A new book, Vivid Faces: the revolutionary generation of Ireland, 1890–1923, will be launched next week at the University of Liverpool.
The author, Waterford-born Professor R F Foster, has been described as the "most brilliant and courageous Irish historian of his generation" by Colm Tóibín. In this new 496-page book, published by Allen Lane, he traces the roots of the Easter Rising by focusing on the "vivid faces" ie the 'ordinary' people who sparked the rebellion, embracing the revolution in all areas of life, public and private. The radical temperament encompassed politics, sex, marriage, Catholicism, education, family, theatre, fiction and poetry.
Drawing on letters and diaries, Professor Foster gives personal voice to the soaring ideals of feminism, socialism and Irish nationalism. Vivid Faces shows how politics fused with the intimacies of love and belief, revealing the rising as an event not only of the streets but also of the hearts and minds of a generation.
He will launch the book at 6pm in Lecture Theatre 6 (Rendall Building), University of Liverpool. Admission is free and open to all. Refreshments will be served in the foyer after the launch.
For further details, or to book a seat, contact Dorothy Lynch at The Institute of Irish Studies by tel: 0151 794 3837 or email Dorothy@liv.ac.uk.
ISDN 978-1846144639