The Immortal Irishman: The Irish Revolutionary Who Became an American Hero (Unabridged)
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- $25.99
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- $25.99
Publisher Description
From the National Book Award-winning and best-selling author Timothy Egan comes the epic story of one of the most fascinating and colorful Irishmen in 19th-century America.
The Irish-American story, with all its twists and triumphs, is told through the improbable life of one man. A dashing young orator during the Great Famine of the 1840s, in which a million of his Irish countrymen died, Thomas Francis Meagher led a failed uprising against British rule, for which he was banished to a Tasmanian prison colony. He escaped and six months later was heralded in the streets of New York - the revolutionary hero, back from the dead, at the dawn of the great Irish immigration to America.
Meagher's rebirth in America included his leading the newly formed Irish Brigade from New York in many of the fiercest battles of the Civil War - Bull Run, Antietam, Fredericksburg. Twice shot from his horse while leading charges, left for dead in the Virginia mud, Meagher's dream was that Irish-American troops, seasoned by war, would return to Ireland and liberate their homeland from British rule.
The hero's last chapter, as territorial governor of Montana, was a romantic quest for a true home in the far frontier. His death has long been a mystery to which Egan brings haunting, colorful new evidence.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
In this riveting biography of General Thomas Meagher, Pulitzer Prize winner Timothy Egan proves that some of the most incredible stories are 100 percent real. Born in British-controlled Ireland, Meagher was sent to a prison colony in Tasmania for his role in the Rebellion of 1848 before escaping to the United States. After leading the Union’s Irish Brigade during the Civil War, he went on to become the acting governor of the Montana Territory. Egan’s thrilling storytelling leaves little doubt about where Meagher’s fighting spirit came from, highlighting how England’s brutality toward Ireland shaped him into a fighter tough enough to take on the Confederacy. Narrator Gerard Doyle’s Irish brogue is perfect for this real-life epic. The Immortal Irishman lives up to its name, cementing Meagher’s place in the histories of two countries.
Customer Reviews
Loved it!
This was my first book by Timothy Egan and I can say that I'll be looking for more. What a great read!
The immortal Irishman
Good book. It is amazing how poorly the Irish were treated in 19th Century!