2008-05-15 Doesn't pretend to be anything it's not

This book deserves more than the two-and-a-half stars it has been given. The criticisms posited by the two previous reviewers - that it presupposes the reader's prior knowledge of the 'myths and players' of the Celtic Tiger, and that Foster concentrates on certain 'aspects' of Irish life - may be warranted. However, Foster has always zoned in on several interests (literature, theatre, sexual mores, political scandal), and anyone familiar with his earlier volume, Modern Ireland 1600-1972, will know what to expect. This is a necessary move - it would be unwise and unfair to expect a comprehensive account of thirty years of Irish life in 228 pages.

Foster's Preface is not included in the Amazon preview, but it clearly states that those in search of 'first-rate general treatment[s] of the period' should look to books by Terence Brown, Henry Patterson and/or Diarmaid Ferriter (I recommend the latter). For those who, like me, find Foster's approach entertaining and insightful, this is a perfect supplement to the straightforward 'history books' - which this is not, and does not pretend to be.