The Man Who Made Ireland: The Life and Death of Michael Collins

Rating:
Summary: A true tour-de-force
Review: Coogan's biography of Collins is often called the definitive one and for good reason: no other author to date has undertaken the sheer level of work studying the life of Collins, period. Coogan walks the reader through virtually every aspect of Michael's life, some good, some bad, some momentous, and some minor. His preface to the American edition alone is phenomenal. His biography (as most tend to do) goes in chronological order, from Michael's birth to his poignant assassination in 1922. We are given the details of Michael's family life, his friends, his comrades, his guerrilla warfare tactics, his temperament, his favorite books, etc., etc. Coogan's chapters are as follows: The Little Fella, Easter 1916, Kicking Down a Rotten Door, The Twelve Apostles, The Year of Terror, The Sky Darkens, Peace Comes Dropping Slow, Settling This Old Strife, Fighting the Waves, Wading Through Blood, Setting up the Six, The Mouth of Flowers, and Honouring the Dead. There are also notes, an appendix, and many b/w photos. Coogan spends a good deal of time on the Easter Rising, the events surrounding Bloody Sunday, and the negotiating of the Anglo-Irish Treaty. He also addresses several of the controversial issues surrounding Michael's life and death, e.g. allegations that Collins was a homosexual, claims that de Valera might have instigated Collins' assassination, and Collins' supposed dalliances. Although Coogan's writing is not what I would particularly call easy or light reading, I do believe this selection could make a good starter book for anyone's investigation of Michael Collins. If you are interested in any way in Collins' life and times, you absolutely must own this book.

Rating:
Summary: The Definitive Biography of the Big Fellow
Review: Tim Pat Coogan's biography of Michael Collins, the legendary Irish rebel leader during the Irish War of Independence, leaves no stone unturned. It traces Collins' rise to prominence from his boyhood in nationalist Cork County through his ten years in England working for the post office and financial firms, his return to Ireland to participate in the Easter Rising of 1916, his increasing influence in Frongoch prison in Wales and in nationalist/republican circles upon his release in 1917. This biography reads more like a riveting novel given the almost mythical qualities of the central character. Coogan conveys not only the facts about Collins and his exploits during Ireland's fight for independence but also his charismatic personality, engaging wit and humor, capacity for ruthlessness, magnetic leadership qualities and passionate devotion to his country and its people. This is also a fascinating textbook picture of a successful guerilla war and intelligence operation led by a man with a genius for conspiracy, the so-called "Dublin Pimpernel", the most wanted man in the British Empire at that time. Highly recommended, particularly for anyone who would like to have a better understanding of the troubles in modern Ireland.