Examining the years 1917-22, this biography traces the parallel careers and political lives of Michael Collins and Eamon de Valera, two leaders of the Irish revolution who were very different in temperament and style. It also considers the legacy of Collins on de Valera's later political life.

Michael Collins and Eamon de Valera were the two most charismatic leaders of the Irish revolution. This joint biography looks first at their very different upbringings and early careers. Both fought in the 1916 Easter Rising , although it is almost certain they did not meet during that tumultuous week. Their first encounter came when Collins had been released from jail after the rising but de Valera was still inside. Collins was one of those who wanted to run a Sinn Féin candidate in the Longford by-election of 1917. De Valera and other leaders opposed this initiative but the Collins group went ahead anyway and the candidate won narrowly. The incident typified the relationship between the two men: they were vastly different in temperament and style. But it was precisely in their differences and contradictions that their fascination lay. De Valera, the political pragmatist, hoped to secure independence through political agitation, whereas the ambitious Collins, with his restless temperament and boundless energy, was an impassioned patriot who believed in terror and assassination. T. Ryle Dwyer examines the years, 1917-22 through the twists and turns of their careers. In an epilogue, he considers the legacy of Collins on de Valera's political life.

Éamon de Valera is the most remarkable man in the history of modern Ireland. Much as Churchill personified British resistance to Hitler and de Gaulle personified the freedom of France, de Valera personified Irish independence. From his emergence in the aftermath of the 1916 rebellion as the republican leader, he bestrode Irish politics like a colossus for over fifty years. On the eve of the centenary of the Irish revolution, one of Ireland's most eminent historians explains why Eamon de Valera was such a divisive figure that he has never until now received the recognition he deserves. This biography reconciles an acknowledgement of de Valera's catastrophic failure in 1921-22, when his petulant rejection of the Anglo-Irish Treaty shaped the dimensions of a bloody civil war, with an appreciation of his subsequent greatness as the statesman who single-handedly severed the ties with Britain and defined nationalist Ireland's sense of itself.

The life of Irish journalist, Henry Mooney, who struggles to report fairly on the failed 1916 Rising, the creation of the Irish Free State, and the Irish Civil War.

With the tragedy of Easter 1916 behind them and spurred on by the euphoria born of England's willingness to confer after months of bitter warfare, Irish republicans sense they are finally on the verge of trimuph over their centuries-old foe. Ireland's freedom is just around the corner or so it seems. But almost overnight the green hills of Ireland turn red again--blood red--as the bitter residue of Anglo-Irish politics unexpectedly erupts into unholy civil war: the repercussions of which are destined to sully the dream of Irish unity for years to come. This work of historical fiction continues the chronicle of Aran Roe O'Neill, a fictional Irishman, and his tenacious comrades, both real and imaginary. Together they reluctantly renew their struggle for Ireland's long-denied independence from England. Their action is triggered by the divisive treaty Dublin's fledgling government negotiates with members of London's parliamentary leadership.

Many indeed, are the biographies of Winston Churchill, one of the most influential figures of the twentieth century. But what was that influence and how did he use it in the furtherance of his and his country’s ambitions? For the first time, Professor William Nestor has delved into the life and actions of Churchill to examine just how skillfully he manipulated events to placed him in positions of power. His thirst for power stirred political controversy wherever he intruded. Those who had to deal directly with him either loved or hated him. His enemies condemned him for being an egoist, publicity hound, double-dealer, and Machiavellian, accusations that his friends and even he himself could not deny. He could only serve Britain as a statesman and a reformer because he was a wily politician who won sixteen of twenty-one elections that he contested between 1899 and 1955. The House of Commons was Churchill's political temple where he exalted in the speeches and harangues on the floor and the backroom horse-trading and camaraderie. Most of his life he was a Cassandra, warning against the threats of Communism, Nazism, and nuclear Armageddon. With his ability to think beyond mental boxes and connect far-flung dots, he clearly foretold events to which virtually everyone else was oblivious. Yet he was certainly not always right and was at times spectacularly wrong. This is the first book that explores how Churchill understood and asserted the art of power, mostly through hundreds of his own insights expressed through his speeches and writings.

This unique reference book introduces readers to the causes and effects of the 20th century's most significant conflicts—and explains how the impact of these conflicts still resonates today. The Roots and Consequences of 20th-Century Warfare: Conflicts That Shaped the Modern World introduces students to the causes and effects of the 20th century's most significant conflicts. Covering conflicts that occurred in all regions of the world, readers will gain knowledge on the causes and consequences of each conflict and become familiar with the historical context needed to understand the roots and consequences of these seminal events. The text also identifies key opponents in each conflict and illuminates the reasons why each country or group decided to fight, the scope of their involvement in the war, and the impact of the war. Reference entries on key battles are presented in chronological order, supplying engaging details on the events and people who shaped each war. The book also supplies maps of the key battles to illuminate the strategic movements of both sides of the conflict. A lengthy bibliography offers a wealth of options to readers seeking more sources of information on any of the conflicts.

The war was prosecuted ruthlessly by the Irish Republican Army which, paralleling the political efforts of Sinn Féin, hoped to break Britain's will to rule Ireland and create an independent Irish republic. The British retaliated by introducing two new irregular forces into Ireland, the Black and Tans and the Auxiliaries. Fighting took place principally in counties Cork, Limerick, Tipperary, Monaghan, Armagh, Clare, Kerry, and Longford. It was sporadic but vicious, with fewer than 2,000 IRA volunteers facing over 50,000 crown forces. The IRA depended upon energetic local leaders -- where there were none, there was little fighting.

Michael Collins was a pivotal figure in the Irish struggle for independence and his legacy has resonated ever since. Whilst Collins’ role as a guerrilla leader and intelligence operative is well documented, his actions as the clandestine Irish government Minister of Finance have been less studied. The book analyses how funds were raised and transferred in order that the IRA could initiate and sustain the military struggle, and lay the financial foundations of an Irish state. Nicholas Ridley examines the legacy of these actions by comparing Collins’ modus operandi for raising and transferring clandestine funds to those of more modern groups engaged in political violence, as well as the laying of foundations for Irish financial and fiscal regulation.

In 1922, at the height of Ireland's tragic civil war, Irish Jesuit William Hackett was transferred to Australia by his order Assigned to a minor teaching post, this seemingly unremarkable newcomer caused no stir. Yet Father Hackett had been close to the centre of the provisional Irish Republic's struggle for independence from Britain; part of the network of Irish nationalists who carried intelligence, ministered to republican troops, spoke on republican platforms, and helped to publicise British injustices and atrocities in Ireland. Now, he was effectively an exile. A major figure in the biography, Archbishop Daniel Mannix is seen for the first time in close-up, through Hackett's privileged insight into the private self of the famously aloof and powerful prelate.