The Origins of the Irish - Hardcover

J.P. Mallory

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0500051755 ISBN 13: 9780500051757

Publisher: Thames and Hudson Ltd, 2013

Synopsis

Written as an engrossing detective story by the leading authority, this is the first major attempt in nearly eighty years to deal with the core issues and multiple influences in the creation of the Irish people. Essential reading, with over 120 informative line drawings and maps, for anyone interested in Ireland and the Irish, this book brings together the evidence of archaeology, culture, tradition, genetics and linguistics to shed welcome new light on the age-old riddle of Irish origins.

About this title

Review:

An impressive monograph which marshals evidence from various sources, archaeological, oral and written, to present a comprehensive account. --Books Ireland

Deserves the widest possible readership. --Dublin Review of Books

Superb and witty ... as a tour d'horizon, it is unmatched. --The Irish Times

Highly informative ... well-argued and often brilliant scholarship ... fascinating. --Sunday Business Post

...his wry, convivial style makes this complex account an effortless and enjoyable read. --Current Archaeology

Mallory does a good job in the closing chapter at summarising the evidence and the theories. --Books Ireland

Informative, yet entertaining and the high quality illustrations bring the text to life ... the result of decades of quality academic research and has been published to an equally high standard. It is essential reading for anyone interested in Irish history and archaeology. --Ulster Archaeology Society

Professor Emeritus Jim Mallory tells a very good story - he writes in an easy, clear, chatty, even humorous style ... he makes the complex topic he has chosen far more intelligible than might have been the case from a writer with less verve ... Although the book is solidly factual, and every statement of fact is carefully documented, it is also fun to read ... should be on the bookshelf of every archaeologically interested 'Irelander'. --Ulster Journal of Archaeology

A groundbreaking archaeological survey ... Mallory is as gifted (and often droll) a stylist as he is meticulous a scholar. --The Irish Times

Mallory brilliantly synthesises the complexities of geology, archaeology, historical/mythical sources, genetics and linguistics ... he takes genuinely difficult subjects, explains the conflicting arguments with refreshing clarity and draws conclusion with the forensic precision of a top-class barrister. Yet the book has the readability of a detective story ... Whether you are going across the sea to Ireland or not - I urge you to read this brilliant book --Minerva

So important ... Written clearly and with a light touch, the book is also well illustrated ... At times I found I was reading it like a detective story, more thriller than documentary. It was very difficult to put down ... Wonderful! --History Today

About the Author:

J. P. Mallory is a world expert on the interconnection of archaeology and linguistics and is the author of the standard work In Search of the Indo-Europeans and The Oxford Introduction to Proto-Indo-European. He has published numerous other works, including the hugely acclaimed The Origins of the Irish. He is Emeritus Professor of Prehistoric Archaeology at Queen's University Belfast and a member of the Royal Irish Academy.

About this edition

• Publisher: Thames and Hudson Ltd
• Publication date: 2013
• ISBN 10: 0500051755
• ISBN 13: 9780500051757
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 320