This dramatic book explores the most obscure and unbelievable stories of the Irish who wreaked havoc from Rio de Janeiro to China – from slaves, mercenaries, drug lords and killers.
Category: Biography/Memoir, History
The Blackest-Hearted Villains from Irish History
The Irish are celebrated at home and abroad as explorers, freedom fighters and great writers and artists, but for every Tom Crean, Bernardo O'Higgins or James Joyce, there is a Hugh Gough, Antoine Walsh or Luke Ryan.
This book is about the Irish slavers, grave-robbers, duellists, conmen, drug-lords and killers who wreaked havoc around the world …
Includes
Joe O'Shea is a journalist and broadcaster, originally from Cork but living and working in Dublin.
He has been writing for a range of national newspapers and broadcast media since he was 19-years-of age, first as a news reporter and then as a feature writer and columnist. He has also devised and presented TV programmes.
Joe has had a passion for history from a very young age. However, being raised on the stories of the great saints, missionaries, freedom fighters and politicians of the Irish diaspora, he was always fascinated by the dark side of Irish history, the Irish men and women who didn't cover themselves in glory, the thieves, traitors, pirates, pimps, mercenaries, killers, slavers and madmen.
In researching this book, he has discovered the forgotten stories of the inglorious Irish who laid waste to empires, transported countless thousands (including, in some cases, their own countrymen) into slavery and indulged in every vice and debased, evil impulse known to man. And he is a little envious.
a nineteenth century version of the Sunday World
who could resist a book with a title like this? … a timely reminder that our gentle nation doesn’t always lay out a hundred thousand welcomes
'imbibers of Jameson whiskey will be interested in the opening entry about a family member who was also a disturbingly devoted naturalist'
'readers who like their history told on a human scale—and with a little blood and backstabbing—will be entertained and educated'
'Natural storyteller and Dublin-based journalist O’Shea brings the past to life in 11 accounts of the “bad guys” of Irish history … fascinating'
'not for the faint-hearted but a real eye-opener'
'will make a great stocking filler this Christmas'
'if anyone wishes to maintain the delusion that we are an island of saints and scholars, they had best avoid this book'
'O’Shea tells his stories with panache'
'unlike many history books, it’s a brisk, enjoyable read'
'they definitely don’t teach this s*** in school'
'fascinating debut'
'should appeal to those interested in the less celebrated suns of Erin'
'no shortage of ... despicable characters in this modern day penny dreadful'
'anyone who thinks Louis Walsh is responsible for the worst Irish horrors visited upon the world should pick up a copy of Joe O’Shea’s book'
'a fantastic cover'
'I absolutely love this'
'great achievement'
'hugely enjoyable'
'lifts the lid on an array of colourful misfits who caused chaos in years gone by'
'a fascinating new book'
'dramatic'
'absolutely fascinating'
