The Rebels of Ireland is the sequel to The Princes of Ireland. Rebels begins in the year 1597 and tells the story of eight different families whose lives are affected by the political and theological changes that occur in Dublin and the rest of Ireland. It tells of the persecution of the Catholics and the laws that were created to keep the Irish Catholics from jobs, education, and freedom of worship. The book spans a period of over 300 years and is full of information about the people and how they lived. It is the story of the rebellions by the Irish to gain their lands and freedoms back from the English. It is the story of English suppression and the separation of the wealthy class from the exceedingly poor and the Protestant rule over the Catholics. It is also the story of great men and women who fought for the rights of freedom that had so long been taken from them.

I realize that for AML purposes this book is not what would normally be reviewed for this site but I feel that it is important because so many people have Irish roots and for those of us who do understanding their lives and history is essential to doing family history research. Also, so much of what the Irish went through and what this book deals with tells the story of what lead up to the restoration of the gospel. The lack of freedom to worship how they wanted and the complete superiority that the English had over the Irish was the same kind of thing that led to the Revolutionary War. Our history is so connected with that of the Irish that reading this book will lead to a greater understanding of our ancestors and ourselves. I feel that it is very important to understand who the Irish were and what they contributed to the world.

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Marilee McQuarrie
May 1, 2006