Ulick O'Connor (1928–2019)

I'd previously read Coogan's The Twelve Apostles, which introduced me to Michael Collins as a genius of political warfare and the prototype for a century of anti-imperialist guerilla warfare and assassination. I was hoping this book would provide a better picture of the man and his actions, but the title is misleading.

Instead, O'Connor writes a general history of the Irish revolt with a bent towards the literary and culture aspects. O'Connor was a dean of Irish letters, and as a child of the show more first free generation, had the benefit of knowing many of the principle actors. The basic thrust of O'Conner's thesis is that as the imperial project tottered in the 19th century, a group of Irish visionaries combined nationalism and Gaelic culture with a variety of political and military threads. This lead to the abortive 1916 Easter Rising, which has little effect except the siege and destruction of Dublin landmarks and scores of glorious martyrs (and how the Irish love their glorious martyrs). Collins was an adjutant in the rising, promoted when the principle leaders were executed by the British. With furious intelligence and efficiency, he located the weak point of Empire in the system of informers used to monitor the Irish, and put out those eyes with a series of calculated assassinations.

There was more to the revolution of course, with a widespread guerilla war of flying columns in the countryside, a cultural movement to support the revolt, and the partial diplomatic victory of independence in the Commonwealth. This partial victory was the basis for the subsequent Irish Civil War, and Collins was shot and killed by one of his own in a rural ambush.

O'Connor has some good stories, but this is a few trees, not a forest, and the one labeled 'Michael Collins' is a scanty shrubbery. I do credit the book for introducing me to Countess Markievicz, a feminist and Irish rebel with the solid fashion advice, "Dress suitably in short skirts and strong boots, leave your jewels in the bank and buy a revolver." show less

"The man behind the bottle" proclaims the write-up on the back cover. Biography sometimes surpasses itself and becomes something more. This is the history of not just Behan, but an entire generation of Irish writers, playwrights, poets and revolutionaries. And like all good biographies this one stimulates an appetite for more. Partly it's because the voice of Behan comes through so clearly, and partly because O'Connor speaks the same language so well. Highly recommended for anyone who's ever show more loved Irish literature, or drunk Guinness in a Dublin pub till they've forgotten the way home. show less

I loved this book. It was very easy to read and well written. The story of Michael Collins is a very instresting one if you are interested in Irish History, He is a national hero in Ireland although in the end he helped bring about the divided Ireland nation that we have today.

It is not a very large book so fast readers will polish it off quickly. But it doesn't bog you down with too many details.

A good book for readers who don't know much about that difficult time and Michael Collins.

Ulick O'Connor's Irish Tales and Sagas is a re-telling of Irish legends and lore. In my eyes, the stories seem to be somewhat simplified, but they are still interesting all the same. Anyone interested in Irish legend and lore would probably enjoy this book.