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Overview
This book gives a great insight into the brilliant mind of General Michael Collins, a true revolutionary leader of Ireland. The book's chapters include "Advance and Use Our Liberties," "Alternative to the Treaty," "The Proof of Success," "Four Historic Years," "Collapse of the Terror," "Partition Act's Failure," "Why Britain Sought Irish Peace," "Distinctive Culture," "Building up Ireland," and "Freedom within Grasp. Also included are notes by General Michael Collins, 1922.Collins became the first commander-in-chief of the Irish Army while still in his twenties. This book--published to coincide with the release of the film The Big Fellow, based on Collins' life, starring Liam Neeson and Julia Roberts--contains 30 of Collins' articles and speeches in which he evaluates Ireland's heritage and charts its future.
Editorials
Publishers Weekly -
Collins (1890-1922) is generally recognized as the architect of the Irish Republic. Between 1920 and 1922 he would wipe out the entire British Secret Service in Ireland (while having a 10,000 bounty on his head), finance the new Irish state, negotiate the treaty leading to the eventual establishment of the Republic, and finally be assassinated himself during the Irish Civil War. The inventor of modern guerrilla warfare, his methods have been studied by leaders such as Mao Tse-Tung and former Israeli prime minister Yitzakh Shamir. In this collection of notes Collins is straightforward in his assessments: he chides Eamon de Valera for abandoning the new Irish Free State and justifies his severe actions in putting down resistance at the Four Courts in the beginning of the Civil War. His terrorism notwithstanding, Collins comes across as a true democrat, a man who believes in law and the Celtic tradition. He states bluntly that he "did not sign the Treaty [with Britain] under duress" and in a spirited defense of the Treaty makes the point that the Irish Free State enjoyed the same dominion status as Canada, which was also an independent nation. His comments on North Ireland are blunt: "union is certain. The only question for North-East Ulster is-How soon?" There are also some interesting deflating comments about Lloyd George and Woodrow Wilson. Coogan, Collins's biographer, has written a focused introduction. (Apr.)Library Journal
Soldier and revolutionary democrat Collins (1890-1922) was a primary figure in modern Irish history. This collection, previously published in Ireland, contains some of the articles and speeches he wrote some time after 1920 to promote the Anglo-Irish Treaty, support of which cost Collins his life. Collins makes use of plain, simple language in order to convey the common sense of his subject to his audience. That said, and admitting the usefulness of this collection, there are problems here. Collins himself receives only a brief introduction, and opening remarks by an editor for each article would have made this book a more useful tool for serious students of the subject. For large Irish collections or where there is demand.-Robert A. Curtis, Taylor Memorial P.L., Cuyahoga Falls, OhioBook Details
Published
June 7, 2026
Publisher
NuVision Publications
Pages
92
Format
Paperback
ISBN
9781595479808