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The Rebels of Ireland: The Dublin Saga Audiobook
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(4.00) - 2,158 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
The Princes of Ireland, the first volume of Edward Rutherfurd’s magisterial epic of Irish history, ended with the disastrous Irish revolt of 1534 and the disappearance of the sacred Staff of Saint Patrick. The Rebels of Ireland opens with an Ireland transformed; plantation, the final step in the centuries-long English conquest of Ireland, is the order of the day, and the subjugation of the native Irish Catholic population has begun in earnest. Edward Rutherfurd brings history to life through the tales of families whose fates rise and fall in each generation: Brothers who must choose between fidelity to their ancient faith or the security of their families; a wife whose passion for a charismatic Irish chieftain threatens her comfortable marriage to a prosperous merchant; a young scholar whose secret rebel sympathies are put to the test; men who risk their lives and their children’s fortunes in the tragic pursuit of freedom, and those determined to root them out forever. Rutherfurd spins the saga of Ireland’s 400-year path to independence in all its drama, tragedy, and glory through the stories of people from all strata of society--Protestant and Catholic, rich and poor, conniving and heroic. His richly detailed narrative brings to life watershed moments and events, from the time of plantation settlements to the “Flight of the Earls,” when the native aristocracy fled the island, to Cromwell’s suppression of the population and the imposition of the harsh anti-Catholic penal laws. He describes the hardships of ordinary people and the romantic, doomed attempt to overthrow the Protestant oppressors, which ended in defeat at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690, and the departure of the “Wild Geese.” In vivid tones Rutherfurd re-creates Grattan’s Parliament, Wolfe Tone's attempted French invasion of 1798, the tragic rising of Robert Emmet, the Catholic campaign of Daniel O’Connell, the catastrophic famine, the mass migration to America, and the glorious Irish Renaissance of Yeats and Joyce. And through the eyes of his characters, he captures the rise of Charles Stewart Parnell and the great Irish nationalists and the birth of an Ireland free of all ties to England. A tale of fierce battles, hot-blooded romances, and family and political intrigues, The Rebels of Ireland brings the story begun in The Princes of Ireland to a stunning conclusion.
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"The sequel to The Princes of Ireland, The Rebels of Ireland pick up immediately where Princes left off, mid-16th century. It brings us from the upper-class British-Irish to a poor woman suffering from the Potato Famine in the West, to Revolutionaries in the beginning of the 20th century. Overall, an informative, enjoyable read."
— Melissa (5 out of 5 stars)
The Rebels of Ireland Listener Reviews
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" This picks up pretty much right where The Princes of Ireland leaves off and follows the battles between the Catholics & Protestants, ending right after WWI with the declaration of an independent Irish state. It was interesting and a good solid read. The cast of characters is a bit wider and feels somewhat disconnected from the families of the first book, and I still totally needed a map to figure out what was going on. "
— Dawn, 2/17/2014 -
" I was a bit disappointed in this follow-up book to Rutherfurd's The Princes of Ireland. I don't know if I will read his next offering. "
— Kathy, 1/31/2014 -
" Learned alot about the history of Ireland through these 2 books--took me a long time(1600 pages or more..) "
— Diane, 1/29/2014 -
" Second book in the Dublin Saga. Huge scope. Monumental historical fiction. Characterization limited but the reader learns much about the Irish history. A page turner in some respects. Recommend to those who enjoy great fat epics. "
— Diane, 1/21/2014 -
" An excellent, enjoyable work of historical fiction. "
— Janet, 1/18/2014 -
" This book is the second in the series of the Dublin Saga and takes you through World War II as you continue to follow the same families you learned about in the Princes of Ireland. The book really provides some insight into how complicated Ireland is. "
— Nancy, 1/17/2014 -
" Ok - If you like Princes of Ireland, then you have to follow it up with the Rebels of Ireland, which picks up the story. "
— Jenna, 1/13/2014 -
" really enjoyed the mixture of historical facts and personal stories. would have preferred it to cover the civil war and early republic in more detail, the "rising" chapter seemed a little rushed. "
— Sandy, 1/10/2014 -
" Like Michener, picked up Rutherford's Sarum for upcoming trip to England. Need to read London. Saw this one and picked it up too.... "
— Diane, 1/8/2014 -
" May have enjoyed the sequel even more than the first one! "
— Auty, 12/24/2013 -
" Continued on with the same ideals of the Princes Of Ireland, the same historical points & fictional flow! Riveting & exciting! As entertaining as informative! "
— Laura, 12/11/2013 -
" Perhaps, the Ireland sagas are not the best two Rutherfurd books to have started with. While this was better than the first, it too was slow, and not as descriptive as I was led to believe. Though I still would like to spend a week in Dublin. "
— Jessica, 12/6/2013 -
" I enjoyed it and found it very interesting to see how the lives of people back then might of been. "
— Peggy, 11/27/2013 -
" Didn't like this book as much as some others but the author certainly discusses the protestant - Catholic debate in Ireland. "
— Vicki, 11/15/2013 -
" What can I say, I like his guy. My one complaint is that I wanted it to continue and now I have no where to go. "
— Christine, 9/27/2013 -
" Not as engrossing as my personal favorite Rutherfurd, London, but a phenomenally researched and pieced-together historical novel. The connections between characters and their links to actual history are so realistic, it's hard to believe most of this was invented in Rutherfurd's head. "
— Erin, 9/4/2013 -
" this one sort just drug on for me. Quit after the 4 disc "
— Gail/Ladyvolz, 5/10/2013 -
" Perhaps, the Ireland sagas are not the best two Rutherfurd books to have started with. While this was better than the first, it too was slow, and not as descriptive as I was led to believe. Though I still would like to spend a week in Dublin. "
— Sylvie, 8/23/2012 -
" i love this type of book - it's historical, with lots of interweaving stories about different people and families, some of which overlap. "
— Erin, 6/24/2012 -
" His second book on Ireland, must read both to get both perspectives on the country. "
— Karen, 3/23/2012 -
" I didn't use the "audiobook", but couldn't find the regular book on here. This book is the second in a fantastic series. One of the best Historical Fiction reads I have, I could read it a dozen times and get something new each time. "
— Sugardaddysweeti, 2/3/2012 -
" Follow up to Princes of Ireland. You have to read "Princes" first to really get this one. "
— Mike, 1/19/2012 -
" Well constructed novel on Irish history and culture. Enjoyable as a historical work as we as a novel. "
— Beth, 6/4/2011 -
" historical fiction of ireland starting mid 1500s up to around 1900. fantastic. "
— Kat, 5/7/2011 -
" The writing is very good and you get involved with a character and the chapter ends and you move on to something else. Sometimes you never here from that character again or you only hear of them when you meet their grandchildren. The plot seemed rather random. "
— Bob, 4/18/2011 -
" Just wanted to finish up the saga. "
— Susan, 4/11/2011 -
" read many of his books. enjoyed every one. Great historical writer! "
— Lori, 1/24/2011 -
" It was a very good read indeed. It defines both the chartacter of the Irish and the duplicity of the English with a balanced point of view and a good story sense. "
— Milt, 1/6/2011 -
" Excellent. This is the second time I have read this saga and it was just as good the second time as it was the first! "
— Kimberly, 12/29/2010 -
" Absolutely loved the historical/fiction nature of this book. Rutherfurd is becoming a favorite author "
— Holly, 11/26/2010 -
" The first book in this series was far better. I was really disappointed in this book. I usally love Edward Rutherfurd, but this one just never grabbed me. "
— Sbennett, 7/19/2010 -
" just finished this follow-up to Princes of Ireland. I recommend this author if you are a history geek and enjoy getting your facts from fiction! "
— Ginna, 7/7/2010 -
" 6/13/10 I'm listening to the audio book. This is the sequel to "Princes of Ireland". <br/> <br/>7/2/2010 This book was OK but I like "The Princes of Ireland" better. <br/> <br/> <br/> "
— Judith, 6/1/2010 -
" Rutherfurd is a master storyteller. He deftly weaves history and story in a complex tale that spans generations. One of the best depictions of the Irish blight that I have ever read. "
— Timothy, 5/20/2010 -
" Historical fiction by Rutherfurd. A look at the religious and political times in Ireland's fight for home rule. It's the Catholics against the Church of England. Interesting history through the families of the poor and also the wealthy land owners. "
— Trudy, 5/3/2010 -
" I am listening to this. Can't figure out how to list it as an audio book "
— Kate, 4/29/2010
About Edward Rutherfurd
Edward Rutherfurd is one of the most renowned writers of historical fiction. He was born in Salisbury, England, christened in Salisbury Cathedral, and spent his early childhood in Salisbury Close. He was educated at Cambridge University and Stanford University in California. He has written several bestselling books, including Sarum, Russka, and London.
About the Narrators
Kate Reading has recorded hundreds of audiobooks across many genres, over a thirty year plus career. Audie Awards: The Strange Case of the Alchemist’s Daughter (mystery), Breasts (non-fiction), Bellwether (fiction), and Words of Radiance (fantasy). Among other awards, she has been recognized with: the ALA Booklist best of 2019 for Bowlaway (fiction), AudioFile Magazine Voice of the Century, Earphones Awards, Narrator of the Year, Best Voice in Science Fiction and Fantasy, and Publisher’s Weekly’s Listen-Up Award. She records at her home studio, Madison Productions, Inc., in Maryland.
Simon Vance (a.k.a. Robert Whitfield) is an award-winning actor and narrator. He has earned more than fifty Earphones Awards and won the prestigious Audie Award for best narration thirteen times. He was named Booklist’s very first Voice of Choice in 2008 and has been named an AudioFile Golden Voice as well as an AudioFile Best Voice of 2009. He has narrated more than eight hundred audiobooks over almost thirty years, beginning when he was a radio newsreader for the BBC in London. He is also an actor who has appeared on both stage and television.