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The Great Shame

And the Triumph of the Irish in the English-Speaking World

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The Great Shame

By: Thomas Keneally
Narrated by: John McDonough
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In The Great Shame, Thomas Keneally—the bestselling, Booker Prize–winning author of Schindler’s List—combines the authority of a brilliant historian and the narrative grace of a great novelist to present a gripping account of the Irish diaspora.

The nineteenth century saw Ireland lose half of its population to famine, emigration, or deportation to penal colonies in Australia—often for infractions as common as stealing food. Among the victims of this tragedy were Thomas Keneally’s own forebearers, and they were his inspiration to tell the story of the Irish who struggled and ultimately triumphed in Australia and North America. Relying on rare primary sources—including personal letters, court transcripts, ship manifests, and military documents—Keneally offers new and important insights into the impact of the Irish in exile. The result is a vivid saga of heroes and villains, from Great Famine protesters to American Civil War generals to great orators and politicians.

"In the style of the best historians, [Keneally] allows the intrinsic power of the tales he tells and the people who populate his pages to draw the reader into a fully elaborated universe."—The New York Times

©1998 The Serpentine Publishing Co., Ltd. (P)2000 Recorded Books 19th Century Emigration & Immigration Europe Modern Social Sciences United Kingdom Imperialism
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Thanks again for all your work and what else is there to say but all is well with the world.

gook

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this is a genuinely lovely book, and it's hard to stop listening once you get started

Fascinating stories that span the globe

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very very interesting and informative especially if like myself you are of irish heritage.. highly recomend it

A must read

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If you are interested in Irish history at all you will love this book. Beautifully read in a lilting Irish.

Brilliant book

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This is an incredible book.

The research is breath-taking, and the story-telling is brilliant. Thomas Keneally is a genius story teller.

Time-wise, it's a big commitment, but I was swept along by the real-life tales, and the lives and deaths of our (near) ancestors.

I was worried about the narrator, but in fact, John McDonough was great, and seemed to understand / empathise with the material.

Great book - well worth the time

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