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Dublin's writers rarely remain solemn for long: their wicked sense
of humour has travelled the world. This is an irresistible new
anthology of what used to be called 'comic and curious verse' about
the city, written by some of her most entertaining poets and
songwriters. Fashions in verse come and go. Too often we forget -
paradoxically - the most memorable works of wit, sarcasm or
absurdity. The ones gathered here were written over four centuries,
and were inspired by many things - among them love, injustice,
history, politics, animals and alcohol, but most of all by the
citizens of Dublin themselves. Whether the lines are satirical,
sentimental, subversive, sexy or just plain silly, you will find
that many of them show a rare seriousness as well. Each poem comes
with background information about where it originated, and each
page is illuminated by Hector McDonnell's wonderful, witty
drawings.
Were the Stones of Stenness the world's first henge and stone
circle? Why has Orkney preserved so many Neolithic farmhouses and
villages? What was the purpose of the huge buildings on the Ness of
Brodgar? In this small book, painter Hector McDonnell introduces
the history and the mystery of Orkney. Could the practice of making
astronomical stone circles really have started on a small island
off the north coast of Scotland, and then been exported to the
mainland? WOODEN BOOKS are small but packed with information.
"Fascinating" FINANCIAL TIMES. "Beautiful" LONDON REVIEW OF BOOKS.
"Rich and Artful" THE LANCET. "Genuinely mind-expanding" FORTEAN
TIMES. "Excellent" NEW SCIENTIST. "Stunning" NEW YORK TIMES. Small
books, big ideas.
The Round Towers of Ireland are among the most enigmatic and
extraordinary constructions of the early Irish Church. Why were
they put up? What were they used for? Where did the idea come from,
and when? Hector McDonnell, one of Ireland's best-known
contemporary painters, outlines the story of the round towers, and
presents a radical theory. With a gazeteer at the back, and
numerous rare early engravings, this is an excellent small guide to
the field. WOODEN BOOKS are small but packed with information.
"Fascinating" FINANCIAL TIMES. "Beautiful" LONDON REVIEW OF BOOKS.
"Rich and Artful" THE LANCET. "Genuinely mind-expanding" FORTEAN
TIMES. "Excellent" NEW SCIENTIST. "Stunning" NEW YORK TIMES. Small
books, big ideas.
ULSTER' S OTHER POETRY proves that the people of Ulster have never
been humourless or dour. Far from it. With its sparkling variety of
rhymes, songs and humorous poems from every tradition of the
province, the book demonstrates that those who dwell in the
northern quarter of Ireland have their own unique take on the
strange ways of the world, coupled with a whole-hearted
appreciation of good fun. Spanning over three centuries of Ulster's
past, this anthology is full of comic pleasures. In its pages,
country ballads jostle with city satires, songs aimed at children
meet jingles advertising bread, and university light verses
encounter the folk-poems of the Antrim weavers. Each poem comes
with background information about its origins, and each page is
illuminated by Hector McDonnell's wonderful, witty drawings. This
book is destined to become a much-thumbed, much-loved companion.
The Irish landscape is alive with pagan powers, gods and spirits.
Inside every hill are feasting halls of otherworldly beings who
sometimes emerge into our realm, or entice the unwary into theirs.
Lakes and rivers have their own divinities, sacred pagan springs
cure everything from toothache to insanity, and gods and goddesses
live on in ancient stones. In this fascinating and beautiful book
Hector McDonnell describes how Ireland's pre-Christian beliefs
still shape its rich customs and beliefs today. WOODEN BOOKS are
small but packed with information. "Fascinating" FINANCIAL TIMES.
"Beautiful" LONDON REVIEW OF BOOKS. "Rich and Artful" THE LANCET.
"Genuinely mind-expanding" FORTEAN TIMES. "Excellent" NEW
SCIENTIST. "Stunning" NEW YORK TIMES. Small books, big ideas.
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Nadine Gordimer
Paperback
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R398
R330
Discovery Miles 3 300
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