The Irish Famine: An Illustrated History (The Illustrated History Series)

This is an account of one of the most significant-and tragic-event in Irish history. The author, Helen Litton, delas with the emotive subject of the Great Famine clearly and succinctly, documenting the causes and their effects. With quotes from first-hand accounts, and relying on the most up-to-date studies, she describes the mixture of ignorance, confusion, inexperience and vested interests that lay behind the good v evil image of popular deception. Here are the people who tried to influence events - politicians like Peel, public servants like Trevelyan, Quaker relief workers, local committees, clergy and landlords, who wrestled with desperate need, and sometimes gave up in despair. Why did millions of starving people seem to accept their fate without rebelling? Why starvation on the very shores of seas and rivers plentifully stocked with fish? This is a story of individuals - such as Denis McKennedy, dying in Cork in 1846 because his Board of Works wages were two weeks late - and of a society in crisis. It should be read by anyone who seeks a fuller understanding of the Irish past. Helen Litton took her Master of Arts degress in History at University College Dublin. She is a leading Irish researcher, editor and indexer.