"A lively, intelligent, sometimes provocative but always stimulating account of Ireland from the twelfth century to our own..."--Sunday Telegraph

No one will gainsay that Ireland is a beautiful, enchanted place. But Ireland has a history more varied, turbulent, fascinating, and terrible than any other. From the first English presence in Ireland in the twelfth century, through siege, rebellion and civil war, to Irish ascendancy, home rule, and the present-day troubles, best-selling author Paul Johnson tells, with remarkable clarity and concision, the compelling story of this most remarkable island.