The Immortal Irishman: The Irish Revolutionary Who Became an American Hero
Author:
Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, History
Book Type: Hardcover
Author:
Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, History
Book Type: Hardcover
Reading The Immortal Irishman is like reading a well-written history book: full of interesting facts and names but requiring continual concentration. It's not light reading, and you can't let your mind wander. Luckily, the story of Thomas Francis Meagher is larger-than-life, and an active reader will be rewarded with tales of courage and patriotism.
The book hints of its title character's mysterious death, then flashes back to Meagher's birth and youth in Ireland and his rise, to his wealthy father's dismay, as a fiery public speaker against English oppression. It traces his critiques of England's horrific treatment of the Irish (think of laws forbidding cultural expression, land ownership, etc.), especially during the "Great Hunger" when potato crops failed for years, to his farcical trial and exile to Tasmania. Meagher eventually escapes and travels to the U.S., where he becomes embroiled in the Civil War, then travels west to Montana and attempts to govern in a lawless territory before dying under mysterious circumstances.
Here is the story of a true Renaissance man with a silver tongue, a willingness to brazenly fight for his Irish heritage and country, and persistence in horrid circumstances. It is also the story of a shackled Ireland struggling against her bonds and the story of young America defining itself, with brother fighting brother in its search for unification and the eradication of slavery.
The most vivid portions of the book, and those hardest to read, are those from the battlefield, which Egan paints with sensory descriptions and stylistic sentence fragments.
Early in the book, Egan explains the historical origins of the phrase "beyond the pale." You'll have to read the book to find out what they are!
While Meagher was truly an Irish and American hero, I had never heard of him before reading Egan's book. While Meagher gave a voice to so many of those who yearned for independence, Egan gives Meagher a voice: thoughtful, sympathetic, and rich in spirit.
The book hints of its title character's mysterious death, then flashes back to Meagher's birth and youth in Ireland and his rise, to his wealthy father's dismay, as a fiery public speaker against English oppression. It traces his critiques of England's horrific treatment of the Irish (think of laws forbidding cultural expression, land ownership, etc.), especially during the "Great Hunger" when potato crops failed for years, to his farcical trial and exile to Tasmania. Meagher eventually escapes and travels to the U.S., where he becomes embroiled in the Civil War, then travels west to Montana and attempts to govern in a lawless territory before dying under mysterious circumstances.
Here is the story of a true Renaissance man with a silver tongue, a willingness to brazenly fight for his Irish heritage and country, and persistence in horrid circumstances. It is also the story of a shackled Ireland struggling against her bonds and the story of young America defining itself, with brother fighting brother in its search for unification and the eradication of slavery.
The most vivid portions of the book, and those hardest to read, are those from the battlefield, which Egan paints with sensory descriptions and stylistic sentence fragments.
Early in the book, Egan explains the historical origins of the phrase "beyond the pale." You'll have to read the book to find out what they are!
While Meagher was truly an Irish and American hero, I had never heard of him before reading Egan's book. While Meagher gave a voice to so many of those who yearned for independence, Egan gives Meagher a voice: thoughtful, sympathetic, and rich in spirit.
