Danny Boy: The Beloved Irish Ballad

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Summary: ..though soft you tread above me..
Review: An excellent book by an excellent writer!McCourt has awaken the intrest in all of us to get to the bottom of what this song is all about.I think he has done it, and each time I hear it ,I will think of this book,and of what the song means to me.
Though there are numerous ideas about what the song means,who was it to and from etc.,he has shown that doesn't really matter.It is a song expressing deep love,and it can mean whatever the listener wants it to mean.I have dozens of versions and although they vary greatly I love them all.I am always happy to hear it by another singer whether a professional or just an ordinary person singing from the heart.
As to whether or not the words were written in Ireland by an Irishman;it doesn't matter in the least,it's a great Irish song.
When you stop and think about it,there's no way it could be anything else but Irish.Johnny Cash wrote "Forty Shades of Green" as he was flying over Ireland,a school teacher living in Ontario wrote "Maggie" to his lover,and if that isn't enough, the song "I'll Take You Home Again Kathleen" was written in America and had nothing at all to do with taking Kathleen back to Ireland,because she didn't come from there in the first place.
However;all these songs are Irish .What you have to remember is that there over 50 million Irish dispersed all over the world including about 4 million in Ireland.This book would be a great gift for anyone with a song in their heart and a twinkle in their eye for there's sure to be some Irish in their blood.

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Summary: An Occasionally Fascinating Look At This Popular Irish Tune
Review: Malachy McCourt's latest tome deserves recognition as one of the finest books written by himself or his brother Frank. It is an intriguing, occasionally fascinating, popular history on the origins and subsequent popularity of the Irish ballad "Danny Boy". However, much of it could have easily been condensed into a terse article for one of the popular Irish-American journals or magazines such as the Irish Echo. Yet I must commend Malachy for adhering to a terse, journalistic prose which lacks the flamboyance and literary awkwardness shown in his bestselling "A Monk Swimming". Devout fans of Irish music may find this an essential book to buy, but I suspect most will regard this as enjoyable light reading suitable only for Saint Patrick's Day.

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Summary: Empty covers
Review: This item (to call it a "book" would be an insult to books) has perhaps three pages of information about the history and substance of "Danny Boy". The remaining 138 pages are irrelevant Hamburger Helper. Save your $18.95 (or even your lower Amazon price) for something worth the money.