The Year of the FrenchIn 1798, Irish patriots, committed to freeing their country from England, landed with a company of French troops in County Mayo, in westernmost Ireland. They were supposed to be an advance guard, followed by other French ships with the leader of the rebellion, Wolfe Tone. Briefly they triumphed, raising hopes among the impoverished local peasantry and gathering a group of supporters. But before long the insurgency collapsed before a brutal English counterattack. Very few books succeed in registering the sudden terrible impact of historical events; Thomas Flanagan's is one. Subtly conceived, masterfully paced, with a wide and memorable cast of characters, The Year of the French brings to life peasants and landlords, Protestants and Catholics, along with old and abiding questions of secular and religious commitments, empire, occupation, and rebellion. It is quite simply a great historical novel. |
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arms army asked Ballina Ballinamuck Ballycastle barony battle battle of Castlebar Belmullet beneath blood British cabins cannon Captain Castle Castlebar Collooney Connaught Cooper Cornwallis County Mayo Crauford Crossmolina dark Dennis Browne Drumshanbo Dublin Duggan Ellen English eyes face father fellow Ferdy O'Donnell fight Foxford French Gael gaol George Geraghty Glenthorne Granard hand hanged head heard held hill Humbert Ireland Irish John Kerry Kilcummin Killala knew lads Lake land landlords Laverty Longford looked Lord Lord Cornwallis MacDonnell Macroom MacTier Malcolm Elliott matter Mayo midlands Moore moved Munster muskets never night O'Dowd Owen MacCarthy Papist peasants perhaps pikes pistol poem poet poor Protestant Randall rapparees rebellion rebels riding road rode Sarrizen schoolmaster shouted Sligo smiled soldiers song stood street Sure talk tavern Teeling thought town Treacy turned Tyrawley Ulster United Irishmen village voice walked Wexford whiskey Whiteboys words yeomen