Seán Duffy, the general editor of the bestselling Atlas of Irish History, has written a text of exceptional clarity. Duffy stresses the enduring themes of his story: the long cultural continuity; the central importance of Ireland's relationships with Britain and mainland Europe; and the intractability of the ethnic and national divisions in modern Ulster.

As a specialist in medieval Irish history, he gives the earlier period its due treatment - unlike most such surveys - thus introducing these recurring themes at an early stage.