakenham had access to both the Irish and British participants and his book gives a vibrant second-hand account of the time. His absence of bias leads to an informative piece and definitive character portraits. Modern readers should pay particular heed to his criticism of Collins including John Chartres, of British Intelligence, as an advisor to the delegation and the decision not to ring Dublin on the night the Treaty was show more signed. Note should be taken also of Griffith's pledge to refer the Treaty to Dublin and not to sign before a Dáil vote. These events, among others, have been looked over by recent biographers of the time. show less

Detractors of de Valera would consider the book very easy-going though criticism does come through at crucial stages, importantly this is self-criticism from de Valera himself. The book is particularly worth reading for the negotiations concerning neutrality and the second world war, which he considered his greatest achievement, and his opinion of the War of Independence and the Civil War.