المراجعة التحريرية | Few authors are as well qualified as Paul Rouse to attempt this ambitious undertaking, the first scholarly overview of the history of sport in Ireland during the last millennium ... The end result of his research is a treat for both specialists and non-specialists alike: the former will find in this book plenty to provoke and illuminate, whilst the latter will find that this is a well-written, accessible introduction to the subject. No reader who wishes to understand the broad trajectory of sport in Ireland in the period under study can afford to ignore this important book ... a wonderful read. * Brian Griffin, Reviews in History * This is a book which cannot be recommended highly enough not just for sport fans but for those with a keen interest in social history. It uses sport to tell the story of who we are ... Paul Rouse's achievement in this magnificent book is to remind us that sport is more than games. * Doctrine & Life * This book is destined to be the benchmark and reference tool ... A masterpiece. * Michael Moynihan, Irish Examiner * A great read. * Colm O'Rourke, Irish Independent * ... rather than a dry accounting of the waxing and waning of pastimes, Rouse gives a sense of what it was like to be present at these events ... his new book is a masterpiece. * Irish Examiner * [A] superb exploration of the evolution of sport in Ireland ... Rouse's book is fascinating for juxtaposing [several] sporting movements together ... a perceptive alternative to history of social change within Ireland, as viewed through the prism of sports. * Dermot Bolger, Irish Mail on Sunday * Sport and Ireland is a landmark publication for a number of reasons. It is not a book of great games and famous players but rather a beautifully written book that offers social history at its best. It is the history of the island and its people through the lens of sport. If we accept that in Irish history sport has been the passion of the masses, then to understand the Irish is to explore those leisure-time hours that they have devoted to their games and pastimes. This book is more than simply a history of sport: it is a scintillating history of the nation. * Mike Cronin, The Irish Times * very informative, not only on the development of these sports but also on their social, political and cultural contexts * Hugh McFadden, Books Ireland * Fascinating and invaluable. * Ardal O'Hanlon, Books of the Year 2016, Irish Times * A brilliantly researched survey that does justice to political, social and cultural contexts, and sets the bar high for historical writing on sport. * Diarmaid Ferriter, Books of the Year 2015, Irish Times * Condensing the history of Irish sport into a digestible book is an immense challenge and the result is dense, exhaustively detailed in parts, and massively ambitious. Yet Rouse boils it down without the subject losing any of its depth or complexity. Take it carefully. Take it slowly. Some achievement; some book. * Michael Foley, Sunday Times Ireland * |