The rebellion that set Ireland free, told as a graphic novel.

The 1916 Easter Rising was an attempt by a small group of militant Irish republicans to win independence from Britain. It was the most significant rebellion in Ireland. Though a military failure, it set Ireland on the road to freedom from Britain.

The book covers the story from the early planning to the final executions and includes the tragic romance between Joseph Plunkett and Grace Gifford.

Following on from the success of political graphic novels such as Maus and Persepolis, this is accessible, informative and insightful history at its best.

fantastic … it’s a great sign of what can be done through that medium and I hope we’ll see more like it … We featured this and asked some children to review it and they raved about it, they loved it

really smart … tricks you into learning stuff

a history that brings the Rising to life. Too many accounts of the rebellion are austere and gloomy, and portray the key personalities as distant, ascetic figures. Blood Upon the Rose restores to the story its spirit of adventure, and a rounded humanity

I've no idea why I haven't blogged about Gerry Hunts historical graphic novels before. We've had Blood Upon The Rose, the story of Easter 1916, since it was published in 2009. That was such a success that when At War With The Empire, the follow up came out, I ordered it straightaway. It was a no-brainer - my eldest son loved graphic novels and flew through them. And these books explained (in colourful detail) Irish history that he needed to know about, for school and for life. This latest one, 1913 Larkin's Labour War which I found in the library last week is his favourite of the lot

the comic would be particularly useful for Irish Junior Cert and Leaving Cert students studying history, or general history buffs of early 20th century Irish and British relations

'a landmark Irish graphic novel'

'pulls the story together brilliantly … a lovely thing to have'

'Few other publications have brought the Rising to life as viscerally as Gerry Hunt's Blood Upon the Rose … an interesting and fresh take on a tale that most people would assume they knew by rote'

'the Easter Rising as you’ve never seen it before … a colourful comic story about the famous revolt'

'will appeal to youngsters and will familiarise with them with the heroes and heroines of the Easter Rebellion'

'shows the rising in all its multicoloured glory'

'compelling'

'a ground-breaking work'

'an excellent introduction to politics'

'an enjoyable read'

'illustrations are bright and appealing'

'I would certainly recommend this book'

'[a] new and exciting departure in Irish publishing'

'for 12 years and over'

'A colourful comic book is bringing the 1916 Rising to life for a new generation of young Irish people'

'has already been snapped up by teachers and students alike'

'Exciting'

'brings the story to life through illustration and lively text and could be a great resource to engage history students’ interest in that period in Irish history'

'rings the story to life through illustration and lively text and could be a great resource to engage history students’ interest in that period in Irish history'

'excellent illustrations and artwork ... an impressive work'

'the artwork is second to none, handled with a light touch and there is none of the overwrought pomposity sometimes present in American graphic novels'

an unexpected publishing hit

'a fantastic way of digesting a bit of history in a fun and vivid format ... Hunt’s graphics bring the story of their struggle for Irish freedom to life in a way that sterile prose in a school history book never could'

'graphics ... convey the tension and the atmosphere of fear that must have surrounded Dublin in those days'

'the Easter Rising as you’ve never seen it before … a colourful comic story about the famous revolt'

'Gerry Hunt gave a brief, excellent and very modest talk on the work ... It was more than fitting that Honor O Brolchain, grand-niece of Joseph Plunkett, was also present to deliver a fine talk on Joseph Plunkett, Grace Gifford and the importance of the j

'Few other publications have brought the Rising to life as viscerally as Gerry Hunt's Blood Upon the Rose … an interesting and fresh take on a tale that most people would assume they knew by rote'

'Following on from the success of political graphic novels such as Maus and Persepolis, this is accessible, informative and insightful history at its best ... help give a sense of realism to the story, Hunt presents an art style deeply influenced by his a

'pulls the story together brilliantly … a lovely thing to have'

'brings you back to your youth when comics were all the rage, but now you can enjoy all that again by reading a graphic novel about our great and proud history'

'a landmark Irish graphic novel'

'everyone has heard of the Easter Rising, but never has it been told in such a colourful and exciting way as this graphic novel'

'an enjoyable read'

'illustrations are bright and appealing'

'I would certainly recommend this book'

'[a] new and exciting departure in Irish publishing'

'a ground-breaking work'

'for 12 years and over'

'an excellent introduction to politics'

'shows the rising in all its multicoloured glory'

'will appeal to youngsters and will familiarise with them with the heroes and heroines of the Easter Rebellion'

'compelling'

'brings the story to life through illustration and lively text and could be a great resource to engage history students’ interest in that period in Irish history'

'A colourful comic book is bringing the 1916 Rising to life for a new generation of young Irish people'

'has already been snapped up by teachers and students alike'

'Exciting'

'excellent illustrations and artwork ... an impressive work'

the artwork is second to none, handled with a light touch and there is none of the overwrought pomposity sometimes present in American graphic novels