Book Description
Dispelling much of what he terms the 'mythology' of the Scotch-Irish, James Leyburn provides an absorbing account of their heritage. He discusses their life in Scotland, when the essentials of their character and culture were shaped; their removal to Northern Ireland and the action of their residence in that region upon their outlook on life; and their successive migrations to America, where they settled especially in the back-country of Pennsylvania, Virginia, the Carolinas, and Georgia, and then after the Revolutionary War were in the van of pioneers to the west.
Customer Reviews:
An interesting, if prejudiced, look at the Ulster Scots.......2007-04-08
Prof. Leyburn obviously did some study on his subject, and it shows in this book. He is able to recount in fair detail the history of "the Scotch Irish", but it is plain how little he thought of them. It seems that his underlying goal is to correct the "overpraise" the Ulster Scots have received from some quarters. His descriptions of the Scots could have been penned by the most bigoted English historian. Leyburn has used such disparaging accounts of the Scots in their homeland that one would be lead to believe that Cro-Magnons could teach them some things about hygiene and manners, but due to the lack of Cro-Magnons, God gave the Scots the English to help them.
His contention that the Ulster Scots did not remain Ulster Scots but became "Americans" is not wholly true. While those states with a large number of people with Scots ancestry have always been among the first to defend this country and stand up to the rest of the world as Americans, they have also been very rooted in the history of their people and their family. I grew up in the South in an area of heavy Scots/Ulster Scots ancestry, where the current use of words from Scotland and Ulster continues by the elder generation. The people there have all been born in America, but they are quicker to point out that they are "Scotch Irish" than they are to say American. They raised their children to be the same way. The United States may be the place of birth, but the blood is Scots.
The birth and assimilation of a people.......2005-09-27
Book contents: foreword - 2pp, table of contents - 4 pp, text -344pp (including 5 maps), timeline of Scotland - 3pp, notes -16pp, bibliography - 19pp, and index - 5 pp.
Overall the book was very good, particularly for someone like myself who wasn't certain his roots were Scotch or Scotch Irish. It was well researched.
The maps of America were not particularly helpful. It was not immediately clear how they fit into the colonies as a whole, and it was sometimes difficult to picture migration patterns. There were no arrows on the maps or other indications of patterned settlement or movement to complete the text descriptions.
The timeline was helpful, but it was only of Scotland up to 1690. A timeline for the Scotch Irish from 1610 forward would have been more germane.
The book first covers Scottish culture prior to the migration of Lowland Scots to Northern Ireland. Then in 1610 King James of England opened Northern Ireland, aka Ulster, to both English and Scottish settlers at the expense of the native Irish. This act set the stage for the current strife and political separation of Northern Ireland.
Through four generations, the Scottish settlers in Northern Ireland became culturally separated from the Scotland of their origin. Then many of them immigrated to America in five great waves between 1717 and 1775, entering colonial America primarily through Pennsylvania and migrating south through the Virginia valley. Initially, these people were commonly referred to as Irish. The term "Scotch Irish" was later invoked to distinguish them from the Irish immigrating to America from the southern part of Ireland.
The lives and contributions of the Scotch Irish in America are described. Separate identity of the Scotch Irish essentially ends with the American Revolution, after which these people meld into the overall cultural fabric of the United States.
Scottish people don't refer to themselves as "Scotch".......2005-07-27
Scots, maybe, but usually just plain Scottish. Scotch is a common name for whisky. It amazes me how many people here tell me that they are "Scotch-Irish" - to me it makes them sound like an idiot.
"For They Desired a Better Country"-Hebrews 11:16.......2004-03-18
This is the first book I've read about the Scotch Irish and seems to be the accepted standard on the subject.
Professor Leyburn explains in his introduction that his book is "a social history of the Scotch-Irish. In this day of specialization, a social historian who undertakes to recount the life of people through three centuries and in three countries knowingly risks his scholarly head. Experts in Scottish, Irish, and American colonial history can only regard him as...ignorant of the finer points within their special fields. Scottish history is full of old controversies...Irish history has been so turbulent...few of its events is agreed upon." And Leyburn accomplishes this in only 330 pages. He divides his book into three parts:the Scot in 1600, the Scots in Ireland, the Scotch-Irish in America.
Being a southerner with Scotch-Irish roots in Tennessee, I was upset early on when Leyburn stated that Teddy Roosevelt's and others' claims that the Scotch-Irish were hardy, honorable folk was overblown. (Teddy's mother, Eleanor's grandmother, was a native Georgian, hardened, undoubtedly, by the Civil War's trials, Sherman's fiery footprints, amongst other things). Some of the trials of the Ulster scots in war and life and the deprivations they had to endure reminded me of the 40 day siege of Vicksburg, MS and the resiliency demonstrated by its citizens during the civil war. However, later on in the book, Leyburn's careful reasoning convinced me that he was more realistic. What stirred my thinking was Leyburn's comments in Chapter 16 when he states "political opinion and activity among the Scotch-Irish varied enormously from place to place. The whole mythology concerning this people rests upon a false assumption:that all Scotch-Irish thought alike. Why should they? They had come from different social classes back home; they entered America during six decades of remarkable fluctuation in ideas; they lived in colonies whose policies, attitudes, Indian problems, and progress toward stable institutions diverged widely." One can validate that statement easily by simply surfing the web and looking at the politics of numerous U.S. presidents with Scotch-Irish roots and see the "divergence" Leyburn speaks of.
I do believe, however, that Teddy Roosevelt's assertion that some Ulster Scots, Scotch-Irish, did play a pivotal role in early American history has many proofs. In Pennsylvania, as Leyburn recounts, in 1764, Ulster Scots pushed for equal representation within the state which was dominated by the minority quaker population concentrated around Philadelphia. That issue was one which the Scot felt most keenly following the Union of the crowns in 1707 accomplished during Queen Anne's reign; in parliament, Scots nobles were unfairly outnumbered by their English counterparts, see Paterson's History of Ayrshire.
I do believe some of these simple, biblically literate peoples, did desire a better country, and considered it their God-given task to try to make it a reality. The Baptists in Virginia, James Madison's state, were a significant force behind the freedom of religion/separation of church and state movement; ONE I FIRMLY BELIEVE MUST BE MAINTAINED! Just look at the bloody history of Christian Great Britain 300 years before the Revolutionary War; events that brought persecuted immigrants to the U.S. in the first place. The stuff seminarians don't study!
If you are an American doing geneaological research on your Scotch-Irish roots this is the resource book to get. I must add, too, if you have French Huguenot roots, they might have resided in Northern Ireland, in Ulster, before coming to America. I thought Leyburn was mistaken when he referred to Alexander Hamilton as an Ulster Scot. I know for a fact (court records) that his Hamilton ancestors were Scots from Ayrshire on the western coast of Scotland. That portion of Ayr, however, is extremely close to Northern Ireland, just a hop, skip, and a jump away! Alexander Hamilton's mother was French Huguenot, possibly her ancestors left Ulster to settle in Nevis, West Indies. Leyburn's statement is therefore correct again. Chapters 12 and 13 cover the conditions prompting immigration and the actual areas of settlement in colonial America of Scotch-Irish. Many people have been researching my Hamilton ancestors for years and can't get past 1780. Many of Leyburn's analyses are correct I believe.
A New Ireland by John Hume is on my books to read list about the 1998 Good Friday peace accord. Another book highly recommended to me is The Triumph of the Laity: Scots-Irish Piety and the Great Awakening, 1625-1760 by Marilyn J. Westerkamp. Hopefully, that book will give me a better understanding of my ancestors' background.
I gave the 5 star rating because I believe the subject matter warrants further study and is relevant for today. Truly understanding Ulster's history, (I believe), the conflicts, the circumstances and the social make-up of Northern Ireland itself, at distinct times in its history, is essential to the peace process there.
Thoroughly Documented & Well Written.......2004-01-25
Professor Leyburn left a valuable legacy in this volume. A niche of American history is covered that sadly, frequently goes overlooked. The Scotch-Irish are a substantial part of the U.S. population. Thankfully Dr. Leyburn told some of the story and it wasn't lost. He tells us in the foreword, "Histories of Scotland rarely devote more than a paragraph to the departure of thousands of Lowland Scots to Ireland in the seventeenth century." It is significant to Americans because "they came, two hundred thousand strong, to the American colonies in the eighteenth century."
They enthusiastically supported the American Revolution (as in significantly caused it to happen) and thought of themselves as "Americans" rather than Scotch-Irish.
This book covers their migrations, their lifestyles, the dominant element of the Christian religion in their society. It is informative, and to me, inspirational.
Book Description
Irish Wedding Traditions is filled with long-forgotten historical and contemporary Irish touchesfrom vows and rituals to symbolic flowers, food, spirits, and song. In addition there are chapters on registering for gifts, dressing for the occasion, and designing the perfect Irish wedding invitation, as well as suggestions for tying the knot or honeymooning on the Emerald Isle.
Customer Reviews:
Irish Wedding Traditions..........2007-07-30
The book was smaller than I had expected, and it focused more on the rural traditions than on the ones that most Irish people actually follow. My Irish parents found it more amusing than helpful. Otherwise, the book was in perfect physical condition and as described.
Great Buy!.......2007-04-18
This little book was not only helpful, but it was fun to read as well. From poetry to floral ideas and music, it gave me a great jumping-off place. I will be using many of the suggestions in this book to plan my Irish wedding next year!
Great book!!.......2004-11-18
I found this to be MUCH more helpful than "THE TRADITIONAL IRISH WEDDING" by Bridget Haggerty. Great supplement to the treasure trove of Irish wedding books. Well worth the few dollars spent on it!!!
Very IRISH!.......2002-04-02
This book is chocked-full of Irish traditions, superstions, and folklore! I am "a little bit" Irish and therefore may use a few suggestions in my own wedding. The only down-side in using this book is that there are few practical suggestions on how to incorporate the information into your wedding, so you have to use your imagination. I found it an interesting read, though overall.
So helpful; so elegant!.......2002-03-29
This is truly one of the most well-written and all-inclusive books on the topic of Irish weddings. (And I've seen most of them!) When my wife and I first discussed the idea of an Irish wedding, I must admit I expected green beer and kissing of blarney stones. I really didn't expect to have any input or interest in the plans at all. My wife's purchase of this book, while not making me an expert on celtic traditions, has given me a new vantage of the elegant and classic themes present in Irish ceremonies. This beautiful book has maintained its place at the top of our collection, and will remain there for years to come--both as a reminder of our ceremony and as an aesthetically attractive addition to our coffee table.
Book Description
View the
Table of Contents. Read the
Introduction.
"This lavish compendium looks at the Irish and America from a variety of perspectives."
—USA Today
"For anyone with the slightest interest in the history of Irish immigrants in America, Lee and Casey's book is a wonderful foundation on which to build a knowledge base."
—Northeast Book Reviews
"From the double-meaning of its title to its roster of impressive contributors, Making the Irish American is destined for the bookshelves of all readers who aim to keep up on Irish-American history."
—Irish America
"This extremely thorough, thoughtful volume covers all the Irish bases up to the present."—Publishers Weekly
"For the astute editorial selection of the number of general and somewhat specialized articles, expertise of the authors, and documentation in articles and appendices plus notes and biographies, Making the Irish American is a major text tying together this field of ethnic studies with American history and social history."
—Midwest Book Review
"In Making the Irish American, editors J.J. Lee and Marion R. Casey have compiled an illustrated 700-page volume that traces the history of the Irish in the United States and shows the impact America has had on its Irish immigrants and vice versa. The book's 29 articles deal with various aspects of Irish-American life, including labor and unions, discrimination, politics, sports, entertainment and nationalism, as well as the future of Irish America. Among the contributors are Calvin Trillin, Pete Hamill, Daniel Patrick Moynihan and the editors."
—Associated Press
”This will be a valued reference book for many years to come.”
—TheWildGeese.com
"This massive volume, copublished with Glucksman Ireland House at NYU, covers the Americanization of the Irish in 29 chapters. Eileen Reilly takes a comprehensive, albeit sanitized, look at the history of Ireland up to the present, covering everything from famine to the Good Friday accords. One thing that stands out is the remarkable misogynistic burden that Eamon DeValera's policies placed on Irish women (a married woman could not teach, and the government seemed to have a vested interest in her sexual habits, even through the 1980s). As the Irish inundated America during the Great Famine, we see them crawl up the ladder of success with the help of the 'Ubiquitous Bridget,' the indispensable Irish maids whose work spanned two centuries. Novelist Peter Quinn looks at 'Irish progress from Paddies to Pats.' The importance of labor unions in the rise of the Irish into the middle class is documented, as well as how, through battle in two world wars, the Irish finally earned their acceptance as nonhyphenated Americans, capped off by John F. Kennedy's election as president in 1960. This extremely thorough, thoughtful volume covers all the Irish bases up to the present."
—Publishers Weekly
”thoroughly researched yet easy-to-read...”
—ForeWord Magazine
Featuring 29 classic and original essays on the turbulent, vital, and fascinating story of the Irish in America. The contributors include Linda Dowling Almeida, Margaret Lynch-Brennan, Marion R. Casey, David Noel Doyle, Pete Hamill, Kevin Kenny, Rebecca S. Miller, Mick Moloney, Daniel Patrick Moynihan, Peter Quinn, and Calvin Trillin.
All it takes is one St. Patrick's Day in the United States to realize that the Irish did not dissolve into the melting pot, they took possession of it. Few other immigrant peoples have exerted such pervasive influence, have left so deep an impression, have made their values and concerns so central to the destiny of their new country.
In
Making the Irish American, J.J. Lee and Marion R. Casey offer a feast of twenty-nine perspectives on the turbulent, vital, endlessly fascinating story of the Irish in America. Combining original research with reprints of classic works, these essays and articles extend far beyond a survey to offer a truly rich understanding of the Irish immigrant impact on America, and America's impact on the Irish immigrant.
Here the reader will find a brisk, compact history of Ireland itself, and a wide-ranging critique of Irish American historiography, as well as explorations of the multiple complications of religion, reflected in the fluctuating, and sometimes tempestuous, relations between Catholic and Protestant Irish and Scotch-Irish. The authors explore the various channels through which the Irish, men and women, have made their mark, from politics to labor organization, from domestic service to popular and traditional music, from sport to step dancing.
Classic reprints include Daniel Patrick Moynihan's study of the Irish in New York, Pete Hamill's memoir of President Kennedy—recollecting the responses around him in Belfast at the time of the assassination—Calvin Trillin's New Yorker profile of Judge James J. Comerford, long the iron-handed boss of New York's St. Patrick's Day parade, and Peter Quinn's meditations on the essence of Irish America, past, present and future. They all offer sparkling insights into the evolving tension between becoming American and becoming Irish American.
Making the Irish American is monumental in the best sense—serious but accessible, wide-ranging and far-reaching and enriched by seventy unique illustrations. This exciting and challenging collection belongs on the bookshelf of everyone interested in not only the Irish American, but the American story, of which they form so vivid and prominent a part.
Copublished with the Glucksman Ireland House of New York University.
Customer Reviews:
Table of Contents.......2006-04-25
Here is the table of contents for Making the Irish American:
1. Introduction: Interpreting Irish America by J.J. Lee, p.1-60
The Irish Background
2. Modern Ireland: An Introductory Survey by Eileen Reilly, p. 63-147
Foundations
3. Scots Irish or Scotch-Irish by David Noel Doyle, p. 151-170
4. The Irish in North America, 1776-1845 by David Noel Doyle, p. 171-212
5. The Remaking of Irish America, 1845-1880, p. 213-252
Conflicts of Identity
6. Ulster Presbyterians and the Two Traditions in Ireland and America by Kerby Miller, p. 255-270
7. Religious Rivalry and the Making of Irish-American Identity by Irene Whelan, p. 271-285
8. Address to the Ulster-Irish Society of New York, 1939 by Henry Noble MacCracken, p. 286-288
9. American-Irish Nationalism by Kevin Kenny, p. 289-301
10. Refractive History: Memory and the Founders of the Emigrant Savings Bank by Marion R. Casey, p. 302-331
11. Ubiquitous Bridget: Irish Immigrant Women in Domestic Service in America, 1840-1930, p. 332-253
12. Labor and Labor Organizations by Kevin Kenny, p. 354-363
13. Race, Violence, and Anti-Irish Sentiment in the Nineteenth Century by Kevin Kenny, p. 364-378
Popular Expressions of Identity
14. Irish-American Popular Music by Mick Moloney, p.381-405
15. The Irish in Vaudeville by Robert W. Snyder, p. 406-410
16. Irish Traditional Music in the United States by Rebecca S. Miller, p.411-416
17. Before Riverdance: A Brief History of Irish Step Dancing in America by Marion R. Casey, p. 417-425
18. Irish-American Festivals by Mick Moloney, p. 426-442
19. Irish Americans in Sports: The Nineteenth Century by Ralph Wilcox, p. 443-456
20. Irish American in Sports: The Twentieth Century by Larry McCarthy, p. 457-471
Reflections
21. The Irish (1963, 1970) by Daniel Patrick Moynihan, p. 475-525
22. Once We Were Kings (1999) by Pete Hamill, p. 526-534
23. Democracy in Action (1988) by Calvin Trillin, p. 535-547
24. Irish America, 1940-2000 by Linda Dowling Almeida, p. 548-573
25. Twentieth-Century American Catholicism and Irish Americas by Thomas J. Shelley, p. 574-608
26. The Fireman on the Stairs: Communal Loyalties in the Making of Irish America by Timothy J. Meagher, p. 609-648
27. The Tradition of Irish-American Writers: The Twentieth Century by Daniel J. Casey and Robert E. Rhodes, p. 649-662
28. Looking for Jimmy (1999) by Peter Quinn, p. 663-679
29. The Future of Irish America (2000) by Peter Quinn p. 680-685
Appendix: The Irish in the Census: An Explanatory Note
Contributors
Permissions
Index
collected essays go into all areas of Irish American heritage and accomplishments.......2006-03-08
Of the 29 articles, nine have been previously published; one in 1963, another in 1988, and the others in the past seven or so years. Some authors are widely-known--Daniel Patrick Moynihan, Pete Hamill, Calvin Trillin; while the others are steeped in Irish traditions from heritage and academic or other professional positions. The collected articles are crossovers between popular interest and academic perspective. Most combine popular subjects and approach with historical documentation or data. Within major sections on Irish-American foundations and identity are articles on sports, music, religion, organizations, and the role of notably, in some cases somewhat stereotypical, Irish figures such as domestics known as "biddies" or firemen in Irish-American assimilation and as representative of Irish-Americans in general. For the astute editorial selection of the number of general and somewhat specialized articles, expertise of the authors, and documentation in articles and appendices plus notes and bibliographies, "Making the Irish American" is a major text tying together this field of ethnic studies with American history and social history.
A great range for the interested reader, makes a great gift.......2006-02-11
I got this book for my Irish-American dad for his birthday and it turned out to be the perfect pick-- for both of us. The chapters from the various contributors covered a large range of topics within Irish-American history and really got both of us interested in our Irish-American heritage.
My dad went straight to the highly accessible accounts of the Irish in American music, literature, entertainment, and particularly sports, but said he was most appreciative of the "Reflections" section's pieces by Pete Hamill, Calvin Trillin, and Peter Quinn, etc. He's yet to read the rest of the chapters, but he says he's enjoyed what he's read so much he's all the more inclined to read the rest of this 700-page giant book.
I had a different angle approaching the book: I started reading front-to-back and got a more academic experience. The intro to Irish history at the start really cleared up lots of holes in my knowledge of Irish history. The opening essays are more academic and I really appreciated them for their depth and obvious scholarship behind them.
Neither my father or I are done with the book, particularly since we're sharing it and it's so long, but I wanted to suggest the book to people looking to read engaging essays on Irish-American history.
I would highly suggest it to anyone else trying to find a gift for a relative of Irish-American descent, though obviously anyone interested in Irish-American history should get a lot out of this volume.
Book Description
Family genealogists will find easy step-by-step suggestions for determining an Irish ancestor's place of origin, and advice for researching Irish records in America and on the Emerald Isle itself.
Readers will find a wealth of information, such as:
* the basic strategies of Irish research
* working with home sources
* accessing, making sense of and working with Irish records inside and outside of Ireland
* making the most of Internet resources
* using cemetery records, church records, estate records, military records and more!
Customer Reviews:
Specifically written for the aspiring genealogist.......2001-05-21
A Genealogist's Guide To Discovering Your Irish Ancestors was specifically designed and written for the aspiring genealogist seeking guidelines for determining an Irish ancestor's place of origin. Dwight Radford and Kyle Betit effectively collaborate to present sound advice for researching Irish records both domestically and overseas; basic strategies essential to successful Irish research; special advice about tracing Scots-Irish ancestors; practical advice for accessing Irish cemeteries, land, church, estate, census, and military records; how to access civil registration of births, marriages, and deaths, as well as emigration lists; sources and strategies for researching Irish ancestors who settled in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, England, Scotland, Wales, and the Caribbean, as well as timely information on Internet resources and favorite sites on the World Wide Web. Highly recommended for personal and community library genealogical research reference collections, A Genealogist's Guide To Discovering Your Irish Ancestors offers both the novice and the experienced genealogist with everything necessary to trace and record their family's Irish history.
Irish Strategies to the Point.......2001-03-29
This is an excellent resource for both advanced beginners and experienced reseachers. Well organized, conversational, and very factual. Specific strategies for solving a variety of research challenges are developed and illustrated. The authors want the researcher to be able to locate the specific piece of Irish soil where the ancestor lived.
Betit and Radford do not attempt to address every record type or resource, nor does this work replace the standard reference works of Mitchell, Ryan, etc. It is not Irish county specific, nor is Argentine emigration addressed. What they have done very well is present the material in such a way that can enable the serious researcher, whatever the experience level, to get arms around a complex subject.
As you may surmise, I definitely recommend this book. Good luck and have fun.
Book Description
In the mid-1960s, Winberg Chai, a young academic and the son of Chinese immigrants, married an Irish-American artist. In Hapa Girl ("hapa" is Hawaiian for "mixed") their daughter tells the story of this loving family as they moved from Southern California to New York to a South Dakota farm by the 1980s. In their new Midwestern home, the family finds itself the object of unwelcome attention, which swiftly escalates to violence. The Chais are suddenly socially isolated and barely able to cope with the tension that arises from daily incidents of racial animosity, including random acts of cruelty.
May-lee Chai's memoir ends in China, where she arrives just in time to witness a riot and demonstrations. Here she realizes that the rural Americans' "fears of change, of economic uncertainty, of racial anxiety, of the unknowable future compared to the known past were the same as China's. And I realized finally that it had not been my fault."
Customer Reviews:
Hapa Girl .......2007-10-11
I could not put this book down... it was alive and witty and just plain filled with love of this girls family her mother played a very inportant part in this girls life , maylee since has lost her mother to breast cancer . the story was so wonderful deplicting how a family with different racial backgrounds . Maylee is outspoken and make the book come alife to me . thanks you for the wonderful story of part of my family.. always aunt susan
self-centered drama.......2007-09-11
I am sure that Ms. Chai earned an A+ in creative writing class for her novel. I was in school with the author and her brother for a couple of years. In fact, I had my senior pictures taken at her mother's studio. She did a nice job and was a fun lady. I knew she was married to a Chinese man. I couldn't have cared less. It made no difference to me. I am sure that I speak for most of us in town. We had plenty going on in our own lives to get too worked up about someone elses ethnic background. There is no question that most of us were of European descent. With the Univ of SD in town, we were exposed to other cultures. It wasn't like we were the United Nations, but we were far from the 'dueling banjos' of "Deliverance." There are a few bad apples in our town-- like any town on the planet. It is certainly humbling to read of her experience in our town. The violence in the halls at school, locking all the doors to the school, attractive girls opting to get poor grades to date the cool guys, etc. Her creative juices got the best of her. Hopefully, this spiteful piece of half-truths/ fiction was therapeutic or lucrative for the author.
Fiction?.......2007-06-16
I grew up in the town depicted in Ms. Chai's book. Vermillion is NOT a town of racial bigotry. We are a typical midwestern town with typical midwestern people. I would caution the reader: This book is, at best, 98 percent fiction. Specifically, I feel I need to address the scene regarding the suicide of a young high school boy. The events regarding this incident are totally false. Yes, the young man commited suicide; this event was devastating for his family and friends. For Ms. Chai to portray a suicide based upon information she receieved from her mother (who wasn't even living in Vermillion at the time), is completely unprofessional.
If you want to explore the issue of racism and bigotry in the midwest, I suggest you look for another, more credible source.
A compelling, unusual story.......2007-06-13
I found Hapa Girl to be a compelling story told by an engaging writer. The book just flew by, to the point where I wished it were a little longer. I liked that she told her personal story in the context of her family's history and of American history. Although I've read books about biracial families, immigrants, and small-town racial bigotry before, this story is still unusual and fresh. While she is a talented story teller, my only criticism is that the memoir's narrative arc is inconsistent, and the emphasis seemed to shift throughout the book. I think a longer version to fill in some of the blanks would remedy that.
Wonderful Love Story of the Struggles of A Multi-Ethnic Family In Rural America.......2007-04-25
I really found Hapa Girl to be an extremely moving memoir. I related
to so many of the issues this book describes. And I entirely disagree
with the reviewer who said this was *bitter.* I thought the writing was
funny and uplifting despite the many sad episodes that the family had
to endure. Perhaps the reviewer has never had to personally face
prejudice. But if you've been judged by your appearance or faced
bigotry and violence, or even if you simply oppose bigotry, I think
this memoir will resonate with you! I thought the writing was wonderful
and will recommend this to my friends and family. This is a story about
love ultimately triumphing over evil!*
Another one of my favorite book from this author is The Girl from Purple Mountain: Love, Honor, War, and One Family's Journey from China to America
Average customer rating:
- Emerald Isle to Emerald City
|
Irish Seattle (WA) (Images of America)
John F. Keane , and
Irish Heritage Club
Manufacturer: Arcadia Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 Irish
| Ethnic & National
| Biographies & Memoirs
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General
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| Americas
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Washington
| State & Local
| United States
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Pacific Northwest
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ASIN: 0738548782
Release Date: 2007-02-26 |
Book Description
The Puget Sound area has been greatly influenced by the Irish, and while many of the names and events are familiar, until now, their Irish connections were rarely acknowledged. Judge Thomas Burke, “The Man who Built Seattle,” had Irish parents. So did WashingtonÂ's second governor, John Harte McGraw. John Collins, who left Ireland at the tender age of 10 to seek his fame and fortune, became SeattleÂ's fourth mayor. “The Mercer Girls” included Irish women who came west to Seattle. This fascinating retrospective pays tribute to the first- and second-generation Irish who lived in the Puget Sound region over the past 150 years and who contributed to SeattleÂ's growth. In more than 200 photographs and illustrations, this book chronicles the contributions of the Irish to an area whose landscape and climate reminded them of home.
Customer Reviews:
Emerald Isle to Emerald City.......2007-09-12
You'd be forgiven for not thinking of Seattle as an "Irish city," but that may be because, as John F. Keane notes in the Introduction to this little book, the Irish in Seattle tended not to congregate in the kinds of well-defined ethnic enclaves that still define parts of Boston or New York. But if you look at some of the formative names in Seattle and western Washington history -- like Burke, Denny, McRedmond (he dropped the "Mc" from the town he named after himself), and O'Dea -- you can begin to see the influence Irish immigrants and first-generation Irish-Americans have had in the Emerald City.
Keane has done a fine job charting that influence, from those early days through a whole host of politicians, policemen, entertainers, priests, and business and civic leaders over the decades (including Jim Casey, founder of UPS). Unlike some of the other local-themed books in the "Images of America" series, "Irish America" isn't about architecture or neighborhood development, and so most of the photos tend to be interesting family portraits or historic or journalistic images from a variety of sources. (He also reproduces a page from the P-I reporting Eamon de Valera's 1919 fundraising trip with a wonderful headline announcing the visit of the "Head of So-Called 'Irish Republic'" to Seattle.) And he continues his story up to the present day, noting that Seattle's US Congressman, both our senators, and even our alleged governor can all claim Irish heritage. We may not all be aware of the Hibernian influence in the history of Seattle, but browsing through John Keane's book is a fairly interesting way to discover it.
Average customer rating:
|
Algernon Sidney and the Republican Heritage in England and America
Alan Craig Houston
Manufacturer: Princeton University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0691078602 |
Book Description
Alan Houston introduces a new level of rigor into contemporary debates over republicanism by providing the first complete account of the range, structure, and influence of the political writings of Algernon Sidney (1623-1683). Though not well known today, Sidney's Discourses Concerning Government influenced radicals in England and America throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. To many, it was a "textbook of revolution." Houston begins with a masterful intellectual biography tracing the development of Sidney's ideas in the political and intellectual context of Stuart England, and he concludes with a detailed study of the impact of Sidney's writings and heroic martyrdom on revolutionary America. Documenting the interdependence of what have previously been regarded as distinctly "liberal" and "republican" theories, the author provides a new perspective on Anglo-American political thought. Many scholars have assumed that the republican language of virtue is distinct from and in tension with the liberal logic of rights and interests. By focusing on the contemporary meaning of concepts like freedom and slavery or virtue and corruption, Houston demonstrates that Sidney's republicanism and Locke's liberalism were not rivals but frequently complemented each other.
Customer Reviews:
Brilliant.......1999-08-23
First of all, this book is by far the best account of Algernon Sidney's thought that can be found. Houston brilliantly analyzes his works and demonstrates just exactly what he stood for. One comes away with a deeper understanding and admiration for Sidney, even if you may have made careful study of his works in the best.
In addition to the invaluable material on Sindey's life, thought, and influence, Houston also rebuts a great deal of the Pocockian civic humanism/republicanism nonsense that has dominated studies of early modern thought for the past few decades.
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Immigration of the Irish Quakers into Pennsylvania: 1682-1750 (Heritage classic)
Albert Cook Myers
Manufacturer: Heritage Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0788410210 |
Book Description
Here in one volume is combined a history of the Quakers in Ireland and in Pennsylvania--a work no less esteemed for its invaluable abstracts of genealogical source materials. The Appendix, comprising fully one-third of the volume, includes biographical sketches and abstracts of certificates of removal received at various monthly meetings, together providing such information as dates of birth, marriage and death, places of residence in Ireland, names of family members, dates of immigration, and places of residence in Pennsylvania.
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From Ulster to America: The Scotch-Irish Heritage of American English
Michael Montgomery
Manufacturer: Ulster Historical Foundation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 1903688612 |
Books:
- The Sustainability Revolution: Portrait Of A Paradigm Shift
- The Teachings of Don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge, The Original Teachings in a Deluxe 30th Anniversary Edition
- The Translucent Revolution: How People Just Like You are Waking Up and Changing the World
- The War of the World: Twentieth-Century Conflict and the Descent of the West
- Things Fall Apart: A Novel
- Ulysses S. Grant : Memoirs and Selected Letters : Personal Memoirs of U.S. Grant / Selected Letters, 1839-1865 (Library of America)
- War and Society in Europe of the Old Regime 1618-1789 (War and European Society)
- War Is a Racket: The Anti-War Classic by America's Most Decorated General, Two Other Anti=Interventionist Tracts, and Photographs from the Horror of It
- Webster's New World College Dictionary, Fourth Edition (Book with CD-ROM)
- White Night (The Dresden Files, Book 9)
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