Vivid Faces

November 10, 2014
In 1916, Irish rebels took their desire for self-government to the next level, engaging in the open insurrection that became known as the Easter Uprising. Foster (Modern Ireland), the professor of Irish History at Hertford College, Oxford, constructs a deep, intricate portrait of the generation leading up to the Easter Uprising, as examined through all aspects of their daily lives and surrounding culture. He covers the building blocks—education and recreation, arts and literature, preparation for armed conflict—and so on into and throughout the course of the uprising and its aftermath, declaring it almost inevitable: “During this era enough people—especially young people—changed their minds about political possibilities to bring about a revolution against the old order, which included not only government by Britain but the constitutional nationalism of the previous government.” Foster’s thorough, widely-sourced work focuses on “students, actors, writers, teachers, civil servants; often from comfortable middle-class backgrounds, and often spending part of their lives working in Britain.” It’s an authoritative account of a volatile period, but it’s written by a historian for serious scholars; the prose is dense and challenging, the material fascinating yet intimidating. For those willing to slog through the text, it will prove an invaluable resource. Illus.

December 1, 2014
A bracing study of the rebels who secured Ireland's freedom from Britain nearly a century ago.When it comes to people who once lived and breathed, Foster (The Irish Story: Telling Tales and Making It Up in Ireland, 2002, etc.), perhaps the pre-eminent student of Irish history working today, is no hagiographer. Moreover, he does not subscribe to the great man theory of history. As he writes here, by way of prelude, one of his interests is to show "how a revolutionary generation comes to be made, rather than born." Although Irish politics has been definitively sectarian, especially in its nationalist (or unionist) dimensions, the author observes that many of the first-generation rebels against British rule were Protestant; one, Alice Milligan, described herself as an "internal prisoner" of her family. In passing, Foster fruitfully compares the generation of rebels that brought on the Easter Uprising of 1916 to the Bolsheviks who overthrew the czar a year and a half later. While he notes that "this comparison should not be pushed too far," it is useful to remember that the Irish, whether the comparatively conservative W.B. Yeats or the socialist Eamon de Valera, were not operating in a vacuum. As Foster charts the growth of the nationalist and revolutionary movements, the violence mounts. What had begun as a war of words and ideas soon took on armed force, so that, by the time of the first Republic, " 'soldiers' and 'politicians' were already regarding each other suspiciously, and the implicit tension between moderate and extremist elements stretched to other issues besides that of separation from British rule." By the end of Foster's illuminating account, it is clear that the factionalism could only grow, to often tragic ends. Readable and provocative. Students of contemporary Irish history have few better guides than the sometimes-dyspeptic but refreshingly agenda-less Foster.

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Starred review from December 15, 2014
The title is taken from a Yeats poem that pays tribute to the radical Irish nationalists who took part in the Easter Rebellion, in 1916. In that action, a diverse crew of rebels seized parts of central Dublin until crushed by massive British firepower. Although seemingly futile, their efforts and the execution of some of the leaders galvanized sentiments in Ireland around independence and led to the creation of the Irish Free State, in 1921. Foster, professor of Irish history at Oxford, examines the background, hopes, and dreams of dozens of the participants in a fascinating, moving, but often sad account. These were certainly idealistic men and women, but their dedication, even fanaticism, often seems both naive and dangerous. All, of course, were dedicated to Irish independence, but their individual concerns included feminism, sexual freedom, socialism, and cultural transformation. Foster draws parallels to other revolutionary movements in that many of these rebels consciously set themselves in opposition to the complacency or moderate politics of their parents' generation. Foster views them with sympathy, affection, but also with a critical eye. This is an outstanding tableau of an exciting, often tragic era and of the characters who helped make it so.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)