The Shortest History of Ireland

By: James Hawes

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Paperback | 28 April 2026

At a Glance

Format
Paperback

Dimensions(cm)
19.5 x 12.8 x 2.9

Paperback

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The captivating story of a small island's vast history - its struggle, spirit and survival

The #1 bestseller in Ireland

Galloping from the Ice Age to the present, The Shortest History of Ireland will completely change the way people see the Irish past.

Guiding us through centuries of bitter struggle and fierce resistance, James Hawes charts the importance of Ireland's links to its real mainland - Europe - and to its exiled children in America. For centuries, Europe provided hope in the face of near-genocidal colonisation - and then Greater Ireland (as it was sometimes called) across the Atlantic took over.

Today, Ireland finds itself in an era of renewal. Bolstered by huge economic growth, a young and growing population and support from both its diaspora and its allies, the nation just has to sidestep the last, toxic wreckage of the British Empire, and its fascinating past will flow into a bright future.

A tale of triumph, tragedy and revival, this is popular history at its thrilling best.

'A complex history, entertainingly distilled.' -The Saturday Age

Contents:
1. The Four--Dimensional Island
2. Europe's Outlier (12500 BCE-795 CE)
3. The Age of Invasions (795-1250)
4. Resistance and Revival (1250-1520)
5. Into the Empire of England (1520-1704)
6. One Crown, One Religion, Two Countries (1704-1801)
7. Keystone of Empire (1801-1914)
8. Triumph and Tragedy (1914-1926)
9. Dev's Ireland (1926-1959)
10. Coming Home at Last (1959-1998)
11. Almost Free (1998-Present)

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