577. The Irish War of Independence: The Violence Begins (Part 2)

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Paul Rouse mentioned that Dan Breen's violent actions were glorified in his book, noting that Breen was 'a hard, violent man who was utterly unrepentant about killing people.'

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Paul Rouse cited a brilliant description from this book about Michael Collins being 'a finance minister with the unusual advantage of running a death squad.'

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Described as 'probably the most contentious book ever written about Irish history,' it was discussed extensively regarding its controversial claims about sectarian violence in Cork during the War of Independence, including criticisms of Hart's footnoting and use of language around ethnic cleansing.

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Paul Rouse recommended the most recent biography of Mary MacSwiney written by Leanne Lane, saying it 'does this brilliantly' in covering her fundraising campaign across 300 meetings in 58 American cities.