Meda Ryan

A very good piece of work by Ryan. It is apparent that Lynch was committed to revolutionary struggle and to preventing the Civil War from beginning. However in the face of a constantly deteriorating position he continued to believe that the outlook would suddenly alter for the anti-treaty forces. This was bordering on delusional. Ryan's choice of title is in itself good as it highlights de Valera's lack of a leadership role during the Civil War.

Not just about the day but about the days leading up to it and the reaction to his death.

Very interesting and with a lot of eye-witness testimony.

However it's really a geek book for those interested in the hows and whys, her argument is pretty convincing and she's documented it pretty well.