Excellent companion to Patrick O'Brian!
580086
An indispensable companion to an serious reader of the Patrick O/Brain "Master and Commander" series of novels--keeps one oriented to the places and situations encountered in the novels.
4207935
Brings in fresh characters, plot, and ideas while connecting brilliantly with the other books. This book opens up a whole new world that i'm excited to see Brian run with. I was a little skeptical that the book was completely void of its roots in the adventures in Adro but that wasn't the case at all. You will have a very hard time putting this book down!
4724033
Great book if you want to understand Irish culture and history without slogging through dull social science books.  I have had a number of Irish friends, and have always enjoyed their company greatly, and this books helps explain why -- good conversation, music, dancing, and yes, drinking, are basic parts of the culture.  Education and initiative too (I guess out of necessity!).  Was interesting to read through the number of influential americans who were Irish, who knew?  Also love that there's an official Irish Dancing Commission.  Any country with a Dancing Commission is OK with me!
507354
My introduction to Patrick O'Brian's books was the movie Master & Commander, Far Side of the World; it's one of my favorite movies, seen it multiple times, and I've always been sad that they never made the planned sequel. I always knew that the movie was taken from several of Mr. O'Brian's books and I intended, some day, to read a few of them.

So a few months ago I bought the first book; Master & Commander thinking that I would give it a try and if I liked it I would eventually work my way through the rest of them...I am just finishing this book, book number 4 in the series and I've read them straight through, finish one and immediately start the next. There are twenty books in all in the Aubrey/Maturin series and a book twenty-one that consists of the first three chapters only because Mr. O'Brian passed away whilst writing it. And while there are twenty complete books it's really just one very long book because each book passes seamlessly into the next, which may explain why I've ripped through the first four all in a row!
I think I may stop for a bit after this one because I don't think I can read all twenty in a row and I'm not sure I'd want to because the experience would end much too soon. That being said, I am aware of the luxury of having that option, I can't imagine how frustrating it must have been for O'Brian fans back in the 70's and 80's having to wait for him to write the next volume! In case you haven't caught on yet I am a very big fan of these books! I admit that it does take a while to become accustomed to Mr. O'Brian's writing style, it is very different. And the language, nautical terms also are an acquired taste but, once you've acquired that taste these books incredible. They are without a doubt some of the very best historical fiction I've every read. And as far as nautical historical fiction goes, in my opinion the only other writer in Mr. O'Brian's league is C.S. Forrester.
I have read some nautical historical fiction by contemporary writers, there are several plying their trade today, and they're pretty good, enjoyable and very readable, but none are in the same league as Mr. O'Brian.
If you're a fan of the Russell Crowe movie, or of nautical fiction, or historical fiction of any kind I highly recommend giving the Aubrey/Maturin series a try. Just be ready to put aside any other books you were planning to read for awhile because once you start reading these books it is very difficult to stop.
3834196
This third volume of The New Annotated Sherlock Holmes makes an excellent companion to the first two volumes already  published. It contains all four of the Holmes novels, each one with a splendid introductory essay and appendices as well as numerous fascinating annotations.

What I find most charming about these three volumes is the annotator's full blown acceptance of the major tenet of Sherlockian studies:  Holmes and Watson were real people who actually solved the crimes and mysteries documented by Conan Doyle, who in the Sherlockian world was merely a collaborator and editor.  This leads to fascinating speculations on the nature and location(s) of Watson's war wounds; the actual addresses of some of the crime scenes; and the true nature of such varied topics as Mormonism and the English Corn Laws.  Thus an enthusiast for Holmes will not only learn a great deal about his favorite detective, he will also pick up a lot of information about life in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

Not only does this third volume complete the annotation of all of Doyle's writings on Holmes, it also makes an elegant addition to your bookshelves:  when placed alongside the first two volumes, the jackets combine to make a nice silhouette of Holmes in his deerstalker!
4568338
I picked up the paperback version of this book in a bookshop in Kinsale, Ireland last week during a short vacation.  By chance, the tour by rental car that we'd planned pretty much followed Pete's travels.  The book is laugh-out-loud funny but also very insightful about Ireland today.  The people were every bit as friendly and welcoming as described in the book.  And he's not kidding about the call-in shows on Radio Kerry.  On our last day, an old man called in to express his great worries about county workers' plans to straighten a stone fence on his property.  The host said to him, "What I'm trying to glean from you sir, is, what exactly are the ramifications of straightening this fence?"  The man replied, "Well, I don't really know."  And that was the end of that call.  Absolutely hysterical -- and true.
3179507
Fantastic read - I'd recommend the companion book of maps and sea battles to add to the experience - such an interesting time period to explore and O'Brien is a great tour guide.
748760
"Angels in the Moonlight" is a prequel to McDonnell's Dublin Triology and - boy! does he deliver! For one thing the story is a crime story that will keep you on your toes. For another it, again, is inhabited by fascinating characters.

But it's absolutely terrific, imho, because of its characterization of the "earlier"Bunny McGarry! Not only does the reader learn a lot about Bunny's past (and some questions from "The Day That Never Comes" get answered), but McDonnell manages to draw a Bunny that's softer, not so spent, drained and marked by life, who already contains the "later" Bunny, but who hasn't lived up to that version yet.

"Angels in the Moonlight" shows exactly where Bunny comes from when he's at certain crossroads, what made him into the man he is in the Dublin Triology - with all his good and not so good traits. And a part of me wanted to weep when I saw what could have become of him if some things had played out differently. So this crime story weaves a web of romance, tragedy, comedy, first grade suspense, a fluent style and a good portion of Irish atmosphere. Just great!

McDonnell's books, so far, got better and better and have, by now, managed to make it onto my keeper shelf!

(Bought at Amazon.de)
3529414
I heard about this book listening to an interview with the author on NPR and was intrigued enough to buy it. This book exceeded my expectations and I highly recommend it. Timothy Egan has the gift of sharing non-fiction information in an engaging and empathic way. I gained so many
insights about the Irish immigrants and their impact on our country's evolution. Before reading this book my knowledge was as shallow as Boston cops, Oh Danny Boy and The Gangs of New York.
3146766
Second time reading this book.  O'Brian at his best, exploring the depths of friendship and emotion as well as he does a scrape between squadrons of sailing ships.
3745000
Tim Pat Coogan is the master when it comes to Irish history, and this well-written comprehensive account of "the Troubles" offers the reader both facts, dates, names, events, and such and personal accounts of everyday people's experiences. Coogan is a brilliant historian whose total command of the material and considerable abilities as a writer. All of his books are wonderful read whether you are well-versed in Irish history or curious or have no background at all. I highly recommend his books on the IRA and De Valera.
I couldn't put this book down and have a much deeper knowledge of a subject I already knew quite a bit about and will pass it on to a friend who knows nothing at all about Irish history.
4071462
This may be my favorite leprechaun story ever! Peddler and blarney teller extraordinaire Patrick OKelly's boastful clams of being the best teller of tales has made their way to the King of the Leprechauns; and he is not amused. Everyone knows, or should know, that Leprechauns are the best bards of the land. The king tricks OKelly into accepting a gift that will forever change his storytelling ways. The Ring of Truth is a fantastically illustrated and entertaining story, perfect for a read aloud on Saint Patricks Day or any day.
4654275
So up front Patrick F Byrne was my uncle. I can remember jumping on the bus and heading off to my grandmothers home every Saturday morning because my uncle Paddy would be there and I loved to hear him tell his stories about ghosts banshees and assorted other tales. It is a time I cherish now in my 57 year. Paddy is long since dead but his stories have stayed with me over the years. In this book you can read some of his many stories. The books are all I have of Paddy now. He could tell a story and really there was nothing like hearing him but this book is a great place for him to introduce himself.
He had hundreds of stories so only a few remain in his books.
1448594
Ardal O'Hanlon's "The Talk of the Town" evokes obvious comparisons to Patrick McCabe's "Butcher Boy", but where the latter feels like a sincere attempt to understand the troubled mind of an Irish teen, the former plays it more for laughs and at times, shock value.  Intent aside, however, O'Hanlon has created a truly memorable novel and while it risks making stereotypes out of Irish youth, "The Talk of the Town" is a must read novel.
  Patrick Scully lacks a lot: social skills, a job, a sense of humor, self-control.  As he stumbles through life, he picks fights, gets drunk, makes pathetic attempts to date, and generally fails at everything he attempts.  He would be a sympathetic character if he wasn't such a jerk.  Francesca is a young college woman Patrick thinks is his girlfriend, but as O'Hanlon cleverly reveals through the use of Francesca's diary, the romance Patrick envisions does not match up with reality.
  "The Talk of the Town" is well-written, laugh out loud funny (at times), and expertly constructed, with O'Hanlon revealing tidbits of information that ultimately change how we view his characters.  While Patrick verges on being an Irish caricature at times, he maintains an element of unpredictability that O'Hanlon exploits well.
  This is not the most uplifting book one will ever read, but it is memorable and worth the time and money.
4387082
While wholly different, a must read for any fan of Patrick's work.  While very unique in her own right, I found very similar Auri too.  I'm off to read it again!
1683697
This book is a useful companion to all reading in the Patrick O'Brian series of novels involving British square-rigged ships and their equipment. It is just a reference book though, not a novel itself, and so would in my opinion only deserve 3 stars if it were perfect. I would have trouble giving a dictionary more stars, for example.  I have certainly used it a lot while reading, though, and I used to be in the Navy so some of these words are familiar but still only remotely so. A good aid to have!
3905457
My first experience with Saint Patrick came from the often dreaded annual ritual of needing to wear green on March 17th to avoid being pinched by some else at school. These many years later, I gladly embrace my Irish heritage each year on March 17th but I still know little about Patrick.

Jonathan Rogers' book on Patrick's life and theology has given me a very good introductory picture of this man who did not, according to legends of many centuries, drive the snakes out of Ireland (Rogers notes in the introduction that, 200 years before Patrick, the Greek geographer Solinus noted that "Ireland was free of snakes."); or that "there is no record of Patrick using the shamrock to teach the Irish about the Trinity."

Part of Thomas Nelson's series Christian Encounters, that feature short introductions to a variety of literary, historical, musical, and religious leaders, Rogers book provides us with helpful information about this well-loved Christian figure whose return to Ireland as a young man, helped to establish Christianity at the edge of the declining Roman Empire in the fourth and/or fifth century C.E.

Using two primary resources that contain little biographic detail, Patrick's The Confession and The Letter as well as a variety of other sources, Rogers outlines some of the challenges related to separating fact from fiction relating to Patrick's life. However, he does a wonderful job of setting his story against the religious and historic setting of post-Roman Britain and Ireland in which Christianity went from an oppressed faith to a state faith.

Divided into seven chapters of 10 to 15 pages each and two appendices that are translated works of his The Confession and The Letter, Rogers brings Patrick's deep and passionate piety to the forefront at the edge of the world and in the midst of a people who once enslaved him during a time of major political, economic, and religious changes. The result is a picture of a deeply devout and devoted pastor to his flock that seeks to help the reader wade through the legend and find a man who loved God and the people he was called to preach the gospel to at the edge of the world.

(Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their Blogger Review program called Book Sneeze ([...])  I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.")