The Princes of Ireland

The bestselling author of SARUM and THE FOREST takes on the massive history of Ireland from 430 to 1537 A.D. in a series of interconnected sketches that blend historical people with fictional characters. Some listeners may find this book less involving than his others, but narrator Richard Matthews does his best--which is very good--to keep us interested. He blends an attentive, well-paced narration in his attractive English baritone with a range of Irish accents that delineate character and class--everything from Druid priests to warrior queens to twentieth-century farmers experiencing potato famine. Matthews is particularly skilled at heightening the narrative drive of the story with an intense, dramatic reading that is never overdone. He makes this book well worth hearing, despite its daunting length. A.C.S. (c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine


As in his earlier sagas, SARUM and LONDON, Rutherfurd evokes the history of a time and place by writing interlocking stories of individual men and women and their descendants over many years. The history of Ireland takes shape as Rutherfurd details the stories of Irish people from the dawn of time through the reign of Henry VIII. It's a pleasure to listen to John Keating as he narrates the complex story line and creates believable voices for the many characters Rutherfurd weaves together in this tapestry of Irish history. While the abridgment is well done, the editing leaves something to be desired--the lack of breaks between scenes can be disorienting. J.D.P (c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine