A Short History of Ireland's Famine

O'Donnell (history, U. of Limerick, Ireland) presents a very short history of the key events, but also social contexts of the great potato famine that struck Ireland in the mid 19th century. Moreover, he explores why so many people were dependent on potato crops and the political decisions behind the botched relief effort. He considers factors of population, what led up to the blight, the importation of corn in 1845, popular resistance and the uprisings of 1848 in Ireland, and the horrible losses that accumulated by 1850. A collection of color plates with editorial cartoons, historical documents, and photographs appears in the middle. No index is provided. Distributed by Dufour Editions. Annotation ©2013 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)