America's Irish Catholic rich have long enjoyed the designation of
F.I.F., or First Irish Family or "Real Lace", as it delineates
their place in the "Irishtocracy", where names such as Cuddihy,
Murray, Doheny, and McDonnell inspire respect and awe. Yet, in
almost every case, their origins in this country were humble.
Fleeing the Irish potato famine in the 1840s, they found themselves
penniless in the slums of New York and Boston where they were
regarded as "invaders" and a curse, humiliated by signs that said
'No Irish Need Apply' and forced to accept jobs too degrading to be
accepted by native and other immigrant populations. Nonetheless,
they possessed one important advantage over other immigrants: they
spoke the language. They were also, by nature and tradition,
political. And they had ambition, courage, a fighting spirit,
and-perhaps most important-Irish charm. Here, in this engrossing
and often hilarious book, we read of how the Irish elite
emerged-frequently in less than a generation's time-out of poverty
into positions of both social and business prominence. One of the
F.I.F., Robert J. Cuddihy, was behind one of the great publishing
stories of the twentieth century, the rise and fall of the Literary
Digest. Another, Thomas E. Murray, though little schooled,
possessed an engineering genius that led to his control of a number
of electrical and other patents, second only to Thomas Edison.
Still another, Edward Doheny, was a key figure in the great Teapot
Dome scandal of the Harding years. We read of the F.I.F.'s
struggles to cling to their faith, and their determination to cope
with the "Irish curse": alcohol. In Real Lace Stephen Birmingham
recounts the ultimate rags-to-riches story of the American Irish in
a social history as entertaining as it is important.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
