The Irish: Tales of Emigration, Exile and Imperialism

(Paperback)

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Explore the lives of over forty men and women - great and otherwise - whose pioneering journeys beyond the Irish shore played a profound role in world history.

The Irish have always been a travelling people. Since 1800 an estimated 10 million people have left the Irish shores, and today more than 80 million people worldwide claim Irish descent. In the centuries after the fall of Rome, Irish missionaries carried the word of Christianity throughout Europe, while soldiers and mariners from across the land ventured overseas in all directions. The advent of the British Empire ignited a slow but extraordinary exodus from Ireland that has continued to the present. In his inimitable fashion, Turtle Bunbury explores the lives of those men and women, great and otherwise, whose journeys - whether driven by faith, a desire for riches and adventure, or purely for survival - have left their mark on the world.

Reviews

'This fascinating assortment of case histories, spread across 1,400 years and six continents, is an impressive feat of research. The short biographies themselves are lively yet judicious, packed with vivid detail' - BBC History

Author Bio

Turtle Bunbury is an author, historian, public speaker and TV presenter based in Ireland. His previous book, Ireland's Forgotten Past, was described by Sebastian Barry, the Laureate for Irish Fiction, as 'a delicious and stirring atlas of Irishness'. His other books include The Irish Pub and the award-winning Vanishing Ireland series.