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As Irish-Language Editor of this paper, I look forward to reading Alan Titley's weekly dispatch before anyone else. He has been writing a first-rate column for The Irish Times since 2003 - no mean feat - and has brought his readers on a great safari of wondrous words. Titley is his own man and his independence of thought is to be seen in the issues that catch his attention and the unique way in which he addresses them. There is a nod to his approach in the title - beating left and right. Titley always looks both ways before crossing the ideological road. This book is a selection of his best articles in this paper though you could just reprint them all and you would not find a dud amongst them. (No, that is not hyperbole.) There are musings here on the colour of the GAA geansaí and more serious pieces on politics and literature. A little wonder here and a little question there, as one of the language's greatest writers picks the right words for the right occasion and says something of value.
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