This is a remarkable work for a man who has always been engaged with the busy duties of a missionary priest in the United States and Ireland and yet has found time to build up in a truly historical manner and the best literary style this extensive volume. It is more remarkable because it has been done while the writer lived thousands of miles from the scene of action, and most remarkable because he was at the same time engaged on another monumental work, the lives of the Irish saints, in twelve large octavo volumes. The reader of the work before us would not suspect this from an inspection and perusal of the book. There is about it no indication of failing power on the part of the author, nor any evidence of hasty or imperfect preparation. On the contrary, we find everywhere evidences of the vigorous mind, facile pen and capacity for research of a young enthusiastic historian.
The author's purpose is to set before the people of Ireland a general and complete history of the United States, showing the leading events from the beginning until the close of the nineteenth century in a summary but consecutive manner. It is most becoming that an Irishman should write a history of this country to which a stream of Irish emigrants has steadily flowed from early colonial days. These and their descendants have ever been active in the upbuilding of the country and in its defense, and their names should be written with honor on every page of its history. This has not always been done, and there are many unaccountable omissions to record race and ancestry in making the scroll. This defect the author hopes to have remedied in his history. He has gathered together a great mass of historical material, digested it and arranged it, until it has come forth on the pages of this book, interesting, instructive and true. Every statement is backed by authority and may be quoted without fear. Altogether the book is worthy of the subject and the author, and this is high praise.
This is volume one out of two.
