Anderson, William, and Clive Hicks
Cathedrals in Britain and Ireland: from Early Times to the Reign of Henry VIII *** Scribner, NY, 1978; bibliography, index; Macdonald and Jane's, London, 1978 Lots of stories and pictures. T3
Bannerman, J.
Studies in the History of Dalriada Edinburgh, 1974
Bartlaett, Thomas, & Kevin Jeffery
A Military History of Ireland *** Cambridge University Press, London & NY For any period between 500 and our times. T2
Bennett, R.
The Black & Tans **** Barnes & Noble Details the depredations of these infamous British forces. T2
Berleth, Richard J.
The Twilight Lords: an Irish Chronicle **** Knopf, NY, distributed by Random House; 1978; bibliography, index Deals with the Elizabethan attempts to subjugate Ireland, with the focus on Munster. T2
Bradshaw, Brendan
The Dissolution of the Religious Orders in Ireland Under Henry VIII **** Cambridge University Press, London and NY; 1974; bibliography, index
Byrne, F. J.
"Tribes and Tribalism in Early Ireland" **** Eriu 22, pgs 128-66
Cahill, Thomas
How the Irish Saved Civilization **** Anchor Press In the Dark Ages and on into the Middle Ages, anyone who spoke Greek in western Europe was assumed to be Irish or Irish educated. This book claims that Ireland, being beyond the edge of the collapsing and invaded Romanic sphere, was a relative haven of peace and learning in the Dark Ages. T2
Caulfield, Max
Ireland *** Barnes & Noble, NY; 192 pg; photos by Joe Cornish You get this book for the glorious photos of city and country. Nothing wrong with the text, and you might mine a few nuggets that suit your particular project. T2
Cirker, Blanche, editor
The Book of Kells: Selected Plates in Full Color **** Dover, 32 pgs You always hear about the Book of Kells, and maybe see a little scribble or two from it. This is the magnificent stuff, 9.5 x 12.25", including the earliest known manuscript representation of the Virgin and Child motif in the West. T3
Daley, M. D.
Irish Laws **** Chronicle Breezy look at 50 of the Brehon Laws. T2
Ellis, Peter Beresford
The Druids *** Eerdmans; 304 pg One of several possible interpretations. T2
Foster, R. F., ed.
The Oxford Illustrated History of Ireland *****! Oxford University Press One of Marina's indispensable books. Gives the perfect grounding, and the illustrations are a big improvement over the old, almost all text versions. T1-2
Fry, Plantagenet and Fiona Somerset
A History of Ireland *** Starts in prehistory and runs to the modern. Good grounding. T1
Guinness, Desmond, & William Ryan
Irish Houses & Castles *****! Gives a good view down the ages of the better class of dwelling. One of Marina's indispensables. T2
Hennessy, W. H., editor
The Annals of Ulster **** Dublin, 1887-93 A multi-volume edition of the Annals, a primary document of Irish Medieval history. T2
Joyce, P. W.
A Social History of Ancient Ireland **** 1968 A lovely fat two-volume exploration of all the minutiae of life. Would there were such a book for every geographical and temporal cultural group: writers' lives would be so easy. One chapter alone, "Food, Fuel, & Light," gives the names of food, drink, and utensils, methods of cookery, arrangement of seating, the colours and varieties of ales, the most popular source of wine (Poitou), and the date of first mention of whiskey (1405), among much more. Get together with MacManus, and you almost have to invent a story in Ireland just to use all the information to hand. T3
Ingraham, Holly
People's Names: A Cross-cultural Reference Guide to the Proper Use of Over 40,000 Personal and Familial Names in Over 100 Cultures *****! McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers, Jefferson, NC; 1997; 613 pgs, index, select annotated bibliography Modern Irish and Ancient Irish chapters both. Notes which names of modern use date back to Norse, not ancient Ireland. T1
Knopf Guides
Ireland *****! Marina says this is one of the books she could not do without. Provides a basic background with maps to the present, and some historical footing. T2
Laing, Lloyd & Jennifer
Celtic Britain and Ireland: The Myth of the Dark Ages **** Barnes & Noble Challenges the assumption made by historians that because the Continent was rent by migrations and invasions, and the western Roman Empire collapsed, that the term Dark Ages can be applied everywhere. While the English (Saxons) pushed the British out of southeast Britain, they retained their culture and supremecy in Cornwall, Wales, and the northwest, while the Irish were never menaced by outsiders from the Roman period on. Explores the maturation of the Celts towards the Medieval in the period 400-700. T2 The Picts and the Scots **** Alan Sutton Covers the development of the autochthonous Picts before and after the invasion of the Dal Riada Scots, both streams contributing to the development of Alba into Scotland. T2
Celtic Britain and Ireland: The Myth of the Dark Ages **** Barnes & Noble Challenges the assumption made by historians that because the Continent was rent by migrations and invasions, and the western Roman Empire collapsed, that the term Dark Ages can be applied everywhere. While the English (Saxons) pushed the British out of southeast Britain, they retained their culture and supremecy in Cornwall, Wales, and the northwest, while the Irish were never menaced by outsiders from the Roman period on. Explores the maturation of the Celts towards the Medieval in the period 400-700. T2
The Picts and the Scots **** Alan Sutton Covers the development of the autochthonous Picts before and after the invasion of the Dal Riada Scots, both streams contributing to the development of Alba into Scotland. T2
Lehane, Brendan
Wild Ireland *****! Prentice Hall, NY Understandably one of Marina's indispensables. This series, while geared to the naturalist-back-packer-day-hiker gives invaluable background for stories that move outside the urban and farm areas, which is more and more of any country the further back you go. Fauna and flora notes, with scenic color pictures. T2
Lovett, Richard
Ireland 100 Years Ago **** Bracken If you are writing around 1888, you will want this reprinted travelouge. T3
McManus, Seamus
The History of the Irish Race *** Devon-Adair Company, Old Greenwich, CN Lap-breaker written shortly after independence; patriotism and damn the Sassenach to a chauvinistic degree, just short of rabid. Sometimes a bit confusing, as he follows one group of people down time, then jumps back to pick up another group. Very good in the earliest and latest periods. T2
O'Brien, Jacqueline, & Peter Harbison
Ancient Ireland *****! One of Marina's indispensables, that carries forward farther than you might expect. T1
O'Cuiv, B., editor
The Impact of the Scandinavian Invasions on the Celtic-Speaking Peoples, c. 800-1000 AD <sic> Dublin, 1962
Otway-Ruthven, A. J.
A History of Medieval Ireland **** Barnes & Noble, NY Excellent basic book for the period of 1170 to 1494, including the assimilation of the Normans until they were the chief antagonists to England. T2
Reynolds, James
Ghosts in Irish Houses **** Besides letting you know what may appear to your characters, such books also recap some very dramatic moments characteristic of their ages. One of Marina's indispensables. T1
Ridley, Jasper
The Tudor Age **** Contains a good deal on the relations of Ireland and England at this time. T2
Salmonson, Jessica Amanda
The Encyclopedia of Amazons: Women Warriors from Antiquity to the Modern Era *****! Paragon House, NY, 1991; 290 pg, no index, bibliography Not only the ancient Irish warrior women, but Elizabethan pirates and others. T2
Sheehy, Terence J.
Images of Ireland *****! A picture book that makes up for a lack of being able to travel there. One of Marina's indispensable. T1
Smith, J.
Genealogical history of the Family of Brabazon, from its Origin Down to Sir William Brabazon, Lord Treasurer and Lord Chief Justice of Ireland, temp. Henry VIII *** privately published in Paris, 1825 The closest thing to a detail biography on Brabazon. T3
Wallace, Martin
A Short History of Ireland *** Barnes & Noble, NY; 168 pg Good basic grounding without being more than you can handle at first. T1
Woodham-Smith, Cecil
The Great Hunger *****! Barnes & Noble, NY Excellent book on the Great Famine of the 1840, in which a million Irish peasants were allowed to starve to death and hundreds of thousands migrated to North America, South America, and Australia. T2
Woulfe, Patrick
Irish Names and Surnames *****! Genealogical Publishing Company, Baltimore, MD, 1967 Can you read the Irish script that looks like Medieval text? If so, this is a great pick-list of modern personal and family names and their POSSIBLE meanings and ancient sources. T1
VHS; 52 min.
The motion equivalent of a coffee-table book, ranging from castles up to the 18th century. T1
http://atlantic.evsc.virginia.edu/julia/AncientWorld.html
Superb linksite, which it would be silly to try and duplicate here. Especially fine for including Asian, American, and African sections, not just Europe and the Near East.
http://www.ucr.edu/h-gig/topperindex.html
A thorough-going linksite maintained by the University of California at Riverside, H-GIG sorts by area, by era (ancient, Medieval, early Modern, Modern, and 20th C), or by topic (military, women, etc.). It's a good place to start a hunt for books and essays online.
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/sbook.html
Halsall is collecting texts in translation, and also providing links to other sites like Berkeley, so as not to duplicate effort. This huge initial page links internally and externally to a list of period works, from the late Byzantine-early Christian age to the early Renaissance. Wonderful source, attractive without glitz, many matrices of approach (eg, by a topic like women's roles or by a period). Includes links to some translations of old Irish poetry.