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1916 Portraits and Lives

by  James QuinnLawrence William WhiteDavid Rooney
€ 20.00

Book Details

Published by Royal Irish Academy

October 2015

Hardback

Number of pages: 368

ISBN: 9781908996381

Awards

IDI Design Awards: Winner - Use of Illustration in Design (David Rooney) - Ireland, 2015 - Winner

IDI Design Awards: Highly Commended - Printed Book Design (Fidelma Slattery) - Ireland, 2015 - Commended

Bord Gais Energy Irish Book Awards: Shortlisted - Ireland, 2015 - Short-listed

INDIEFAB Book of the Year Award - History - USA, 2016 - Finalist

This book is a selection of 40 articles from the Royal Irish Academy’s Dictionary of Irish Biography, dealing with 42 men and women whose careers, in one way or another, were deeply involved with the Easter rising of 1916.

The biographies selected compose an inclusively broad picture of the rising, representing the spectrum of personalities and perspectives that were involved in the event. They include not only the insurgents (and some others) killed during the rising but also some of the women who were involved as soldiers or in supporting capacities; three nationalist leaders who opposed the rising; some of the senior figures in the British administration in Ireland in 1916; members of the British army that suppressed the rising; and two historians who made considerable contributions to the scholarly debate on 1916.

This selection aims to give a balanced view of the rising. In addition to the biographies, there is an extended introduction by Patrick Maume, the Dictionary of Irish Biography project, and each biography is illustrated with an original drawing by artist David Rooney.

Limited edition David Rooney prints of the portraits from the book are available to order: Colour Edition. Original Black & White Edition.

This book is also available on JSTOR. For more information, institutions can visit Books at JSTOR or contact participation@jstor.org.

You can buy the e-book here.

Solve our book cover jigsaw puzzle here.

Reviews:

'A timely release in commemoration of the centennial of the 1916 Easter rising, this impressive volume will appeal to historians and general readers alike. [...] Fully indexed and exhaustive in biographical detail, this book is highly recommended to all readers, and a core addition to Irish studies collections'. M. Knight, University of South Florida, Choice. Full review here.

'This is a book to savour, both because of its diverse cast of characters and the quality of the contributors who provide entries that are erudite, often spiky, fresh, nuanced and skilfully composed'. Diarmaid Ferriter, Irish Arts Review. Full review here.

 

About the authors

James Quinn

James Quinn is the managing editor of the Dictionary of Irish Biography. The Dictionary of Irish Biography currently contains almost 9,900 lives€™ of prominent men and women born in Ireland, and the noteworthy Irish careers of those born outside Ireland. The scope of the dictionary extends from the earliest times to the twenty-first century. It is an indispensable work of reference for scholars, journalists, broadcasters, diplomats, and the general reader interested in Ireland's past or in biography. The online edition is updated twice yearly.

Lawrence William White

Lawrence William White is a researcher and copy editor with the Dictionary of Irish Biography project. The Dictionary of Irish Biography currently contains almost 9,900 ‘lives’ of prominent men and women born in Ireland, and the noteworthy Irish careers of those born outside Ireland. The scope of the dictionary extends from the earliest times to the twenty-first century. It is an indispensable work of reference for scholars, journalists, broadcasters, diplomats, and the general reader interested in Ireland’s past or in biography. The online edition is updated twice yearly.

David Rooney

Illustrator David Rooney is a graduate of National College of Art and Design. He is a regular contributor to The Irish Times and Hotpress. His artwork also features in publications by The Folio Society, London, and in cultural centres such as the Titanic Experience, Belfast; King John’s Castle, Limerick; and the Stonehenge visitor centre.