The Easter Rising in 1916 remains one of the most important events of modern Irish history, and with its centenary rapidly approaching it is doubtless a period that will be revisited by scholars and the public of the Emerald Isle alike.
This reviewer already has the benefit of an active interest in this period in Ireland, but despite this approached this tome with some trepidation. Weighing in at a hefty 328 pages of close type, there was no doubt from the offset that this was going to be about as definitive a guide to the Rising as could be hoped for. Which in turn makes it something of a daunting read.

Foy and Barton then have succeeded in drawing together a fascinating collection of firsthand accounts in The Easter Rising. The collection, which reads like a series of detailed essays about aspects of the conflict, covers off every aspect of Easter week in 1916, as well as significant periods before and after. The planning of the Rising itself, including the political intrigue between the IRB and the Irish Volunteers amongst others, is covered in impressive detail over the first seventy pages.

This opening is doubtless entirely necessary. If this was a reader’s first glance at the period then few stones are left unturned, but also for someone who would boast a sound background knowledge there is still much on offer. These opening chapters lead then into the ‘meat’ of the book – a blow by blow account of each of the major outposts during Easter week. As a reader we learn extensive amounts about the leaders of the Rising, the normal rank-and-file and the civilians of Dublin, as well as the British that opposed them. Which in turn leads to the greatest strength of The Easter Rising. This by nature is a contentious period, those that died and were subsequently executed have remained central to Irish social history ever since. Yet at no point do the authors attempt to glorify any aspect of the endeavour.

The passages are objectively written, giving credit to Volunteers and British soldiers in equal measure where necessary; as well as similarly aiming hard criticism at either party when the facts demonstrate incompetence or worse. The volume is written to the strong level that one would expect from authors with such an academic background, provides a plethora of references and direct quotations, and throws fascinating light on aspects of the Rising that were previously unknown, at least to this reviewer.

This draws out the aspect of the book which could be viewed as ‘negative’. Anyone expecting an exciting romp through what has become a sometimes romanticised conflict would be unlikely to manage to complete the first chapter, let alone the whole collection. Military historians, those with an interest in Irish culture, and anyone who wishes to study what is without doubt a fascinating period at the start of the 20th Century, must in turn be prepared to put the necessary hours in. Given the time taken whilst being engrossed in each chapter of the piece, I would like to personally thank the authors for the sheer amount of time and effort that it must have taken to collate such a breadth of sources.

The Easter Rising then is a finely researched and constructed piece of primary source history. If approached as such, and read in this context, it can only add to anyone’s knowledge of events. But if the weight of the tome puts you off immediately, consider it in the same way that the Rising can be viewed – After many months of planning and preparation the Volunteers were defeated military in a week, only to create ripples that lasted generations. In respect for the authors’ efforts, a week of commitment to reading The Easter Rising will have expanded your knowledge of the period for years to come.

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