Publisher's Synopsis
Follow King Arthur through Cornwall, St. Patrick through Ireland, Chaucer through early England and the Fab Four in Liverpool. Wander from castle to cathedral in southeast England, through Roman Britain to Hadrian's Wall, and along Royal Mile from Old Town to New Town in Edinburgh. Along the way put personalities into place names and statues. Be introduced to the forces of the Age of Enlightenment in Scotland and the reason the Irish are special in stories of the Filí, the poet-politicians of Ireland, who incited revolution. Then just for fun end in Wales, at Portmeirion, the town wholly created on whim of an architect. Meet fairies and Leprechauns in Ireland and Kelpies and the Loch Ness monster in Scotland.
The Age of Enlightenment in Scotland is the story of inventors, artists, theorists and martyrs to free thought who lived as contemporaries in nineteenth century Edinburgh. Irish poets the reader will meet span from ancient storytellers to twenty-first century Nobel laureates. Irish harpists have their own heroes in these stories.
Celts and their Druids are as central to stories in this volume as are Saints Patrick and Columba. Celts are little understood as it has been only in recent times that academics have awakened to Celtic study of this fascinating people, who roamed from India to Ireland. Meet the Celts in their own story in Ireland.
The story of the British Isles has tension in its history. In Belfast examine the reason there are two Irelands. From Cork to Galway understand the effects of Britain's Irish Question on famine and emigration. Be introduced to Bonnie Prince Charlie in Scotland and the never-ending tears at Glencoe and Culloden.
Romp through the story behind the Spanish Armada in the tale of Elizabeth I and her arch rival Philip II of Spain. Tiny, lovely and peaceful Kinsale was the scene of another Spanish Armada, a tale of love, treason and over self-confidence of a Spanish commander, released from Spanish jail for a fool's errand to distract the English from Europe. He landed in Kinsale by mistake, with bridles and no horses, hoping to aide Irish freedom fighters, who could never save him.
Not all stories focus on people. There are stories of famous events and intriguing places to visit. In this volume is the story of Blarney Castle and Newgrange, the site in Ireland older than the pyramids of Egypt. Walk Hadrian's Wall and the Liverpool alley of the Beattles. Travel through monasteries where the Book of Kells was created.
