Bitter freedom - Maurice Walsh

The Irish Revolution - the war between the British authorities and the
newly-formed IRA - was the first successful revolt anywhere against the
British Empire.
This is a vividly-written, compelling narrative placing events
in Ireland in the wider context of a world in turmoil after the ending
of a global war: one that saw the collapse of empires and the rise of fascist Italy and communist Russia. Walsh shows how developments in
Europe and America had a profound effect on Ireland, influencing the
attitudes and expectations of combatants and civilians.


Walsh also brings to life what Irish people who were not fully involved
in the fighting were doing - the plays they went to, the exciting films
they watched in the new cinemas, the books they read and the work they
did. The freedom from Britain that
most of them wanted was, when it came, a bitter disappointment to a
generation aware of the promise of modernity.