Shortlisted for the Longman / History Today Book of the Year Award 2011, The Great Famine charts the arrival of the potato blight in Ireland in 1845 and the total destruction of the harvests in 1846 which brought a sense of numbing shock to the populace. It draws on contemporary eyewitness accounts and diaries to explore how the Liberal public works programme, far from meeting the relief needs of the poor, in fact led to many more deaths. The Great Famine provides a comprehensive examination of the great disaster in Irish history, from the overcrowded workhouses to the mass exodus from Ireland that took place from late 1847 onwards; thorough consideration is even given to the aftermath of the famine, with the long term consequences being felt in the decades that followed. This is an important book for anyone who wants to understand the famine that will always be considered one of the most significant events in Irish history.
