Author:Tim Pat Coogan
'The unofficial voice of modern Irish history' Economist
When President of the Irish Republic Michael Collins signed the Anglo-Irish Treaty in December 1921, he remarked to Lord Birkenhead, 'I may have signed my actual death warrant.' In August 1922 at the height of the Irish Civil War, that prophecy came true - Collins was shot and killed by a fellow Irishman in a shocking political assassination.
So ended the life of the greatest of all Irish nationalists, but his visions and legacy lived on.
This authorative and comprehensive biography presents the life of a man who became a legend in his own lifetime, whose idealistic vigour and determination were matched only by his political realism and supreme organisational abilities. Coogan's biography provides a fascinating insight into a great political leader, whilst vividly portraying the political unrest in a divided Ireland, that can help to shape our understanding of Ireland's past, present and future.
'There have been several other lives of Collins, but none has assembled such wealth of detail' Independent on Sunday
There have been several other lives of Collins, but none has assembled such wealth of detail
—— Independent on SundayA lively and colourful adventure story with a fascinating yet recognisably human hero
—— Dublin Sunday PressEnjoyable and valuable
—— David PuttnamAn original and inventive approach to tackling empire ... This is a book which is experienced through the life on the streets, in the buildings and across the physical layout of large urban centres, where jostled men and women of different races and creeds ... readable and engaging ... It is a work of great ambition ... impressive
—— Kwasi Kwarteng , StandpointA tantalising history... A panoramic survey of the witch craze that swept through Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries.
—— John Carey , Sunday TimesMoving and spirited.
—— Anne Somerset , Literary ReviewExcellent.
—— Thomas Quinn , Big IssueBorman provides a fascinating account of the circumstances surrounding the case.
—— Amanda Foreman , Mail on SundayThis is an entertaining piece of research that brings back to life three women who had the misfortune to live during a period that was terrified of the unknown and sought to tame that fear by turning it into a handful of dust.
—— Robert Douglas-Fairhurst , TelegraphAs a work on the horrific treatment of witches throughout history, in particular the 16th and 17th centuries, it is shocking and illuminating.
—— Caroline Jowett , Scottish Daily ExpressFascinating history of witchcraft in England… An immensely readable and never less than gripping account of a society in flux and the women who suffered to enable its stability.
—— Sara Keating , Sunday Business PostAbsorbing.
—— Robert Douglas-Fairhurst , Weekly TelegraphThis is history at its most disturbing, and yet also most interesting.
—— Steve Craggs , UK Regional PressTracy Borman tells this strange, compelling and ultimately inconclusive story.
—— Diane Purkiss , IndependentBorman’s enthusiasm and diligence keeps the history in place, while the central story, and the mysteries, lies and obfuscations that surround it, add a flavour of the detective novel.
—— Michael Noble , StarburstThe interest here lies in the accurate and plausible portrait of a whole society, from top to bottom… The details are fascinating
—— GuardianStangneth’s close readings prove richly illuminating
—— Lawrence Douglas , The Times Literary SupplementMs. Stangneth, acting more like an investigative journalist than an academic philosopher, does an excellent job in tracing the odyssey of these archival records, which are scattered across various continents . . . . With her well-written and impressively well-researched book, Ms. Stangneth not only adds many new, surprising details to our picture of Eichmann before the trial but also prepares the stage for follow-on research
—— Wall Street JournalExtraordinary . . . At each stage, the meticulous quality of [Stangneth’s] research and her distinctive moral outrage make the journey enthralling . . . Stangneth’s book has the flavor of a detective story . . . [A] fine, important book
—— The Daily BeastStangneth uses new documents to reconstruct the post-war lives of Nazis in exile, revealing an egotistical and skilled social manipulator.
—— Daily TelegraphHow [Stangneth] put all this complex information relative to Eichmann together in one book is astounding. Freshly sourced archives and statements are used throughout, building into a full depiction of Eichmann.
—— Reg Seward , NudgeIf your Nordic knowledge is limited to ABBA, snow and Vikings, read this book. Even if you are a seasoned traveller, or one of the "humbly proud" inhabitants, The Almost Nearly Perfect People will give you new perspectives and questions to mull over.
—— Anna Vesterinen , New Humanist