How our book reviewers saw it
Scholarship and the Irish diaspora as you have never seen them before
Marianne Elliott on An Irish History of Civilisation, Volume One, by Don Akenson (Granta). September 17th
A most interesting addition to Ireland's too-small library of politicians' memoirs
Gemma Hussey on Straight Left: A Journey in Politics, by Ruairi Quinn (Hodder Headline). September 24th
What may well appeal most is the insight this book gives into the author
Denise Deegan on Further Under the Duvet, by Marian Keyes (Michael Joseph). October 1st
This little book tells us more about ourselves, our rock'n'roll dreams and the darker corners of our musical souls than any convoluted, self-congratulatory rock encyclopaedia ever could
Kevin Courtney on Beautiful Day: Forty Years of Irish Rock, by Sean Campbell and Gerry Smyth (Atrium). October 1st
A terrifically funny, no-holds-barred swipe at the Dublin media's petty pretensions and craven obeisance to the powerful
Hugh Linehan on Monkey Man, by Stephen Price (New Island). October 8th
Our world is clogged with memoirs. Most won't last. In the Dark Room will.
Carlo Gébler on In the Dark Room, by Brian Dillon (Penguin Ireland). October 8th
A fascinating and haunting book
Joseph O'Connor on The Story of Chicago May, by Nuala O'Faolain (Riverhead Books). October 15th
Whatever your views on reality television it would be hard to deny that Sharon Osbourne - mother,wife, deal-breaker, rock matriarch and survivor - has led an extraordinary life
Róisín Ingle on Sharon Osbourne Extreme: My Autobiography, by Sharon Osbourne (above) and Penelope Dening (Time Warner). October 22nd
I would not advise the books as Christmas presents for certain former party leaders
Austin Currie on Young Tigers and Mongrel Foxes, by Paddy Harte (O'Brien) and As I Saw It, by Padraig Faulkner (Wolfhound). October 29th
A wonderful book
Arminta Wallace on The Winner of Sorrow, by Brian Lynch (New Island). October 29th
A sobering - if rather lengthy - meditation on the role and duty of the war correspondent
Bill McSweeney on The Great War for Civilisation: The Conquest of the Middle East, by Robert Fisk (above) (Fourth Estate). October 29th
The question is, what "Ireland" are we looking at?
Aisling Foster on Magnum Ireland, edited by Brigitte Lardonois and Val Williams (Thames & Hudson). November 5th
Thrilling, opinionated, with crashing judgments and the boring bits left out
Richard Aldous on A Little History of the World, by EH Gombrich (Yale). November 5th
Why on Earth didn't his former party get him back? Perhaps because he would have been streets ahead of any of them
Gemma Hussey on Chris Patten's Not Quite the Diplomat: Home Truths About World Affairs (Penguin/Allen Lane). November 12th
While the joke may not be as fresh as it once was, it still possesses enough punch to elicit a laugh-out-loud response
Tom Cooney on The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nightdress, by Ross O'Carroll Kelly (as told to Paul Howard) (Penguin Ireland). November 12th
The book painstakingly reveals the twisted nature of Stalin's propaganda, but also returns dignity to the ordinary soldiers of the Red Army
Ian Thomson on Ivan's War: The Red Army 1939-1945, by Catherine Merridale (Faber). November 19th
As he approaches his 80th birthday, the pages of this volume remind us that his lively engagement with ideas and issues is undimmed
Brigid Laffan on Ireland in the World: Further Reflections, by Garret FitzGerald (above) (Liberties Press). November 19th
A work of art
Alan Titley on Fontenoy, by Liam Mac Cóil (Leabhar Breac). November 19th
In his concluding summing-up Stephen Collins is kinder to the PDs than I would be
Garret FitzGerald on Breaking the Mould, by Stephen Collins (Gill & Macmillan). November 26th
The enfants do not come more terribles than Michel Houellebecq
Michael Cronin on The Possibility of an Island, by Michel Houellebecq (above) (Weidenfeld & Nicholson). November 26th
(Series concluded)