The Rebels of Ireland

The Dublin Saga

By: Edward Rutherfurd

Narrated by: Richard Matthews

The Princes of Ireland, the first volume of Edward Rutherfurd’s magisterial epic of Irish history, ended with the disastrous Irish revolt of 1534 and the disappearance of the sacred Staff of Saint Patrick. The Rebels of Ireland opens with an Ireland transformed; plantation, the final step in the centuries-long English conquest of Ireland, is the order of the day, and the subjugation of the native Irish Catholic population has begun in earnest.

Edward Rutherfurd brings history to life through the tales of families whose fates rise and fall in each generation: Brothers who must choose between fidelity to their ancient faith or the security of their families; a wife whose passion for a charismatic Irish chieftain threatens her comfortable marriage to a prosperous merchant; a young scholar whose secret rebel sympathies are put to the test; men who risk their lives and their children’s fortunes in the tragic pursuit of freedom, and those determined to root them out forever. Rutherfurd spins the saga of Ireland’s 400-year path to independence in all its drama, tragedy, and glory through the stories of people from all strata of society--Protestant and Catholic, rich and poor, conniving and heroic.

His richly detailed narrative brings to life watershed moments and events, from the time of plantation settlements to the “Flight of the Earls,” when the native aristocracy fled the island, to Cromwell’s suppression of the population and the imposition of the harsh anti-Catholic penal laws. He describes the hardships of ordinary people and the romantic, doomed attempt to overthrow the Protestant oppressors, which ended in defeat at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690, and the departure of the “Wild Geese.” In vivid tones Rutherfurd re-creates Grattan’s Parliament, Wolfe Tone's attempted French invasion of 1798, the tragic rising of Robert Emmet, the Catholic campaign of Daniel O’Connell, the catastrophic famine, the mass migration to America, and the glorious Irish Renaissance of Yeats and Joyce. And through the eyes of his characters, he captures the rise of Charles Stewart Parnell and the great Irish nationalists and the birth of an Ireland free of all ties to England.

A tale of fierce battles, hot-blooded romances, and family and political intrigues, The Rebels of Ireland brings the story begun in The Princes of Ireland to a stunning conclusion.©2006 Edward Rutherfurd; (P)2006 Books on Tape

Critic reviews

Praise for the Bestselling Novels of EDWARD RUTHERFURD

The Princes of Ireland:
“A giant, sprawling, easy-to-read story told in James Michener fashion.” —Maeve Binchy

“A sweeping, carefully reconstructed portrait of a nation . . . Leaps through the centuries.” —New York Times

“Spellbinding . . . [A] page-turning Dublin saga . . . Rutherfurd does a magnificent job of packaging a crackling good yarn within the digestible overview of complex historical circumstances and events.” —Booklist


London:
“Remarkable . . . Grand.” —New York Times

“Hold your breath suspense, buccaneering adventure, and passionate tales of love and war.” —The Times (London)

“Fascinating . . . A sprawling epic.” —San Francisco Chronicle

“A tour de force . . . Breathtaking.” —Orlando Sentinel


Sarum:
“Bursts with action, encyclopedic in historic detail . . . supremely well crafted and a delight to read.” —Chicago Tribune

“A richly imagined vision of history, written with genuine delight.” —San Francisco Chronicle


Russka:
“An example of how a skillful historical novelist can illumine the present by dramatically re-creating the past.” —Houston Chronicle

“Rutherfurd literally personifies history.” —New York Daily News


The Forest:
“As entertaining as Sarum and Rutherfurd’s other sweeping novel of British history, London.” —Boston Globe

“The Forest is Michener told with an English accent.” —St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Ireland made real

I’ve read several of Rutherford’s books and enjoyed them (all except “Paris”) very much, but this one brought Ireland to life for me as no other book has. Finally I feel like I understand at least a little of the political issues.

The Princes of Ireland book provides a valuable background to this one - I’d recommend reading that one first, but if choosing between them, this one can stand alone.

Amazing historical fiction

Simply wonderful. I loved this book from start to finish. Accurate and compelling to the last

entertaining

an entertaining way to learn about Irish history and culture. The narrator's use of accents was instructive.

Epic, well written - read the book before it.

Love this saga. I have listened to both books twice, and following the family lines and themes that Rutherford weaves is a joy. I totally lost myself in the story.

EXCELLENT

As usual Rutherfurd does not fail to entertain, educate and bring Irish history alive. Can't wait for Rutherfurd's "Seran" "London" and "The Forest". It's time for Audible to bring England to life!