"Modern Ireland"

Modern Ireland: 1600 - 1972 (R. F. Foster)

Well, I tried with this one, but I only made it about 150 pages into this 600 page book and had to quit. The author assumes a much deeper background in European history than I have; I can keep straight what's going on with Charles II, James, and William of Orange off screen, but when the narrative starts asking that you already know the details about their various religious attitudes towards their Irish subjects, that's where I start getting lost. Probably a good book if you already know the material, as it seems more like a reflection on changing Ireland than a straight narrative history (for which I continue to search in vain).

Grade: D+