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Loading... Eamon de Valera: A Will to Powerby Ronan Fanning
  
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"Éamon de Valera embodies Irish independence much as de Gaulle personifies French resistance and Churchill exemplifies British resolve. Ronan Fanning offers a reappraisal of the man who remains the most famous, and most divisive, political figure in modern Irish history, reconciling de Valera's shortcomings with a recognition of his achievement as the statesman who single-handedly severed Ireland's last ties to England. Born in New York in 1882, de Valera was sent away to be raised by his mother's family in Ireland, where a solitary upbringing forged the extraordinary self-sufficiency that became his hallmark. Conservative in his youth, he changed his name from Edward to Éamon when he became a member of the Gaelic League, the Irish language revival movement, in 1908. Five years later, he joined the Irish Volunteers, a nationalist military organization, and participated in the 1916 Easter Rising. Escaping execution afterward, he used his prestige as the senior surviving rebel officer to become the leader of Ireland's revolutionary nationalists. But the iron will that was usually his strength became a fateful weakness when he stubbornly rejected the Anglo-Irish Treaty, sparking the Irish Civil War of 1922-1923. De Valera's vision for Ireland was blinkered: he had little interest in social and economic progress. But without him, Ireland might never have achieved independence. The nation was spared decades of unproductive debate on the pros and cons of remaining tied to Britain, and by 1973 it had enough self-confidence to surrender some of its sovereignty by joining the European Community."--Provided by publisher. No library descriptions found. |
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 Google Books — Loading...GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)941.7082092History and Geography Europe British Isles ConnaughtLC ClassificationRatingAverage: (3.5)
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Wikipedia in English
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Ronan Fanning is Professor Emeritus of Modern History at University College, Dublin, a man who is required reading for anyone who wants to know and understand many aspects of Modern Irish History. He is the expert on the Irish Revolution, and the Irish State and its creation. Fanning in his latest book; Éamon de Valera: A Will to Power takes his excellent forensic skills to the longest shadow in Irish History of the Twentieth Century.
What Ronan Fanning does is bring back to life the limitless confidence of de Valera back to life and also shows why he was one of the most unpleasant men, but that did not stop him leading Ireland on three occasions. He is often remembered in Britain for keeping Ireland neutral in the Second World War but at the same time as him being Taoiseach of Ireland drove to the German Embassy on May 2nd 1945 to sign a book of condolence opened by the Nazi Ambassador. He believed and stated he did nothing wrong.
What Fanning does show in this majestic biography that it was de Valera’s single mindedness that was able to translate a vision of Irish sovereignty from ideal to political reality. He is quite rightly considered the architect of the free Irish state, even though he was not too concerned with economic growth which he left to others.
Fanning like previous biographers before him all examine the reputation of de Valera during which he attempts to be positive about him. What does come across is that de Valera cannot really compete with other European leaders that emerged during the century he makes him look like a very lucky second rate leader. He was totally disinterested in the well being of the Irish people and preferred to talk about an Irish ideal that never existed.
What does come screaming through the biography is that it does not matter how positive that Fanning is about him, his subject comes across as a rather humourless, very arrogant, single minded and driven. Not the sort of person you would want to sit down with and have a pleasant evening over a glass or two.
Éamon de Valera: A Will to Power, is an excellent biography written by a brilliant historian who knows his subject well and not afraid to tackle the various elephants in the room that are presented. The subject may not be the nicest of men but the way his biography is written makes it an engaging read. (