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The Rebels of Ireland (Abridged): The Dublin Saga Audiobook
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(4.00) - 2,151 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
The reigning master of grand historical fiction returns with the stirring conclusion to his bestselling Dublin Saga. 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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"This is a fantastic book-I loved the history and the characters. Somehow, despite the fact that this book is almost 900 pages long, there were times where I felt it skipped a few beats in time-I'm not sure that could have been avoided given that so many centuries were packed into this saga. I would have liked a little more meat in the sections on the rising and more on the 20th century in general. I wish that there were another book in the series-I was so sad to finish it."
— Carla (4 out of 5 stars)
The Rebels of Ireland Listener Reviews
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" Well-researched and nicely written, but I found it about 1/3 too long. The book begins to drag and becomes rather dreary and repetitive about 2/3 of the way through; although in the author's defense, the history itself is rather repetitive. I found the characters and the story in the first third of the book very engaging, and then it begins to slowly wane. Still quite good though. "
— Brian, 2/16/2014 -
" I found this book and its prequel absolutely amazing. Centuries of struggle between Ireland and England, and the huge role that religious domination played in it, are explored through a great cast of characters, mostly likeable, some despicable. I liked that the same families were followed for nearly 800 years, and their fortunes and downfalls illustrated the turbulence that resulted from successions of monarchs, risings and revolutions. "
— Holstein, 2/11/2014 -
" Follow up to Princes of Ireland. You have to read "Princes" first to really get this one. "
— Mike, 2/9/2014 -
" Sequel to "The Princes of Ireland" "
— Marie, 1/27/2014 -
" 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, 1/12/2014 -
" Part two of the series. Good, but not quite as good as the first part. "
— Briynne, 1/8/2014 -
" Outstanding companion to the first, "Princes of Ireland." "
— Don, 1/6/2014 -
" These books are great ways to learn a main overview of Irish history during each time period through fictional characters and their families, each coming from a different social class, family, or way of life. "
— Kelly, 1/3/2014 -
" i prefer the prequel, but you really can't go wrong with either one of these books. "
— Cristobal, 12/16/2013 -
" Wants to be the modern-day Michener, which is not such a bad thing. But the Ireland series is overwritten--the stories don't stand alone as effectively as in earlier books. "
— John, 12/16/2013 -
" 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, 12/13/2013 -
" Rutherfurd catches you up and carries you along a speedy ride through Irish history. Thoroughly delightfyk "
— Patricia, 12/11/2013 -
" So far so good. The saga continues... "
— Carolyn, 12/11/2013 -
" Was a bit of a long read, and a lot of long passages that seems to drone on. Overall, I really liked the book, though. "
— Laurel, 10/15/2013 -
" May have enjoyed the sequel even more than the first one! "
— Auty, 3/30/2013 -
" 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, 3/3/2013 -
" read many of his books. enjoyed every one. Great historical writer! "
— Lori, 11/2/2012 -
" This book really captures the history of Ireland, and does it in a fascinating way, even if you're not a history buff. The intertwining of fictional characters with actual historical events is well thought out and beautifully composed. "
— Tarrah, 10/21/2012 -
" Very enjoyable book. It's long and I ended up putting it down a few times to read other books but finally came back and finished it. "
— Joshua, 3/26/2012 -
" I THINK I read this. But perhaps the title changed? Ireland Awakening sure seems to cover the same period and perspective in my mind. Hmmm? "
— melody, 2/8/2012 -
" The sequal to The Princes of Ireland. All about the struggle for Ireland's independance. "
— Kristin, 11/18/2011 -
" Great book, great author. Makes learning history fun. "
— Jeannie, 10/14/2011 -
" Great read, recommend it anytime. "
— Kurt, 8/9/2011 -
" Not quite as good as Princes of Ireland, but a good history of Ireland from the Renaissance onward. I do wish Rutherfurd had continued on to the Northern Ireland break and the IRA, but the seeds were definitely sown here. "
— Victoria, 6/10/2011 -
" I was on an Edward Rutherfurd roll. I was just as engaged with these characters as I was reading Hawaii as a teenager. "
— Susan, 4/11/2011 -
" Historical fiction which I like. And Ireland, which I love. Didn't like that I was so slow reading it. "
— Kelli, 4/10/2011 -
" Much like New York by the same author, you get a history lesson while reading the novel. Fabulous read though a little slow here and there throughout, I must get the next part: The Rebels of Ireland. Highly recommend! "
— Regina, 4/9/2011 -
" Irish history is SO convoluted! i had trouble keeping all the people straight ~~ point of fact i didn't. this, and its companion, will take several more reads before i begin to understand/remember. "
— Gail, 3/31/2011 -
" it took me a while to figure out that i had indeed read this book before, but i really enjoyed it the second time around as well! "
— Kat, 3/23/2011 -
" I learned a lot of interesting facts from this book but parts did seem to bog down. "
— Linda, 3/7/2011 -
" I found this book interesting, but a difficult read. The last 200 pages were really difficult to get through. "
— Kathleen, 2/21/2011 -
" It was too long and got boring. I didn't finish it. "
— Nicole, 2/19/2011 -
" I love historical fiction. This one was very good. "
— Margaret, 2/12/2011
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 John Keating
John Keating is an actor, voice talent, and AudioFile Earphones Award–winning narrator. His numerous acting credits include Roundabout Theatre’s production of Juno and the Paycock and La Mama ETC’s production of Cat and the Moon, as well as various parts with the Irish Repertory Theater and the Irish Arts Center. He can also be seen in the HBO miniseries John Adams, starring Paul Giamatti and Laura Linney.