Irish Americans, The [Hardcover]

Despite my Welsh surname the roots of my family tree run mostly to Ireland and for that reason I obviously found this book to be a fascinating read. As I read through this book though it became clear to me that any student of American history would find this to be a very interesting book because it is almost impossible to study American history without having to deal with the Irish. From the canals, railroads and tunnels built by Irish workers to Irish-Americans like John Kennedy and Ronald Reagan who reached the very pinnacle of American life, the Irish have been a key element if the success of America from its very beginning and this book covers its subject extraordinarily well.

One of the things that appealed most to me about this book was the author's coverage of the Irish who arrived in America before the potato famine. Many of my Irish Catholic ancestors arrived in America before the Revolution and almost all of them were here before the famine but those early immigrants are often ignored or it is assumed that they were all Protestant and for the most part Scotch-Irish. The further back into history that one looks the harder it is to come up with sources but this author has not let that deter him from including people like my ancestors in this book.

Given the vast nature of this subject I'm sure that it must have been tempting for Mr. Dolan to try to squeeze as many facts as possible into this book by hitting the reader with a rapid fire kind of approach that would have accomplished little except cause confusion but he has resisted that temptation and has written a thoroughly enjoyable and informative book. Many academics write in a somewhat dry style that makes extracting information from their books into almost a chore but this author writes in a very pleasing and readable manner. He takes the time to include little Shelby Foote type anecdotes that help to keep the text flowing and also serve as key insights into the lives of some very colorful characters. As one blurb for this book points out this is a sweeping and vast story but this author manages to tell that story while at the same time focusing on the individuals who helped to drive that story.

As the author points out at the end of this book it is now rather fashionable to be Irish. Quite a feat for a people who in the not so distant past were often met with signs saying, "No Irish" or "No Irish Need Apply." This is indeed a vast subject but Mr. Dolan has condensed this epic tale into a very enjoyable, factual and thorough survey that would make the perfect starting point for anyone interested in this subject. I ran across a couple of references to surnames in my family tree and learned a little about my personal heritage and a lot about my Irish heritage. There is no attempt to whitewash the darker episodes in the history of Irish-Americans and there are some disturbing episodes in that history. The author does however take the time to explain what might have caused those problems instead of just pointing them out in a critical manner and then moving on. We Irish aren't perfect after all but we are darn close.

This book succeeds well on a number of levels, and certainly succeeds for what it seems the author wanted it to be. Most importantly, it's a solid, accurate, and complete view of the subjects it covers, without being excessively detailed. (If this kind of book isn't accurate and complete, not much else matters!) If Irish Americans are a subject you're interested in, this book is a good choice.

Some, like me, might first approach such a book with a bit of dread. As much as the topic of the Irish in America is an interesting and varied one, for that very reason it can seem a well-worn path: the Great Hunger, No Irish Need Apply, Tammany Hall, John F. Kennedy. Luckily Dolan bookends the story that we are more familiar with by covering the Irish prior to the largest immigration (rightly termed "A Forgotten Era"); as well as some discussion of recent decades. (Though the question of what it means to be "Irish" in America today - another generation or two removed from Ireland, in a media-saturated environment, and in a more diverse country - isn't addressed in depth, and perhaps could be a book in itself.) And in between, you'll find you didn't know the story nearly as well as you thought you did! And gain an understanding of not just what happened, but why.

In looking for a comprehensive history of the Irish in America, though, I'd hoped it would be a bit broader. As the author acknowledges up front, the book does not cover the role of Irish Americans in literature, music, sports, etc. The focus is on politics, religion, labor and nationalism. (If that covers what you're looking for, though, this might be a five star book.)

From the topics covered and the style of the book, it's a little hard not to feel that the book was written to allow it to be required reading for a university course, as well as appealing to a broader audience.

But of course there's always a tradeoff in what's covered and how - this topic could easily have justified a multivolume set, and who knows, maybe it will be! As long as this book fits what you're looking for, The Irish Americans is the book to buy on the subject.

"The Irish Americans: A History" traces the history of the Irish in America from 1700 up through the current century. My previous knowledge of the Irish in America was gained through reading chapters in books specific to such subjects as immigration, politics, history, and religion. This book is the first title I have read in which the Irish Americans are looked at exclusively.

The author, Jay P. Dolan, divides the book into four sections: A Forgotten Era (1700 - 1840), The Famine Generation and Beyond (1840 - 1920), Becoming American (1920 - 1960), and Irish and American (1960 - 2000). Each section contains a wealth of information about the Irish experience. It should be noted that the author pays particular attention to the involvement of Irish Americans in politics, but also gives attention to religion, discrimination, education, family life, labor, and economy.

Something that needs to be mentioned is that this book is focused mainly on the Irish American experience in the cities. I would argue that this is a reasonably big weakness in a book with the objective of presenting a historical overview of Irish Americans. Irish Americans have a rich history in rural America that is largely absent in "The Irish Americans: A History."

The beautiful thing about "The Irish Americans" is that it is easily accessible and useful to the casual reader interested in the history of the Irish in America, while at the same time it contains solid scholarship and expertise to the point that it is a valuable tool for folks doing research. Dolan clearly has a strong grasp of the subject matter. Readers of this book will learn not only about the specific history of Irish Americans, but also learn a great deal about the general history of America. "The Irish Americans: A History" is a superb book for what it covers. Just be aware that the focus is on Irish Americans in urban areas, not rural ones.