Medieval Ireland 4-16th Century History Society Culture Religion Vikings Normans

Description

Medieval Ireland: The Enduring Tradition by Michael Richter, with a Foreword by Proinseas Ni Chathain.
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DESCRIPTION:
Softcover 226 pages. Publisher: Palgrave-Macmillan (1996). Dimensions: 8½ x 5½ x ¾ inches; ¾ pound.
Irish history has traditionally been described either in isolation or in the manner in which it was influenced by outside forces, especially by England. This book strikes a different balance. First, the time span covered is longer then usual, and more attention is being paid to the early medieval centuries than to the later period. Whether the twelfth century marked a turning point in Irish history, as is normally taken for granted, is questioned here.
Secondly, less emphasis is placed in this book on the political or military history of Ireland than on general social and cultural aspects. As a result, a new interpretation of medieval Ireland emerges, one in which social and cultural norms inherited from pre-historic times are seen to survive right through the Middle Ages. They gave Irish society a stability and inherent strength unparalleled in Europe. Christianity came in as an additional, enriching factor.
“Medieval Ireland: The Enduring Tradition” is an overview of Irish society from the coming of Christianity in the fourth century to the Reformation in the sixteenth. Such a broad survey reveals features otherwise not easily detected. For all the complexity of political developments, Irish society remained basically stable and managed to withstand the onslaught of both the Vikings and the English. The inherent strength of Ireland consisted in the cultural heritage from pre-historic times which remained influential throughout the centuries discussed here.
CONDITION: VERY GOOD. Partially read but age-blemished oversized softcover. Palgrave Macmillan (1996) 226 pages. Inspection of the book suggests that only the first dozen pages were read. There's no reading crease in the spine, however the evidence does suggest that someone did briefly start the book before putting it away unread. From the outside the fore and top surfaces of the closed page edges show age-tanning, the top surface also shows heavy "foxing" (tiny, tan-colored age speckles). Both the tanning and the foxing are of course, by and large visible only when book is closed, not to individual pages, only to the mass of closed page edges, sometimes referred to as the "page block". However inside the book the first few and the last few pages within the book are also age-tanned and show a few tiny, faint, age-speckles. The original owner also wrote their name, in ink, along the top edge of the first page within the book (the half-title page). Notwithstanding the inked name and the age- tanning/foxing to the first and last few pages within the book, the inside of the book is otherwise almost pristine. The pages are clean, crisp, (otherwise) unmarked, unmutilated, tightly bound, and clearly unread beyond about page 20. Returning to the outside of the book, aside from the age-tanning and foxing to the closed page edges, the book covers are clean an evidencing only very mild edge and corner shelfwear. This is really only easily discerned if you hold the book up to a light source (yeah, we're nitpicking). You can then discern very mild edge and corner shelf wear to the covers, little crinkles at the cover corners and less frequently, along the cover edges. Given he age-related tanning and "foxing" to the top and fore-surfaces of the closed page edges, the book might lack the "sex appeal" of a "shelf trophy". Nonetheless for those not concerned with whether the book will or will not enhance their social status or intellectual reputation, it is otherwise clean and essentially unread. Satisfaction unconditionally guaranteed. In stock, ready to ship. No disappointments, no excuses. PROMPT SHIPPING! HEAVILY PADDED, DAMAGE-FREE PACKAGING! Meticulous and accurate descriptions! Selling rare and out-of-print ancient history books on-line since 1997. We accept returns for any reason within 30 days! #1840.2b
PLEASE SEE IMAGES BELOW FOR SAMPLE PAGES FROM INSIDE OF BOOK.
PLEASE SEE PUBLISHER, PROFESSIONAL, AND READER REVIEWS BELOW.
PUBLISHER REVIEW
:
REVIEW: Michael Richter studied History and English at the Universities of Marburg, Berlin, and London, obtaining his doctorate in 1968. After further research, he was Lecturer in Medieval History at University College Dublin from 1974 to 1986, with a short spell as visiting Professor at Vienna University between 1981 and 1982. Since 1986 he has been Professor of Medieval Constitutional History at the University of Konstanz.
PROFESSIONAL REVIEWS
:
REVIEW: To attempt to present the history of Ireland from its beginnings to the beginning of the sixteenth century is as hazardous in its way as crossing the Niagara Falls on a tightrope. The first thing that must be said is that Richter succeeded in passing from one end to the other with very few wobbles, and with all the caution necessary for the task. His knowledge of the literature is full and accurate, his judgment sane and his exposition lucid.
REVIEW: Medieval Ireland is an extended essay on Irish society from the coming of Christianity in the fourth century to the Reformation in the sixteenth. Seen in wider European context, medieval Ireland emerges as exceptional and her contributions to the shaping of Europe, outstanding.
REVIEW: An essay on medieval Irish society, from the coming of Christianity in the fourth century to the Reformation of the 16th century. It examines the influence of cultural, religious and political developments of Irish society. One of the valuable features of Dr. Richter’s handling of the early period is the skill with which he conveys the richness of the written sources.
REVIEW: The native ecclesiastical and secular background to Irish peregrination abroad is outlined succinctly. The author shows his familiarity with current research by, for example, his skillful use of the as yet largely unpublished archaeological excavations in medieval Dublin to highlight differences between the pre- and post-Norman periods.
READER REVIEW
:
REVIEW: The book is a brief history of medieval Ireland. It covers the times from the prehistoric times to the fifteenth century. However, brief does not mean superficial. The author chooses some subjects he is interested in and discusses them trying to be impartial - from many different points of view. He does not try to describe the past in detail, but rather to point out the most important moments, problems and aspects in Irish history. Richter also poses some questions significant from the point of view of a contemporary person some of which remain open.
The book is suitable for beginners as it is quite short and written in a comprehensible way as well as for people truly interested in the matter thanks to reliable bibliography record and references. It helps to understand the unusual political organization and the complicated and quite uncommon social structure of the Island in the middle ages. Obviously, history of medieval Ireland was greatly determined by the history of church. That is why the book deals mainly with the church's history, which was not less interesting in Ireland than political history. It is a very good book for a great start.
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