I enjoy history, and overviews are a great introduction. So, knowing little about the history of Ireland, I was excited to delve into this short work by Killeen. And short it is- 70 pages to cover the history of a nation. Killeen states in the introduction that the book is intended for visitors, so think of this as the book you read on the plane ride over to your Ireland holiday. For that purpose, it's suitable, but don't pick this up thinking you'll get a complete portrait of the land.
In the end, it was too short. Topics are glossed over and the progression of history is, in some cases, difficult to follow due to heavy summarization. There is some value here, but if you're looking for an overview of Ireland, you should look elsewhere. Having read several historical overviews, I believe that 250 pages is needed, at minimum, to communicate a nation's history in a flowing, logical manner.
Rating: B-
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