Author:James Mackay
The most charismatic figure to emerge during the struggles for the independence of Ireland was undoubtedly Michael Collins. This remarkable biography, which draws on much hitherto unpublished material, charts the dramatic rise of the country boy who became head of the Free State and the commander-in-chief of the army.
in this fine biography James Mackay is frank in his admiration for Collins . . . and he achieves the balance between the private and the public man with great skill
—— The ScotsmanJames Mackay is at the forefront of the pro-Collins forces . . . thorough and full of interesting anecdotes
—— Financial TimesThis biography tells the story well, and with a life like Collins's - so crammed with action, so poignant, yet so clouded with rumour and doubt - this is no mean feat . . . Anyone trying to make sense of the enduring struggles in Ireland should read this book
—— Sunday TimesA marvellously detailed account of the life of one of the most significant figures in Irish history
—— West Highland Free PressA realistic and readable account of Collins's life
—— The ObserverThrillingly readable biography
(5 Stars)
Atkinson’s meticulous research shines when she describes the impossible position of women like Caroline.
—— ExpressIt is a brave book, written with verve and veracity.
—— The TimesPoignant and inspirational this is the well-crafted story of a fascinating heroine and her fight to save her family.
—— Daily Express 5/5 starsAbsorbing
—— Daily MailA glorious read!
—— MojomumsA splendid pontine read.
—— LondonistA delightful and informative romp.
—— Richard Boon , N16As a chronicle of social and architectural history, this is an informative and fun read
—— BookbagTindall transforms bricks and mortar into fascinating social history
—— Christopher Hirst , IndependentThe interest here lies in the accurate and plausible portrait of a whole society, from top to bottom… The details are fascinating
—— GuardianThe avowed aim of this fascinating history of neighbours is to explore the delicate balance between people’s determination to protect their privacy and their simultaneous wish to cultivate contact with those who live close by
—— Good Book GuideA very personal encounter with Roman Britain… Invites us to see our landscape and history as the Romans first imagined and wrote about them – strange and exotic islands, perched on the edge of the known world.
—— UK Regional Press[Higgins] is as sharp and sensitive an observer of the latest version of Britannia as she is of the earliest one… Each chapter is not just a regional itinerary but also a brilliantly constructed and often exhilaratingly poetic treatment of wider themes.
—— Emily Gowers , Times Literary SupplementRecords [Higgins’] own travels around the island in search of Roman traces. She includes plenty of anecdotes about the continuing fascination with the Roman past and its penetration of the present.
—— OldieHiggins produced another remarkable British travelogue… that was at once thoughtful, learned, witty and superbly written.
—— William Dalrymple , ObserverFilled with passion and personal interest… Higgins walks us around the landscape of this country as it would have been 2,000 years ago, and in doing so she ably captures the spirit of Britain now, Britain then and Britain in between.
—— Dan Jones , TelegraphWhether at Hadrian’s Wall or in a car park in the City, she [Higgins] shows how Roman traces are woven through British life.
—— Financial TimesA fascinating look at how we have viewed Rome's presence in these islands and what a debt we still owe to Roman achievements.
—— Good Book GuidePart history, part travelogue, [Higgins] also brings to life the eccentric archaeologists who have tried to recapture that lost civilisation.
—— Robbie Millen , The TimesA fresh and readable account
—— Fachtna Kelly , Sunday Business PostUnder Another Sky is not only a work of personal history, it is more personal than that... It is conversational, anecdotal, in a way that makes it easy for [Higgins] to slip in quite a lot of information
—— Nicholas Lezard , GuardianA delightful, effortlessly engaging handbook to the half-lost, half-glimpsed world of Roman Britain... The result is an utterly original history, lyrically alive to the haunting presence of the past and our strange and familiar ancestors
—— Christopher Hart , Sunday TimesThe beauty of this book is not just in the elegant prose and in the precision with which [Higgins] skewers her myths. It is in the sympathy she shows for the myth-makers.
—— Peter Stothard , The TimesEvocative...a keen-eyed tour of Britain.
—— Christopher Hirst , IndependentPacked with fascinating and thought-provoking insights.
—— HeraldA captivating travelogue.
—— Helena Gumley-Mason , LadyA delightfully heady and beautifully written potpourri of a book.
—— BBC History MagazineA fascinating look at the debt we owe to Roman achievements
—— Good Book GuideOne of those fantastical novels that tells us more about the realities of being human than most realist novels do…the most thrilling and moving experience fiction has to offer this year.
—— TIME (Top 10 Fiction Books of Year)Kate Atkinson's audacious novel plays a virtuoso game with the nature of fiction...her best book to date and a worthy winner of a Costa Prize.
—— Daily Telegraph