The Easter Rising

This is an important book which chellenges many of the widely-held assumptions about the Rising. Illuminating every aspect of the fateful Easter Week, it provides the first synthesis of this seminal event in twentieth-century Irish history to appear in over a generation. More comprehensive, and adhering more closely to events than any account previously written, this important new treatment of the 1916 Easter Rising draws on an impressive range of hitherto unused primary sources, some closed to the public until recently, while others, long available, have been neglected by historians. Following an evaluation of the roots of the Rising, the authors then present portraits of the leaders, and their motives, plans and objectives. They challenge the traditional interpretation that these leaders expected military failure, motivated by a desire to provide a 'blood sacrifice' and hoping thereby to rejuvenate Irish nationalist sentiment. Letters, diaries, and personal accounts of particpants and eyewitnesses complement the wealth of previously unpublished material drawn from the major archive centres in Ireland and Great Britain.