The Irish Americans: A History

“Dolan has written a superb history of the Irish in this country…The book explains why so many Americans who have an option to choose their own ethnic identity decide that they want to be Irish.”—Andrew M. Greeley Acclaimed scholar Jay Dolan’s panoramic account of the Irish experience in the United States follows immigrants from arrival to empowerment, from the dark days of the Great Famine to John F. Kennedy’s election to the presidency. Drawing on original research and recent scholarship, The Irish Americans is the first general history of Irish-Americans since the 1960s. Rich in detail, balanced in judgment, and the most comprehensive work of its kind yet published, this is a must-read for anyone with an interest in the Irish-American tradition.