Title:             The Irish 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Irish of All Time (1999)
Author:         -Tom Philbin
Illustrator:    -B/W Photographs
Description:  -There's George Meany, Bronx-born, tough-as-nails president of the AFL-CIO, who expelled the Teamsters Union for its mob affiliations. And Eugene O'Neill, the great Irish American playwright whose face streamed with tears as he probed his tortured family memories to write Long Day's Journey into Night. Robert Emmet is there, the Irish rebel who fought for Ireland's freedom, was betrayed by a spy, and hung for treason at the age of 25, as is St. Brigid, a.k.a. Mary of the Gael--patron saint of students and dairy workers--who continued the work of St. Patrick in spreading Christianity throughout Ireland. The Irish 100 includes these plus 96 more Irish and Irish American individuals, all profiled by Tom Philbin in pithy 800-word biographical sketches.
With historic stalwarts such as Michael Collins and Charles Stewart Parnell, Joseph P. Kennedy and Margaret Sanger, Ulysses S. Grant and James K. Polk, plus Mother Jones, Henry Ford, Walt Disney, Joseph McCarthy and Cyrus McCormick, Philbin's collection features a remarkably interesting assortment of personalities and accomplishments. His book would be well worth the browse, even if that were all he aspired to achieve, but Philbin's goals are far more ambitious, and controversial, than that. He opted for the 100 most influential Irish of all time, and then ranked them, first to last. Talk about fodder for discourse and dissent! Jonathan Swift makes the list--but as number 50, well after Rachel Carson, who ranks 14. Samuel Beckett squeaks in at number 91, right after Frank McCourt, and more than 50 spots later than Ronald Reagan (ranked number 34). Toss this book into a circle of historians or Ireland enthusiasts, and discussion is sure to follow--just one more credit in Philbin's favor. Any book that sparks that much thought and debate is a rare success.
Philbin speaks freely in his introduction about the impossible task he set himself, and how the criterion of influence brought certain names to the fore, while effacing other individuals of greater fame but arguably lesser lasting effect. And whether you agree with every selection, omission, and ranking, it's hard to dispute that Philbin's Irish compendium is intellectually and emotionally engaging, a scholarly work that incites contemplation, education, and interest. --Stephanie Gold
Publisher       -Andrews McNeal Publishing - Kansas City, MO
Type              -362 Pages  5 1/2" x 6" Hardcover   First Edition  1999
Condition:     -Very Good with VG Dust Jacket ,  Name and sticker on flyleaf, else unmarked